• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to content

Preppy Kitchen logo

  • About
    • Meet John
    • Press
  • Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Breads
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Casseroles
    • Instant Pot
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Holiday
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Press
  • All Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Follow us on

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Puff Pastry Recipe

    Puff Pastry Recipe

    Published: May 18, 2021 · Modified: May 18, 2021 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    Flaky and buttery, this homemade Puff Pastry is shockingly easy to make. Made with only five simple ingredients, you can have a high-quality, melt-in-your-mouth puff pastry in no time.

    A blue and white plate with two puff pastries.
    4557 shares
    • Share
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest graphic of two pieces of puff pastries on a white and blue plate.
    Pinterest graphic of a wooden rolling pin overtop of folded puff pastry on a floured surface.
    Pinterest graphic of a folded puff pastry on a floured surface.
    Pinterest graphic of a folded piece of puff pastry beside a cup of flour and a rolling pin.
    Pinterest graphic of a folded piece of puff pastry.
    Pinterest graphic of unbaked puff pastry dough, folded, with a measuring cup beside it.
    Pinterest graphic of a close up of puff pastry, showing its height and layers.
    Pinterest graphic of a few puff pastries with one cut in half, showing the layers.
    Pinterest graphic of a pile of puff pastries on a marble surface.

    Puff pastry, also known as pâte feuilletée, is a flakey pastry made by laminating dough. Frozen sheets of puff pastry are easy to pick up at the store, but after trying this quick homemade puff pastry recipe, you’re never going to want to go back to store-bought. While it does take a little bit of elbow grease, homemade puff pastry just cannot be beaten. Thanks to the quality of ingredients used, you can really taste the difference when you make puff pastry from scratch.

    What You Need to Make this Recipe

    Ingredients needed to make puff pastry.

    Cold butter — To get the distinct, crispy layers in your pastry, the butter must be cold. When the bits of butter melt in the oven as the pastry bakes, it leaves you with air pockets, making the dough airy and flakey. 

    Cold water — Icy cold water helps keep the dough temperature down and prevents the butter from melting when combined. Making a couple of ice cubes beforehand to keep your water cold is recommended.

    How to Make Puff Pastry

    Set of two photos showing butter being grated and then mixed with the flour.

    1. Grate the butter. To make it easier to grate, you can freeze the butter beforehand.

    2. Combine the grated butter with whisked flour, sugar, and salt.

    Set of two photos showing cold water added to the mixture and rolled out into a square, placed on top of plastic wrap.

    3. Drizzle the cold water over the mixture and fold the mixture until it clumps together. 

    4. Gently knead the dough and then shape into a ½-inch thick square and wrap in plastic wrap before chilling for an hour.

    Set of two photos showing puff pastry folded and then rolled with a rolling pin.

    5. On a lightly floured surface, start laminating the dough by rolling out the dough and folding the dough in thirds. 

    6. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat rolling, folding, and rotating 3 more times before chilling or freezing for later use. It should look much smoother than when you started.

    Puff pastry on a white surface with one cut in half, showing the flaky layers.

    Pro Tips for Making this Recipe

    • The butter is grated to make the process of laminating quicker and lowers the risk of tearing the dough. If you spend too long trying to roll the dough, you risk the butter getting warm and melting into the dough instead. I do not suggest using cubed butter or roughly chopped butter in place of grated butter.
    • If it’s summer or you have a humid kitchen, keep a close eye on the dough. If you feel the dough is getting too warm at any point of rolling the dough, put it back into the fridge to chill it. 
    • If the dough feels rubbery or starts shrinking during the laminating process, place it in the fridge to chill.
    • If you are freezing the dough for later, allow it to thaw in the fridge before you unfold it to avoid cracking or breaking the frozen dough.
    • When freezing the dough, double wrap it in plastic before placing it in a Ziploc bag to prevent freezer burn.
    • You can place your mixing bowl in the fridge ahead of time to help keep the dough cool when you knead in it.
    • Only use as much flour as necessary. If you are over-flouring your surface, you will incorporate more flour into the dough than needed. Too much flour leads to a tougher pastry and prevents the layers from sticking together when laminating. 

    Multiple puff pastries piled on top of each other on a marble surface.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What does it mean to laminate the dough?

    Laminating dough is a technique of layering butter and dough while rolling and folding it several times. This helps distribute the butter evenly throughout the rough puff pastry dough. The result of this is flaky layered pastry after it has baked! 

    What are some uses for puff pastry?

    Use this homemade puff pastry just like you would with store-bought. This recipe yields 1 sheet. Here are some of my favorite recipes: Apple Turnovers, Pastelitos de Guayaba, Asparagus Tart, and Potato Tart.

    Can I use margarine? 

    You must use real butter when making puff pastry. You will have trouble keeping the margarine from melting while you’re laminating the dough. While there are sticks of hard margarine, I highly suggest sticking with butter. Use European-style butter or French butter if possible as it results in more layers due to its high-fat content and will taste much better.

