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1
Make the dough package: In a large bowl, whisk to combine both flours with the salt.
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2
Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in butter just until mixture resembles coarse meal.
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3
Form a well in center of mixture, and pour the water into well.
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4
Using your hands, gradually draw flour mixture over water, covering and gathering until mixture is well blended and begins to come together.
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5
Gently knead mixture in bowl just until it comes together to form a dough, about 15 seconds.
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6
Pat dough into a rough ball, and turn out onto plastic wrap.
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7
Wrap tightly, and refrigerate 1 hour.
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8
Make the butter package: Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons flour on a sheet of parchment.
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9
Place sticks of butter on top, side by side, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons flour.
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10
Top with another sheet of parchment; using a rolling pin, pound butter to soften and flatten to about 1/2 inch.
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11
Remove top sheet of parchment, and fold butter package in half onto itself.
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12
Replace top sheet of paper, and pound again until butter is about 1/2 inch thick.
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13
Repeat process 2 or 3 times, or until butter becomes quite pliable.
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14
With a large offset spatula and parchment paper, shape butter package into a 6-inch square.
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15
Wrap well and refrigerate until chilled but not hardened, no more than 10 minutes.
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16
Remove dough package from refrigerator and lightly dust with flour.
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17
On a lightly floured surface, gently roll dough package into a 9-inch round.
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18
Place butter package in center of dough round.
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19
Using a paring knife or bench scraper, lightly score dough to outline butter square; remove butter.
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20
Starting from each side of center square, gently roll out dough with rolling pin, forming four flaps, each 4 to 5 inches long; do not roll the raised square in center of dough.
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21
Replace butter package on center square (remove parchment).
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22
Fold flaps of dough over butter package so that it is completely enclosed.
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23
Gently press with your hands to seal.
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24
(If at any point in rolling process, dough becomes too soft or elastic, return it to refrigerator to rest at least 30 minutes.)
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25
Using rolling pin, press down on dough at regular intervals, repeating and covering entire surface area, until it is about 1 inch thick.
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26
Gently roll out dough into a large rectangle, about 9 by 20 inches, with a short side closest to you.
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27
Be careful not to press too hard around edges, and keep corners even as you roll out dough by squaring them with the side of the rolling pin or a large offset spatula.
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28
Brush off excess flour.
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29
Starting at near end, fold rectangle in thirds as you would a letter; this completes first single turn.
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30
Wrap well in plastic; refrigerate 45 to 60 minutes.
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31
Repeat process in step 4, giving dough five more single turns.
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32
Always start with flap opening on right as if it were a book.
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33
Mark dough with your knuckle each time you complete a turn to help you keep track.
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34
Refrigerate 1 hour between each turn.
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35
Dough can be made in advance through fourth turn and then kept overnight in refrigerator or up to 1 month in freezer before continuing.
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36
After sixth and final turn, wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before using.
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37
Divide into 4 pieces.
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38
Freeze unused portions for up to 3 months (thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.)
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39
Homemade puff pastry is incomparably buttery and flaky.
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40
While not difficult to make, it does require multiple steps over the course of several hours.
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41
This recipe yields four 11-ounce piecesenough for four large tarts; freeze the unused portion up to 3 months.
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42
If you choose to use store-bought frozen puff pastry, look for an all-butter brand, such as Dufour, which is sold in a 14-ounce rectangular sheet.
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43
Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry, which is made with vegetable oil, is sold in a 17-ounce box, with two square sheets per box.
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44
The recipes in this book allow for some flexibility when it comes to puff pastry: You may use one 11-ounce sheet of homemade pastry, one 14-ounce box of store-bought all-butter pastry, or one 17-ounce box (two sheets) interchangeably.
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45
Simply roll or cut the pastry to the desired size.
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46
To combine 2 smaller pieces into 1 larger rectangle, overlap the 2 pieces slightly, brushing the overlap with water to seal.
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47
Then roll or cut the pastry as directed.
