Homemade puff pastry sheets are made plain flour and butter to create a beautiful laminated dough. The dough is enriched with butter and laminated with butter to create the flaky layers. In this blog post, I have shared two ways of making puff pastry sheets at home using butter and shortening. Though I prefer the shortening for making veg puffs and chicken puffs, all butter puff pastry can be used in making sweet pastry. Learn how to make puff pastry with stepwise pictures and video.
Puff Pastry
For some of you finding puff pastry sheets in your grocery store is easy. Not me, I have no luck in getting them and my super market doesn't stock them too.
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I was too scared to make my very own puff pastry sheets. Because I thought it is so hard to make. So kind of stayed away from them. But many of my viewers requested the recipe. So I got the confidence to give this a try. It was a huge success and I used it to make veg puffs, egg puffs and chicken puffs.
About Puff Pastry (Homemade)
I love making puffs, but the only thing puts me off is making the pastry from scratch since it will take lots of effort to make the sheets rather than the puffs. In my place i couldn't get puff pastry in my shops. So if I have to make anything using that I have to make it from scratch.
Few days back I wanted to try chicken and leek pie. So I decided to try out my own pastry. It is such a fail-proof easy recipe to make. It takes less than 30 mins to make from scratch.
I have shared two ways of making puff pastry in this recipe. Puff pastry with butter using a traditional lamination process which is so easy to follow if you try my method. Also a simple puff pastry dough made with shortening which is my favorite.
Similar Recipes,
Watch Puff Pastry Recipe Video
Puff Pastry Ingredients
Plain Flour - You need to use good quality plain flour also known as All purpose flour for making the dough.
Shortening or Butter - You should use high quality butter or shortening. Make sure the butter is cold before using. make sure you use unsalted butter for making puff pastry.
Salt - I like to use unsalted butter for making puff pastry. So I can control the salt level in the pastry dough.
Sugar - this is optional but I like to use powdered sugar to help with the caramelisation.
Cold Water - use cold water for making the dough.
Bakery Style Puff Pastry Tips & Tricks
Always Keep Cold - Make sure you keep the butter and the dough cold, which makes the pastry flaky.
Using Shortening - In my personal opinion, shortening makes flaky pastry just like bakery style. Use vegetable shortening for easy and flaky puff pastry.
Storage - Puff pastry dough can be stored in fridge for at least 3 to 4 days wrapped in plastic wrap.
Puff Pastry Baking Temperature - Once the puff pastry is made. Roll it into rectangle. Cut it into squares. Fill with your favorite filling, fold it and brush with an egg wash. Now Bake at 220 degree C for 20 to 25 mins.
Puff Pastry Using Shortening
Making Dough
1)Take soft butter in a large mixing bowl. Make sure the butter is unsalted so you can control the salt level in your sheets.
2)add in salt to the butter and cream together till it is combined.
3)Add in plain flour into the creamed butter mixture. I am using all purpose flour.
4)Mix the butter into the flour to get the short crust texture. Use your spoon to crumble the mix into the butter.
5)Now pour in some cold water into the flour. Make sure the water is ice cold.
6)Mix the flour together to form a soft dough. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 15 minute to rest.
Shortening
7)I am using vegetable shortening. You can easily find this in super markets. It is not dalda | vanaspati. I usually buy this from Amazon.
Layering Shortening
8)Place the dough on a sheet of silicon sheet or silipat.
9)Roll the dough into a sheet. You can sprinkle some flour on the dough and roll it.
9)Now take vegetable shortening and spread it as a thick even layer over the sheet. Spread the shortening smooth and even.
Laminating Dough
10)Fold the rolled sheet like this from both sides.
11)Now fold like this.
11)Now we are going to laminate the dough. Every time, you have to turn the dough vertical to you, sprinkle with flour and roll into sheet like. Then you have to fold the dough and repeat.
12)Now I have rolled the dough into a rectangle like.
13)Fold it as shown above. Repeat this for at least 4 times. Doing this multiple times will create the layers and also strengthens the dough.
14)Now for the final rolling. Roll the dough into a sheet like. Trim off the sides to create a clean edge which helps with the puffing up during baking.
