Quick & Easy Homemade Puff Pastry
This Homemade Puff Pastry, is so quick and easy and so much better than store bought puff pastry sheets. You will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner! Learn how to make it and use it in all your recipes that call for flaky, buttery pastry.
I have been dying to make puff pastry for years, since the first time I saw my sister-in-law make it. Unfortunately, I kept putting it off and putting it off because it was always just too much work and time consuming.
I was lucky enough to find this recipe on the Food Network website called the quickest puff pastry recipe. Now this was an amazing discovery. I can make puff pastry and save myself so much time and effort. Yeah, I like that!
This pastry is flaky, crispy and buttery, just like the classic puff pastry which takes time and lots of rolling. Another bonus point is, that you can fill it with any filling that suits your tastes, from savory to sweet.
Ingredients
- Very cold salted butter cut into cubes, do not use margarine
- Very cold water
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
How to Make Puff Pastry
I used my food processor to bring this puff pastry dough together and it was so easy, a few pulses and you are ready to go!
Place the flour and some of the butter cubes in the food processor. Pulse until the butter is worked into the dough. Add the rest of the butter and pulse just a few more times. Adding the butter in batches ensures it is worked evenly through the flour.
Add the cold water and pulse several more times or until the dough forms a ball. It’s very important to not over process the dough at this point – it should only take four to five more pulses for this step.
At this point, your dough will have bits of butter throughout but don’t worry, that is what makes this dough flaky.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. One thing I noticed is you have to make sure to keep your surface lightly floured all the time, gently form into a compact ball.
Lightly flour your rolling-pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle approximately 12×18 inches (30×45 cm).
To create all the flaky layers, fold the rectangle in half and then in half again, like an envelope.
Fold it one more time in half and then wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it for one to two hours. Once your puff pastry dough is chilled it’s ready to use!
Storage and Freezing Tips
- Store the homemade puff pastry in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Be sure it is sealed in plastic wrap.
- You can also freeze it. Wrap it well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container, it will keep in the freezer for up to a month.
- Before using the frozen dough, leave it folded and wrapped and thaw it in the fridge overnight. Roll the dough out without unfolding it first.
How to Use It
There are countless ways to use your puff pastry sheets, both savory and sweet. Here I’m sharing two different pastry recipes that you might like to try!
Savory Filling
With the first part, I rolled the dough into a rectangle, lined it with slices of Cooked Ham and Shredded Gruyere Cheese, although any cream cheese would work.
I rolled it up as tight as possible, wrapped it in plastic and refrigerated it for about 20 minutes.
Then with a very sharp knife I made 1/4 inch slices, placed them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, sprinkled a little more shredded cheese and baked them for about 20 minutes
They make the perfect appetizers and were gone in minutes!
Sweet Filling
The remaining dough I rolled the pastry into a circle and made 8 triangles, on each triangle, on the bottom (large part) I placed one or two thin slices of pear, some chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of chocolate chips.
I then rolled them up starting at the bottom (large part) and placed the on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
I brushed them with an egg wash and baked them for about 10-15 minutes. Let them cool and a little dusting of Powdered Sugar is all they need.
If pears aren’t to your liking, then you could fill them with 2-3 apples slices tossed with a little brown sugar and cinnamon.
If you have any leftover dough you could always make some double cheese savory twists. They would be perfect with a big bowl of Soup or Stew.
I hope you decide to give this 10 Minute Homemade Puff Pastry a go. Let me know what you think and how you filled yours. Enjoy!
Quick & Easy Homemade Puff Pastry
Ingredients
FOR THE PUFF PASTRY
- 1¼ cup very cold butter (salted)* cut into cubes
- ½ cup very cold water
- ¼ teaspoon salt*
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
*If using unsalted butter then add ¾ teaspoon of salt. Be sure to use a good quality butter, apparently this year 2022, store brand butter quality is not what it used to be.
