Go Back
flaky puff pastry tart

Homemade Flaky Puff Pastry

This homemade flaky puff pastry is light, buttery, and layered to perfection. With just four simple ingredients, you can bake everything from fruit-filled turnovers to savory pies right in your own kitchen.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Baking, pastry
Cuisine: Central European, French Inspired
Calories: 230
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups 300g all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup 225g unsalted butter, very cold
  • ¾ cup 180ml cold water

Method
 

Step 1: Make the dough
  1. In a bowl, mix flour and salt.
  2. Cut in about 2 tablespoons of butter until the flour looks crumbly.
  3. Add cold water and stir until it comes together into a rough dough.
  4. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the butter block
  1. Place the remaining butter between parchment paper.
  2. Flatten it with a rolling pin into a rectangle about ½ inch thick.
  3. Chill until firm but pliable.
Step 3: Enclose the butter
  1. Roll out the dough into a rectangle slightly larger than the butter block.
  2. Place butter in the center. Fold dough over like a book and seal edges.
Step 4: Roll and fold
  1. Roll the dough into a long rectangle.
  2. Fold the top third down, bottom third up (like a letter).
  3. Rotate 90 degrees. Chill for 20 minutes.
  4. Repeat this “roll–fold–chill” process 4 times.
Step 5: Shape and bake
  1. After the final chill, roll to desired thickness.
  2. Cut and shape for tarts, pies, or pastries.
  3. Bake at 400°F (200°C) until golden and flaky.

Notes

  • Keep everything cold. Warm butter ruins the layers.
  • Don’t skip the resting time between folds. It makes rolling easier and keeps butter from melting.
  • Use high-quality butter for the best taste and texture.