15)Cut the sheet into equal size portions or squares.
Puff Pastry Using Butter
This recipe for puff pastry is made using butter. You should use high quality butter or shortening. Make sure the butter is cold before using. make sure you use unsalted butter for making puff pastry.
Shortcrust Flour
1)Take plain flour in a bowl. This is all purpose flour.
2)Add in salt and sugar. The sugar I am using is powdered. you can skip sugar if you want.
3)Add in cubed cold butter into the flour mixture.
4)Rub the butter into the flour so it resembles crumbly like texture. This process is called shortening of the flour and butter.
5)This is the texture you are looking for.
Making Dough
6)Pour in cold water into the flour and knead to form a soft dough.
7)This is the dough you are looking for. The dough has to be soft and smooth.
8)Cover the dough with a plastic wrap. This ensures the dough doesn't dry up.
9)Place the dough in fridge and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Laminating Dough with butter
10)Once the dough is rested enough. We are going to laminate the dough. The dough has to be cold and the butter block has to be cold.
11)Place the cold butter block between sheets of plastic wrap.
12)Bash the butter using a rolling pin to make it flat and thin.
13)Like this.
14)Now take the cold dough and roll it into a rectangle. You can sprinkle some flour to help with the rolling.
15)Place the butter block in the centre of the rolled dough.
16)Fold the dough from all the sides.
17)Like this to make a parcel.
18)Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place the dough in fridge to rest for 30 minutes. This helps to firm up the dough and butter.
Creating First Set of Layers
19)Now to create the first set of layers. Take the dough between sheets of plastic wrap.
20)Roll it into a rectangle as even as possible.
21)Fold it from one side.
22)Now fold from other side as well.
23)Now flip the dough like this.
24)Cover with plastic wrap and roll it. If you don't cover with plastic wrap, you might need to sprinkle with more flour.
25)Roll it as even as possible.
26)Now fold from one side.
27)and the other side.
28)Wrap it with plastic wrap and place it in fridge.
Repeating Layers
29)Continue the above step for 3 more times. This way you will get lots of flaky layers
The below picture is how the dough looks after a 4 times of doing the steps above. In total you are folding it for 8 times, because each time you are doing it for 2 times. This creates hundreds of layers in your puff pastry.
30)Roll the dough into a rectangle.
31)Trim off the ends using a sharp knife to expose the layers.
32)Cut the dough into squares and use.
33)You can use this puff pastry sheet to make any of your favorite recipes.
Expert Tips
- The first thing you should remember is always keep the dough cold while making the entire process. If you feel like the dough and butter is getting warm, put that in fridge till it gets firm and cold.
- Make sure the puff sheet is cold before putting it in the oven. This will make it rise better and make it flaky.
- Ensure you do the folding and rolling at least 4 to 5 times to create the layers and flaky texture.
- Use good quality butter and shortening for making puff pastry.
Storage
Puff pastry dough can be stored in fridge for at least 3 to 4 days wrapped in plastic wrap.
Puff Pastry Baking Temperature
Once the puff pastry is made. Roll it into rectangle. Cut it into squares. Fill with your favorite filling, fold it and brush with an egg wash. Now Bake at 220 degree C for 20 to 25 mins.
More Homemade Pastry & Dough
📖 Recipe Card
Puff Pastry Sheets | Puff Pastry Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Plastic wrap or parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- Silicon Sheets
Ingredients
Puff Pastry with Shortening
- 4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1⅓ cup Shortening (300 grams)
- 2 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Cold Water
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter (100 grams)
Puff Pastry with Butter
- 3¼ cup All Purpose Flour (400 grams)
- 1 ¾ cup Cold Butter 300 gram + 100 grams cubed
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Powdered Sugar
- ¾ cup Cold Water
Instructions
Puff Pastry with Shortening
- Cream butter, salt till creamy. Add in flour and mix well into the butter. Add in cold water and knead to a soft dough. Set aside covered for 15 mins.
- Now take the dough and roll it into a sheet. Spread shortening all over it evenly.