HAM & CHEESE ROLL UPS
- 6-8 slices cooked Ham
- 1¼ cups Gruyere or cheese of choice shredded
PEAR, WALNUT & CHOCOLATE CHIP CRESCENTS
- ½ – 1 pear sliced (not too thick/firm but ripe)
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
EGG WASH
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
MORE RECIPE IDEAS
DOUBLE CHEESE TWISTS
- ¼ – ½ cup shredded cheese fontal or gruyere
- ¼ – ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian Parsley
APPLE CINNAMON FILLING
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 apple peeled, cored and sliced thin
Instructions
10 MINUTE PUFF PASTRY
- Using a food processor, fitted with the metal blade, add flour and salt to the bowl, then add ¾ cup (170 grams) cold butter cut in cubes and pulse until butter is absorbed (about 10 to 12 one second pulses), then add the remaining cold butter (cubed) and pulse two or three times (no more) to combine, add the cold water and pulse four or five times just until the dough comes together to form a ball (really important not to over process).
- On a lightly floured surface place dough and knead lightly approximately 10 times. With a lightly floured rolling- pin (lightly flour the dough so it doesn't stick) roll into a rectangle approximately 12 x 18 inches (30 x 45 cm).
- Fold the dough like an envelope (see photos) then fold in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours (I left mine in the fridge for two hours).
Pre-heat oven to 375° (190° celsius) (for all recipes).
HAM & CHEESE ROLL UPS
- Remove from the fridge and on a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling-pin roll the still folded dough (I cut the dough in two parts, refrigerate the unused dough until needed) into a rectangle (approximately 10 x 14 inches / 25 x 35 cm). I covered the dough with thin slices of cooked ham and sprinkled with shredded cheese.
- Roll up length wise as tight as possible and brush the edges with egg wash to seal. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 20-30 minutes. Unwrap and slice with a sharp knife into ¼ inch slices. Place on prepared cookie sheet, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with more cheese, bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.
PEAR, WALNUT & CHOCOLATE CRESCENTS
- Roll the remaining dough into a large circle, make 8-10 triangles. Place 1-2 slices of pear on the large part of the triangle, top with some chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. Roll up from the large part, place on prepared cookie sheet, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with a little sugar and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden. Let cool then dust with powdered / icing sugar. Enjoy.
MORE RECIPES
DOUBLE CHEESE TWISTS
- In a small bowl mix together Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, set aside. Roll (½ or ⅓) the dough into an 1/8" thick oval, sprinkle shredded cheese on the top half of oval, bring up the bottom half to cover the top, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese mixture, slice into ½ inch strips, twist and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden. Eat warm. Enjoy!
APPLE CINNAMON FILLING
- In a small bowl toss together, sliced apples, brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll out the dough into a large rectangle or square ⅛ " thick, then cut into 6-8 squares. Top each square with 2-3 apple slices, brush the edges of the square with egg mixture. Fold over and seal. Brush tops of pastry with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden. Drizzle with a little frosting if desired.
EGG WASH
- In a small bowl beat together the egg and water.
Notes
Nutrition
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Thanks to the foodnetwork.com.
I am republishing this recipe from October 19, 2014 with photo and video updates.
The puff pastry recipe was earth changing – or least my kitchen changing. I tried doing puff pastry the old way
years ago and while wonderful croissants emerged, it never became a baking go to. As a Boomer, I aspired to Becky Home ecky or Susie Home Spun in kitchen – they were Way too much fuss and expenditure of energy.
Now – using the food processor – that is my kind of convenience! I was very skeptical throughout the entire
process – buying the butter, setting up processor, following the steps, and still skeptical when I dumped the
buttery “mess” onto counter to make into a ball like your picture. When my dough looked like your pictures and rolled and tasted as you described I became a believer that Puff Pastry can be made with less effort and time.
Thanks for the enlightenment.
Hi Mary, thanks so much, so glad I could help you out. And yes the traditional way is so time consuming and involved. Take care and Happy New Year!
Necessity is the mother of invention indeed! I couldn’t find puff pastry anywhere on new year’s eve to make beef wellington the next day (poor planning, I know…or was it?). Thank you for this recipe! It’s so easy and much tastier than store-bought! You really saved the day!
Hi Schmarol, thanks so much, so glad you liked the recipe. Oh yes, much better than store bought and not difficult to make either. Take care and Happy New Year!
