Would this cheat puff pastry really work?
I watched this video titled: "Cheats Quick Puff Pastry Recipe by Paul Hollywood". The one claims that it will result in the same dough and as flaky as the original puff pastry. The trick is, he used frozen grated butter instead of cubes of butter and used it twice in the rolling process. I would like to know if this really works, because then I don't have to wait for the butter to get softer so that flattens.
Best Answer
Yes, that will work just like traditional methods. That's the real deal, it's not even a cheat, it's just smart.
BTW, the last line in your question raised my eyebrows. In puff pastry there is no waiting "for the butter to get softer so that it flattens". The butter is flattened (or sliced) with brute strength while the butter is still ice cold. That's critical to puff pastry. If the butter melts even a little before the layers are formed and it goes in the oven, you're sunk. The final product will be greasy and won't puff as much as it should. You get that puff by having very distinct layers of butter between layers of dough. If the butter is allowed to get warm, even a little, it will absorb into the flour.
Paul Hollywood's method is brilliant. It almost makes me want to make puff pastry from scratch. (almost)
For those disinclined to watch the video but still interested in puff pastry: What Mr Hollywood did in the video was grate frozen butter, then he kept the grated butter in the freezer until he had the rectangle of dough ready for the butter. Then he just sprinkled on the frozen butter and did the first envelope fold. He rolls that out into rectangle again, adds more frozen butter, and repeats the fold. Fridge for one hour, one more roll, fold, roll, done. Well! I wish I had thought of that.
EDIT 5 months later:
I'm still not particularly interested in making puff pastry from scratch since I doubt I can improve on the frozen stuff, however, I was encouraged by @rumtscho to try my hand at croissants. Since croissants are basically puff pastry with yeast, I decided to form my croissant dough using Mr Hollywood's technique.
It worked like a charm.
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Why is my puff pastry not crispy?
Yes, the pastry usually needs to be rolled out, cut, and shaped, but when handled too much, the cooked pastry can turn out tough instead of light and crisp. Follow this tip: To ensure the cooked pastry is light and crisp, be efficient when working with the dough and handle it gently and as little as possible.Why is my puff pastry tough?
Hard and/or tough pastry: Usually occurs due to too much liquid and too much flour when rolling out, too little fat, over-handling or insufficient rubbing in.Do you bake puff pastry before filling?
If you're making a tart or filled Puff Pastry, place it on the baking sheet before adding toppings or fillings. That way, you won't have to transfer the dough with the extra weight and risk tearing it.Is homemade puff pastry worth?
Where homemade puff pastry really wins is in the puff. I have never seen pastry quite as spectacularly puffy as those made by hand the long way. This homemade pastry crackles when you bite into it and the flakes melt on your tongue.How to make rough puff pastry
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