- Fold it as shown in the pictures. Repeat this 4 to 5 times.
- Roll it into a rectangle and trim off the sides to get clean edges. Cut it into required shapes. Use as needed.
Puff Pastry with Butter
- First make the dough. Take flour in a large mixing bowl. Add in salt and powdered sugar and mix well. Now add in 100 grams of cold butter and crumble it with your hands. Now add in ice cold water slowly and make into a soft dough. Shape the dough into a rectangle and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in a steel plate and put in the fridge for 30 mins.
- Now take the 300 gram of cold butter and place it over a plastic wrap. Put another plastic wrap over the top of the butter and use a rolling pin to bash the butter into a little thin rectangle.
- Spread a plastic wrap and place the dough over it. Cover with another plastic wrap and roll it into thin sheets. Now fold them from both ends and invert them and roll it again into thin rectangle. Fold them from both ends. Cover this with plastic wrap and put them into fridge for 30 mins. (REFER IMAGE FOR UNDERSTANDING)
- Now repeat the step 3 for 3 more times. So you are totally doing it for 4 times. Each time you are doing it for 2 times. So totally you are doing it for 8 times. Each time you have to put in the fridge for 30 mins.
- Now take the dough out of fridge. Roll it into a thin rectangle sheet. Cut it into the squares of your liking.
- Place the dough squares in fridge for about 1 hour or 30 mins in freezer. Now you can use it to make any puffs you like.
Video
Notes
- The first thing you should remember is always keep the dough cold while making the entire process. If you feel like the dough and butter is getting warm, put that in fridge till it gets firm and cold.
- Make sure the puff sheet is cold before putting it in the oven. This will make it rise better and make it flaky.
- Ensure you do the folding and rolling at least 4 to 5 times to create the layers and flaky texture.
- Use good quality butter and shortening for making puff pastry.
Storage
Puff pastry dough can be stored in fridge for at least 3 to 4 days wrapped in plastic wrap. Puff Pastry Baking Temperature Once the puff pastry is made. Roll it into rectangle. Cut it into squares. Fill with your favorite filling, fold it and brush with an egg wash. Now Bake at 220 degree C for 20 to 25 mins.Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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nayana
detailed and step by step explaination of puff pastry is very helpful....
Anonymous
hi aarthi
can i use salted butter for this
Aarthi
@AnonymousYes u could
Annie
thanks aarthi.. looks promising.. Does this stay for some days? or do you have to use it in one go? and how do you preserve if it stays?
Aarthi
@Annie
Put it inside a ziploc bag and You can freeze it and defrost it before you use.
Mona
You r seriously the queen of kitchen! It's truly a one stop blog for everyone!
Anonymous
Dear aarthi are they storable?
cathy
Oh my... thank you for this flaky sheet... now i can make my very own napoleones.
cathy
Oh my...thank you for the flaky sheet...now i can make my very own napoleones.
Jo
Wonderfully detailed tutorial with excellent step by step photos! Thanks for posting
dharsha
superbbb
Aarthi
@AnonymousYes u can store these for few days in fridge and few weeks in freezer, just store it in a ziploc bag
sajida asif
Your recipes are really amazing. I followed some of them and they are perfect.
Anonymous
Good
Anonymous
How do i cook them?? O bake dem ??
Aarthi
@AnonymousBake them.
Anonymous
Super
Anonymous
Instead of powder sugar could I use normal granulated or is their another terminology for it as im in the uk and have never heard of it thanks ps the rest of the recipe is great
Tamara
I believe it is called icing sugar in the UK
Aarthi
@AnonymousPowdered sugar is normal sugar which is powdered
Ritu Sharma
Hi,
I tried this receipe,but I used home made unsalted butter,which was bit oily.
So due to this my butter getting oozing out,whenever I m folding.I used dry maida also while folding it,but still it is sticking to polybag.
What to do ?
Aarthi
@Ritu Sharmahomemade butter have water in this, so it will be sticky. it is best to use store bought yellow butter
Pattu Raj
Wonderful!. A search , after long frustrating years of searching for ready made sheets... Thanks a lot.
painstakingly explained, encouraging one and all to try. Well done.