I have to say that I was a bit skeptical at first but I decided to give it a go because the grocery store has been out of puff pastry forever. I am SO glad I tried this recipe! It is so much easier than the traditional way and delicious! My kids loved it and told me never to buy the store one again. I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Sarah, thanks so much, so glad you and the kids liked it. Take care and Happy New Year!
This recipe succeeded for me when others have failed. The key is to keep the dough cold, with minimal handling (which is why I’ve struggled with traditional methods, and why using a food processor really helps, if you’re not the second coming of James Beard). After I pulsed in the water, the dough stayed a bit crumbly, and I thought about pulsing it some more or adding more water, but ultimately I trusted the author, transferred the crumbly ball to a plastic bag, and kneaded it through the bag, where it came together perfectly. I chilled the folded dough overnight, which required a bit more elbow grease to roll out the next day, but the result was well worth it. My losing streak with puff pastry has come to an end. Thank you!
Hi Charlie, thanks so much and glad you no longer have a losing streak. Yes using a food processor really helps. Take care and Happy New Year!
I made chicken curry puffs with the puff pastry dough. I was skeptical as the recipe for the pastry dough was so easy, quick, and simple to make. But they turned out delicious and perfect. I am never again going to buy lard-based puff pastry dough from the store, this is a clean recipe and tastes way better.
Hi Priya, thanks so much, chicken curry puffs sounds amazing. Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Take care and Happy New Year!
I’m so happy my grocery store was out of puff pastry sheets when I needed them; otherwise I never would have tried this recipe. It is ridiculously easy to make. More importantly, it tastes fantastic, bakes up beautifully, and puts the commercial stuff to shame for turning out light and flaky. Thank you for giving me what turned out to be one of my favorite presents this Christmas!
Hi Mary Ann, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed the recipe and I could help with your Christmas gift! Take care Happy New Year.
I want to make the round fillable cups . How do I do that?
Hi Dorothy, you can roll out the dough, use a round cutter and then place in a muffin or tart tin. Hope that helps.
Thank you – I thought I was losing my mind with the butter quality this year! I am an experienced baker and have had recipes fail on me that have been flawless in prior years with the same approach.
Hi Rebecca, exactly I thought it was so weird that so many people were having problems with dough coming together, and the problem butter! Take care and Merry Christmas.
If I’m needing 2 sheets approximately 10in X 12in would I need to double the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Lindsey, I would double it, you might have a bit left over, but better to double it. Merry Christmas.
Thank you Rosemary! Excited to try it.
Merry Christmas!!
Hi Lindsey, I hope you enjoy it, let me know. Merry Christmas to you too!
These were amazing and so easy to make! Never buying store bought sheets again!! Thank you!
Hi Lindsey, thanks so much, so glad you like the recipe. Take care and Happy New Year!
Can’t wait to make it and have fun coming up with new ideas. Looks delicious and am sure it tastes better than it looks. Thanks so much!
Hi Aileen, thanks so much, I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
I have a recipe that calls for 3 sheets. Would that be 3 times the above recipe?
Hi Tina, I really can’t say because I don’t know how big the sheets are. Let me know.
When you say “fold the rectangle in half and then in half again, like an envelope”, don’t you mean fold in thirds? Then you fold that in half making a piece of dough 6”x6”. Once chilled, do you leave the dough folded? If so, if I want to make 6 turnovers, I’d have to make this recipe 3 times, correct?
Hi Mel, after the dough has chilled then you roll it out again into whatever shape you need, for example rectangle, square or circle. For turnovers you would roll into a circle. The sizes are written in the recipe card. Let me know if you have any more questions. 🙂
How much does this recipe make compared to a box of frozen puff pastry?
Hi Paula, I really don’t know how much is in a box of frozen puff pastry. I am sure it’s enough to make for example a strudel. 🙂
I don’t have a food processor , what do I do ?
Hi Pam, it written in the recipe notes how to make it by hand or with a stand mixer. Hope that helps. 🙂
I just made this puff pastry. As an experienced baker I will say that this recipe is way better than the traditional one I tried that took hours. Thanks so much for offering this recipe to all of us!
Hi Mary, thanks so much, yes I agree. Making the traditional way takes forever! Take care and Happy Holidays!