puff pastry
Quick Summary
Puff pastry is a light, flaky dough made from alternating layers of butter and dough. It is created through a process of repeatedly folding and rolling the dough and fat, which creates hundreds of thin layers. When baked, the water in the fat turns to steam, causing these layers to expand rapidly, resulting in a pastry that can rise up to 10 times its original height. This technique is often used for French pastries like patty shells and napoleons. While butter is commonly used, its low melting point can be problematic, so bakers sometimes opt for special margarines with higher melting points.1234
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bakingEntrapped air and vapourThe expansion of such puff pastry as used for napoleons (rich desserts of puff pastry layers and whipped cream or custard) and vol-au-vents (puff pastry shells filled with meat, fowl, fish, or other mixtures) is entirely due to water-vapour pressure.
Read MoreThe expansion of such puff pastry as used for napoleons (rich desserts of puff pastry layers and whipped cream or custard) and vol-au-vents (puff pastry shells filled with meat, fowl, fish, or other mixtures) is entirely due to water-vapour pressure.
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bakingPuff pastryPuff pastry, often used in French pastries, is formed from layered fat and dough. The proportion of fat is usually high, rarely less than 30 percent of the finished raw piece. The dough should be extensible but not particularly elastic; for this reason…
Read MorePuff pastry, often used in French pastries, is formed from layered fat and dough. The proportion of fat is usually high, rarely less than 30 percent of the finished raw piece. The dough should be extensible but not particularly elastic; for this reason…
Read More