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Easy steps and simple ingredients to make all butter puff pastry from scratch at home! Yes you can make puff pastry from scratch!

Quick and Easy Cherry Cream Cheese Danishes - homemadehome.com

I am no stranger to frozen puff pastry sheets. It is easy to find, easy to use, and makes absolutely amazing treats in a hurry.  That is why I have used it for years to make one of my most popular recipes, Cherry Cream Cheese Danishes!  These danishes have been again and again one of my most popular recipes because you can make them in SO many different varieties. 

The cherry cream cheese danishes have always been a fan favorite, and one of my favorite ways to enjoy them. But I have also made them savory as a ham and cheese danish which is perfect for dunking in tomato soup. 

But I wanted to know if I could make puff pastry from scratch. The thing with puff pastry from scratch, is that you have to have the time to do it. And while I would love to make it the proper way, as a full puff pastry, I am making a “rough puff pastry” for this version. It’s much more approachable to make a rough puff pastry. And if you are a fan of GBBO then you know about “rough puff” versus a full puff pastry. It’s all about the time, and how you incorporate the butter into the dough to create the lamination. 

What Is Rough Puff Pastry? How is it different from full Puff Pastry?

Rough puff pastry is the at home baker’s version of a full puff pastry. But what is the difference? A full puff pastry uses a block of cold butter to be folded into a pastry to create even layers of butter fully between each layer of pastry. A proper puff pastry is easier to make in a full bakery setting with a laminating machine. If you have seen how bakeries make croissant dough – this is the same principle. 

But unless a home chef has a laminator in their home, a rough puff pastry is going to be the best option for getting perfectly laminated layers. A buttery pastry is definitely something all bakers should try, at least once. It’s totally better than store-bought. 

How Is This Different From Pie Crust or Yeasted Pastry Dough?

What I love about pastry is the the ingredients are almost always the same, but it’s the preparation and chilling time that makes the most difference to them. 

For a pie crust, the goal is to work it the least amount as possible to get a flaky layer and quick pastry, rolling it out only once to get a pastry dough. 

A yeasted pastry dough, that would be used for croissants per se, is also similar, it has flour, salt, water, and butter, but it has yeast which will rise and make a soft dough, but the butter in between the laminated layers to create that utter flakiness that we all love. So while the techniques to making flaky puff pastry and croissant dough are similar, they aren’t the exact same. 

This is kind of a blend of the two. A flour and butter based dough, without yeast, which allows it build gluten, and to create flakiness without rising too much. Homemade puff pastry is truly something to behold. 

American Butter vs. European Butter: Which Is Better?

The eternal butter debate! Yes, butter is absolutely important, but what is the difference between American or European butter? One of the biggest differences is the fat versus water content in the butter. Butter is made from liquid cream so there will always be some residual water content left over. 

But what reduces the water content? The processing. One popular method in European butter making ensures that there is more fat retained, less water, and less air. Typical churning methods will incorporate air into the mixture, just by churning alone. There is one additional step more European butter producers can use that creates a vacuum to deaerate the butter, again keeping air out and keeping the fat content higher. 

If the goal is to make homemade puff pastry – don’t get hung up on the American versus European butter conversation. The point is to learn something new. And as you get more proficient, you can really dial in your butter preference. 

And zero percent use margarine or shortening. Butter adds not only essential fat, but more importantly FLAVOR!

20 Minute Blueberry Cream Cheese Danishes - homemadehome.com These are so simple for breakfast or a weekend brunch! Toast them in your toaster for a quick meal!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish

Pro Tips For Making This Recipe

The recipe and ingredients for this are simple enough. But it’s the time and how much your warm up the dough when working it that will be your two biggest components. 

Keep it cold

Using your hands more will warm up the pastry and the butter layers. Butter melts at about 100 degrees, not much warmer than your body heat. So work quickly with your hands to minimize the time your hands are on the dough. 

Likewise, use ice cold water when blending the dough.

And don’t shortcut your resting and chilling times in the fridge! This ensures the butter doesn’t melt into the flour, but creates those individual laminated layers! 

Put your arms into it!

This is definitely an arm strengthener! Work the dough in short bursts of time so it can stay in the fridge as long as possible. Roll it into a rectangle, fold it over itself and repeat to create flaky layers. I used this wooden rolling pin. 

Don’t use a food processor – but a mixer is okay.

A food processor will break up the butter into too small of pieces, with more of a crumble. I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment. But this might be the ONE instance I don’t use the silicone scraper paddle mixer I typically do. You want the paddle attachment to flatten the butter against the side of the bowl. This will help create the flaky layers in your puff pastry dough. This will also help when you start to roll it out on the counter. 

Ingredients for Rough Puff Pastry

The ingredients are so simple, there is no doubt you already have them in your pantry and refrigerator. 