    If you love this recipe try these out!

    • A cream puff with a dusting of powdered sugar on a plate in front of a platter.

      Cream Puffs

    • A plate of multiple crescent rolls with a cooling rack with more rolls in the background.

      Crescent Rolls

    • Overhead view of a plate with a serving of apple cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

      Apple Cobbler

    • A portion of apple crisp with ice cream on a blue and white plate.

      Apple Crisp

    • A piece of tiramisu in front of a red serving dish.

      Tiramisu Recipe

    If you’ve tried this Puff Pastry Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

    Close up of a piece of puff pastry, showing the individual layers.
    Print
    5 from 78 votes

    Puff Pastry

    Quick and easy, this homemade Puff Pastry is made with simple ingredients and is much tastier than store bought.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine French
    Prep Time 40 minutes
    Chill Time 3 hours
    Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 646kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Equipment

    • Rolling Pin
    • Whisk

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unsalted butter cold (227g)
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
    • 1 Tbsp sugar (12g)
    • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (2g)
    • 8-10 Tbsp cold water (120-150 mL)

    Instructions

    • Place butter in the freezer for 10 minutes.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
    • Grate the frozen butter into the flour. (Dice the remaining end of butter that you can’t grate.) Toss the butter into the flour mixture with your hands until well coated.
    • Drizzle 6 tablespoons of water over the mixture and fold the mixture together until it clumps together. Continue adding water a tablespoon at a time until a loose and crumble dough forms. (It should hold when squeezed.)
    • Gently knead the dough a few times in the bowl until a cohesive mass is formed. Shape into a ½-inch thick square and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour.
    • On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter. Turn 90 degrees. Repeat rolling, folding, and rotating 3 more times.
    • Fold back into thirds, wrap tightly, then chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days, or placed in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

    Video

    Notes

     
    • The butter is grated to make the process of laminating quicker and lowers the risk of tearing the dough. If you spend too long trying to roll the dough, you risk the butter getting warm and melting into the dough instead. I do not suggest using cubed butter or roughly chopped butter in place of grated butter.
    • If it’s summer or you have a humid kitchen, keep a close eye on the dough. If you feel the dough is getting too warm at any point of rolling the dough, put it back into the fridge to chill it. 
    • If the dough feels rubbery or starts shrinking during the laminating process, place it in the fridge to chill.
    • If you are freezing the dough for later, allow it to thaw in the fridge before you unfold it to avoid cracking or breaking the frozen dough.
    • When freezing the dough, double wrap it in plastic before placing it in a Ziploc bag to prevent freezer burn.
    • You can place your mixing bowl in the fridge ahead of time to help keep the dough cool when you knead in it.
    • Only use as much flour as necessary. If you are over-flouring your surface, you will incorporate more flour into the dough than needed. Too much flour leads to a tougher pastry and prevents the layers from sticking together when laminating. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1418IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 3mg
    *Nutrition Disclaimer
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!
    « Macaroni Salad
    Turkey Pot Pie »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Preppy Kitchen!

    Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

    Search

    Follow Us On

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Preppy Kitchen Newsletter

    Sign up to receive recipes, recommendations and tips straight to your inbox!

    Buy My Book

    As Seen On

    As seen on Elle Décor, People, Food Network and more

    Top recipes This Month

    • A stack of peanut butter cookies on a small wooden board

      Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

    • An Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie next to a glass of milk

      Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

    • Lemon bars dusted with powdered sugar on a green and white plate.

      Lemon Bars

    • A group of pink macarons on a serving tray next to flowers

      Macaron Recipe

    • A cake stand with a slice of red velvet cake cut out and placed on a plate in front.

      Red Velvet Cake

    • An Espresso martini on a gray surface with coffee beans scattered around

      Espresso Martini

    • A plate with multiple cake pops on it with one with a bite taken out.

      Cake Pops

    • A photo of a vanilla cupcake on a cupcake stand with vanilla buttercream frosting beautifully piped on top.

      Buttercream Frosting

    • A group of shortbread cookies. some are stacked while others are on crumpled paper.

      Shortbread Cookies Recipe

    • A plate with a chocolate lava cake with the molten center pouring out.

      Chocolate Lava Cake

    Footer

    As Seen On:

    Elle Décor, People, Country Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Food Network, Woman's Day, forkly, Yummly, the Bump, Buzz Feed, Home and Family and New York magazine.

    The Brand

    • About John
    • Press

    Preppy Kitchen Logo

    Dessert Recipes

    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
    • Pies
    • All Desserts

    Main Course Recipes

    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Casseroles
    • InstantPot
    • Soups
    • Salads

    COPYRIGHT © 2015 - 2020 PREPPY KITCHEN | PRIVACY POLICY

    4557 shares