Classic Puff Pastry
If you've got bread flour, fine salt and cold water, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 65 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
At easy difficulty across 7 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- In a bowl, combine the bread flour and salt, then add the cold water and melted butter, mixing to a rough dough; knead briefly just until it comes together, then wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Place the 200 g block of cold butter between two sheets of parchment and pound and roll it into a flat square about 15 cm across, keeping it cold and pliable but not soft.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a square large enough to enclose the butter, set the butter block in the centre on the diagonal, and fold the corners over to seal it completely inside.
- Roll the parcel away from you into a long rectangle about 1 cm thick, then fold it into thirds like a letter; this is your first turn. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Repeat the rolling and letter-folding for a total of five turns, always rolling in the same direction and chilling 30 minutes between each turn to keep the butter firm and the layers distinct.
- If at any point the butter softens or breaks through the dough, stop and refrigerate immediately to prevent the layers from merging.
- After the final turn, wrap and chill the finished puff pastry for at least 1 hour before rolling and using; it can also be frozen, well wrapped, for up to a month.
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Classic Puff Pastry take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 6 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Classic Puff Pastry vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Classic Puff Pastry is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Liat Portal for Foodie Disorder - Homemade burekas with rice paper pastry.jpg by HaJunkiyada, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.