2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 cup white wheat flour (or use more white wheat and less all-purpose, or use all-purpose exclusively)
1 c. cake flour
1 T. sugar
1 lb. + 1 stick cold butter
1 T. vinegar or lemon juice
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour with the white wheat flour, cake flour, sugar, and 1 stick of cold butter cut into 1" pieces. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few larger clumps remaining. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup cold water and the vinegar. Gently combine until the mixture comes together to form a dough. If the dough is too dry, add
more cold water, 1 T. at a time. Gently round the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 40 minutes or up to 2 days.
2. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour on a sheet of parchment, wax paper, or clear plastic wrap. Lay remaining 4 sticks of butter on top, side by side; sprinkle with remaining 2 T. flour. My picture here is of a pound of butter that wasn't quartered when I bought it, so I just cut it in half to make the same shape as four sticks of butter lined up side by side. Top with more parchment, waxed paper or plastic wrap. Pound the butter with a rolling pin until it's about 1/2 inch thick.
3/4 cup white wheat flour (or use more white wheat and less all-purpose, or use all-purpose exclusively)
1 c. cake flour
1 T. sugar
1 lb. + 1 stick cold butter
1 T. vinegar or lemon juice
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour with the white wheat flour, cake flour, sugar, and 1 stick of cold butter cut into 1" pieces. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few larger clumps remaining. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup cold water and the vinegar. Gently combine until the mixture comes together to form a dough. If the dough is too dry, add
more cold water, 1 T. at a time. Gently round the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 40 minutes or up to 2 days.
Remove top paper, fold butter in half, replace paper; pound the butter again until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat two or three more times until it is pliable. Using a knife or other flat implement, shape butter into a 6-inch square. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until chilled, about 10 minutes.
3. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Roll out dough to a 9-inch round.
Set your pound of butter in the center of the circle. Using a table knife, lightly score the dough to outline your butter square. Set the butter aside. Then, starting from each side of your marked square, gently roll the dough out to form four laps, each 4-5 inches long. Do not mess with the square of dough in the center at all--leave it thick while you roll out the flaps on the sides.
Place the butter back on the square in the center and genly fold the flaps over, like you were wrapping a present. Press gently to seal.
4. With the rolling pin, gently pound the dough all over in regular intervals until it is about 1 inch thick. Working in only one direction (lengthwise) gently roll out the dough to a 20 x 9 inch rectangle, squaring the corners with your hands Dust away excess flour.
With a short side facing you, fold the rectangle into thirds like a business letter. Turn the dough a quarter-turn clockwise so the flap faces right, like a book. This completes the first turn.
Repeat these instructions: Roll out your book until flat and then fold it into thirds again. Make a couple of indentations into the top of your dough, to show you have repeated this rolling and folding process twice. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1
hour.
5. Repeat the rolling,
turning, and chilling process six or seven times. Always start each turn
with the opening of the dough to the right. Keep an eye on the feel of your dough--if it starts feeling soft enough for the butter to actually mix with the flour , wrap the dough in plastic and stick it back in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. You don't want the butter to roll out in layers between the flour, not to mix with it. The ideal temperature to roll is around 60 degrees -- you can stick an instant read thermometer in it if you wish, or just go by feel.
Make a little mark on your dough for each time you've repeated the process, so you don't forget when you take it out of the refrigerator. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before using the dough.
The timing on rolling and turning the dough is a flexible process. I did it over about three days. Or you could do it all at once, if you take the time to refrigerate for 30 minutes or so whenever it starts to get too soft.
Make a little mark on your dough for each time you've repeated the process, so you don't forget when you take it out of the refrigerator. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before using the dough.
The timing on rolling and turning the dough is a flexible process. I did it over about three days. Or you could do it all at once, if you take the time to refrigerate for 30 minutes or so whenever it starts to get too soft.
Apple Tarts
1 sheet (1/2 pound) frozen or homemade puff
pastry, thawed
Granny Smith apples
a little sugar
a little cinnamon
a little butter to dot the tops
a little cinnamon
a little butter to dot the tops
2 T. apricot jam, heated and strained or apple jelly
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for
accompaniment
Roll out he pastry to 1/8 inch thick on a
lightly floured surface. Cut into circles or squares, whatever size you like to for your tarts.
Transfer them to a baking sheet. Peel, halve lengthwise, and core the apples. Slice them thin crosswise, and arrange the slices, overlapping them slightly, on the pastry squares. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and the cinnamon, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apple slices, and dot the tarts with the butter.
Make sure puff pastry dough is COLD when you put it into the oven -- if it isn't, stick the whole cookie sheet with the tarts on it in the fridge for 20 minutes before you put it in the oven. If the dough is not cold, the butter will melt before it has a chance to create the steam that makes your crisp layers. Bake tarts in the middle of a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 mins, or until the pastry is a golden brown. Transfer tarts to a rack, brush them with the jam, and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Transfer them to a baking sheet. Peel, halve lengthwise, and core the apples. Slice them thin crosswise, and arrange the slices, overlapping them slightly, on the pastry squares. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and the cinnamon, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apple slices, and dot the tarts with the butter.
Make sure puff pastry dough is COLD when you put it into the oven -- if it isn't, stick the whole cookie sheet with the tarts on it in the fridge for 20 minutes before you put it in the oven. If the dough is not cold, the butter will melt before it has a chance to create the steam that makes your crisp layers. Bake tarts in the middle of a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 mins, or until the pastry is a golden brown. Transfer tarts to a rack, brush them with the jam, and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
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