  • All Purpose Flour
  • Unsalted Butter 
  • Ice Water
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Salt 

If you only have salted butter – don’t fret – reduce the amount of additional salt you add by half. Each stick of butter can contain up to 1/4 teaspoon of salt (depending on the brand), so you don’t want an overly salty pastry. 

Tools For The Job

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How To Make Puff Pastry

For this recipe I went to one of my favorite sources for baking know-how Sarah Keiffer’s new cookbook 100 Morning Treats. Not only did she have this recipe, but also a recipe for Kolaches in there that I will be trying next. My Czech heart was so happy! 

  1. Cut the butter into cubes, and place in a bowl to freeze for at least 15 minutes. 
  2. Have all equipment ready to go, including stand mixer with paddle attachment. Sheet pan with parchment paper, plastic wrap, ice water, and pastry rolling mat, and rolling pin ready. 
  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. 
  4. Add in the frozen butter cubes, and mixing on low, continue to blend until the majority of the butter chunks have been blended down by half size. If you are seeing particularly large chunks of butter, quickly press them between your hands to flatten. 
  5. Add in the water, and continue to mix until the dough becomes shaggy. You may need 1-2 more tablespoons of water. It will still have some crumbles. 
  6. Pour the dough out onto a pastry mat, gathering the dough into a square. Add in any loose crumbles on top, and press into the pastry dough. 
  7. Using a rolling pin, roll it out, into a 10″x10″ square. Cut the square in half, and place one half onto the other. On a lightly floured surface, roll out again into an approximately 6″x10″ rectangle, and repeat this cut-and-roll process two more times. Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. You will see bits of butter flattened in between the layers here. They will disappear the more you roll it, but trust that it is still there! 
  8. Bring the dough out when firm, and onto a lightly floured pastry mat, roll the dough out into a 16×20 rectangle. Fold the dough like a letter (into thirds). Rotate the dough 90 degrees, and roll again into a 16×20 rectangle. Repeat one last time into a 16×20 inch rectangle sheet. Place it back onto the parchment lined baking sheet, cover and refrigerate again 20 minutes. 
  9. Repeat the set above one more time. Then refrigerate for 1 hour before using. 
  10. Use as needed after it has firmed up and chilled.

How To Freeze Puff Pastry Sheets

You can freeze the sheets on the parchment lined baking sheet, then place into a freezer safe bag. Use within a couple of weeks, just to ensure freshness per Sarah’s recommendation.

More Puff Pastry Recipes To Try

Easy Cream Cheese Danishes

Easy Raspberry Cream Puffs

Super Simple Raspberry Cream Puffs - homemadehome.com Use Puff Pastry for these simple treats!

White Cheddar Cranberry Pork Sausage Rolls

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You Can Make Puff Pastry From Scratch

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  • Author: Megan Keno
  • Prep Time: 25 Minutes
  • Working/Chill Time: 2 Hours
  • Cook Time: 20 MInutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 2 Pounds Puff Pastry 1x
  • Category: Baking
  • Method: Stand Mixer
Print Recipe

Description

Homemade is so much better, and worth the effort for a special occasion!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour, more for dusting
  • 1 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter, cubed and frozen for 15 minutes
  • 1/4 cup Ice Water + 1-2 More, as needed.
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions

    1. Cut the butter into cubes, and place in a bowl to freeze for at least 15 minutes.

    1. Have all equipment ready to go, including stand mixer with paddle attachment. Sheet pan with parchment paper, plastic wrap, ice water, and pastry rolling mat, and rolling pin ready.

    1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.

    1. Add in the frozen butter cubes, and mixing on low, continue to blend until the majority of the butter chunks have been blended down by half size. If you are seeing particularly large chunks of butter, quickly press them between your hands to flatten.

    1. Add in the water, and continue to mix until the dough becomes shaggy. You may need 1-2 more tablespoons of water. It will still have some crumbles.

    1. Pour the dough out onto a pastry mat, gathering the dough into a square. Add in any loose crumbles on top, and press into the pastry dough.

    1. Using a rolling pin, roll it out, into a 10″x10″ square. Cut the square in half, and place one half onto the other. On a lightly floured surface, roll out again into an approximately 6″x10″ rectangle, and repeat this cut-and-roll process two more times. Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. You will see bits of butter flattened in between the layers here. They will disappear the more you roll it, but trust that it is still there!

    1. Bring the dough out when firm, and onto a lightly floured pastry mat, roll the dough out into a 16×20 rectangle. Fold the dough like a letter (into thirds). Rotate the dough 90 degrees, and roll again into a 16×20 rectangle. Repeat one last time into a 16×20 inch rectangle sheet. Place it back onto the parchment lined baking sheet, cover and refrigerate again 20 minutes.

    1. Repeat the set above one more time. Then refrigerate for 1 hour before using.

    1. Use as needed after it has firmed up and chilled.

Notes

Lightly adapted from Sarah Kieffer’s 100 Morning Treats Cookbook Rough Puff Pastry