Anonymous
Can we use oil instead of butter in this. I hate too much of butter in it. Any other go.
Aarthi
@Anonymousno u have to use butter. oil wont work
archana kathirvel
Myself Archana .mam really superb detailed explanations and picture they helped me a lot to make my own sheets ..... No doubt mam you are the kitchen queen....
Anonymous
You are so good aarthi
Anonymous
hi aarthi
how are you n kid?
today i will make this but before made i want to know 1 thing.dear i have unsalted white butter is that ok?
Aarthi
@Anonymouswhite butter has water content in them, so try to use yellow ones
priya tilokani
i want to make this in otg so should i place it in grill mode or bake mode
Aarthi
@priya tilokaniyou have to cook this in bake mode. Check this link
https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2013/11/vegetable-puffs-from-homemade-puff.html
Anonymous
Can this puff pastry base can be used for preparing quiche/pie crust?
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can use this for any recipe that calls for puff pastry
iamjhenb
This is by far the best step by step procedures I have seen after so many searches here in the internet. Merci beaucoup!
Anonymous
dear
how can we store puff pastry dough if dnt have ziplog bag
plz adive
and i make it with unipuff /master puff is it ok?
Aarthi
@Anonymousjust wrap it in plastic wrap
Anonymous
dear
can we make puff pastry dough with any kind of shortnening?
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can use any firm shortening
Anonymous
arthi
had problem .. when i bake puff sheets or any thing made from puff ... after cooling on rack..it was became soogy soogy after few hours even not cover it .
what ahappend
Aarthi
@Anonymousit heppends to all puffs item..you have to reheat it in oven
Anonymous
when reheat iz that turn again into crispness ?
Aarthi
@Anonymousyou shouldn't heat it in microwave. you have to reheat it in oven
Anonymous
This was so helpful. It turned out delicious and light. Without egg was my main concern. But they turned out just like at the bakery! Thanks.
Anonymous
Can we use butter or vegetable oil instead of shortening or vanaspati?
Aarthi
@Anonymousno that wont work for this version.check this one instead
https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2013/11/homemade-puff-pastry-sheets-puff-pastry.html
Coral crue
Thank you for the pictures, I will try the other link as I am worried about using shortening
neha saxena
hello ma'am, how to bake this in convection microwave?
SAKSHI
Hii
I TRIED YOUR RECIPE.. BUT HAVE A SMALL PROBLEM. MY LAYERS WERE NOT SEPERATED... IT DID NOT PUFF MUCH.... WONDER WHAT I DID WRONG
Miss Anum
hi ma'am, do we have to add 120 g vanaspti at once ? or the ghee in layers is included in this 120 g ????
Aarthi
you have to add 50 grams to the flour. And the remaining when making layers
Tessa
I keep clicking around from recipe to recipe. Thank you so much for all the clear pictures everywhere!
Anonymous
Can we use ghee instead of vanaspati?
Unknown
can we use yeast?
Ratnam
GS Karthika
Good hard work . thank you for explanation
Anonymous
Aarthi, thank you for posting pictured receipe. I live in Chennai and can anyone tell me where can I get ready made puff pastry sheets?
Thanks in advance
asir paul
Can I use dalta instead of butter. If use dalta how is comes...?
Aarthi
Check this puff pastry recipe using dalda https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2016/04/15-mins-puff-pastry-sheets-recipe.html
Rajni
Can i use refined oil instead of vanaspati??
Madhu
Tried your puff pastry sheets & made vegetable puffs.It turned out awesomeCrispy flaky.. Thanks a lot for the recipe.wonderful snack for the lockdown period when all bakeries are closed & we are craving for bakery puff.
Niki
Can you say How much is your one cup measurement in this recipe for maida?
Priya
Hi, I tried this recipe... Although it tasted great, the layers didnt separate well as yours? May I know where did I go wrong?
Tony
Here in the USA we use Cups, teaspoons, Tablespoons, we don’t use Ml and grams. Recipe is not good for me.
Aarthi
I have added measurements in cups. Hope it will be helpful to you.