Recipe: Puff Pastry

PUFF PASTRY

500g flour
500g butter
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Ice water
1 egg yolk
1 cup cornflour
1 tsp cream of tartar

Important: Have all ingredients as cool as possible.

Sift the flour and cream of tartar together 3 times. Divide the butter
into 5 equal pieces.Cut one piece of the butter into the flour and
rub in till it resembles fine bread crumbs.Alternatively, put the flour
and the butter into your food processor and process till fine. Beat
the egg yolk and lemon juice together and add ice water to make 1
cup. Mix this into the flour with the blade of a knife till a dough is
formed. Knead lightly and refrigerate (covered in plastic wrap) for
10 minutes.

Meanwhile, grate each remaining piece of butter and put in the
freezer. It is best to freeze each piece of butter beforehand and
grate using a food processor.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle.Fold the 2 long sides in thirds
so that they overlap. Now do the same with the short sides.(if
you're unsure, check a pastry book for the folding).Roll out to a
rectangle again. Sprinkle with 1 portion of the grated butter - if it
sticks together in lumps just regrate over the pastry.leave a 2cm
margin around the edges. Sift the cornflour/cream of tartar liberally
over the mixture. Fold as before and roll. Repeat till all the butter
and cornflour is used up. Then roll and fold again twice (without any
butter or cornflour).

To prevent the dough sticking while rolling lightly flour the rolling pin
and board with cornflour. The best surface to use is a marble
pastry board if you have one otherwise any large flat surface will
do. Roll very lightly so the butter blends into the pastry - no lumps of
butter should break through(this is why we grate the butter). If at any
time the pastry becomes too sticky, refrigerate for a few minutes
and continue.

Once finished, refrigerate for 30 minutes, then roll out again and
use as required. Glaze with a little milk before baking.

To bake preheat the oven to 250 Celsius.Put the pastry in for 5
minutes, then turn down the heat to 220 Celsius. Bake for 10
minutes then turn down to 180 degrees Celsius and bake till done.