Puff Pastry

<p>Fit a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and blend all of the ingredients together on low speed and then, once blended, increase the speed one level and mix for 4 minutes

Shape the dough into an 8-inch square, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.</p>

<p>For the beurrage, beat the butter with the flour in the stand mixer with the paddle until smooth

Line an 8-inch square pan with plastic and scrape the butter into the pan, spreading to level (as it will be soft)

Chill this until it is the same consistency as the détrempe – this could take 30 to 90 minutes

If the beurrage sets firmly or you are making it well ahead, let it soften to just cooler than room temperature.</p>

<p>For the lamination stage, remove the beurrage from the pan onto a well-floured work surface

Dust a heavy rolling pin with flour and roll the beurrage into a rectangle about 16-x-9–inches

Lift the beurrage occasionally to ensure it isn’t sticking to the work surface (after the first roll, it does not stick at all)

Place the détrempe in the centre of the beurrage and fold the beurrage over to completely envelope the détrempe

Roll the dough out to a rectangle 20-x-10-inches, flouring the dough and work surface as needed

Fold into thirds, but be sure to dust off any excess flour with a pastry brush before folding

Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat rolling the dough to a 20-x-10-inch rectangle, brushing off and folding into thirds

Wrap the dough, label it with a #1 (for first fold) and chill for a minimum of 2 hours up to a day.</p>

<p>For the second fold, roll the dough again into a 20-x-10-inch rectangle, brush off excess flour and fold into thirds

Rotate the dough 90 degrees, repeat the rolling and folding and then wrap and label the dough with a #2 and chill for a minimum of 2 hours and up to a day.</p>

<p>For the final fold, roll and fold the dough the dough into thirds for the final time (just once this time)

The dough is now complete, but must be wrapped and chilled for a minimum of 2 hours before using.</p>

<p>The puff pastry dough can keep refrigerated for up to 4 days, or can be portioned and frozen for up to 3 months

Thaw in the fridge before using.</p>