25 Savory Puff Pastry Recipes You Haven’t Tried Before (2024)

FAQs

25 Savory Puff Pastry Recipes You Haven’t Tried Before? ›

Puff pastry does need some gluten development but, because of the amount of rolling out that will happen during lamination, it is very easy to overwork a dough which makes it incredibly hard to use and can cause a lot of shrinkage.

Puff pastry does need some gluten development but, because of the amount of rolling out that will happen during lamination, it is very easy to overwork a dough which makes it incredibly hard to use and can cause a lot of shrinkage.

Heat is the enemy of Puff Pastry—it handles best when cold. So avoid working with it on hot, humid days, in a stifling hot kitchen or next to your oven.

Always preheat your oven for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before baking, because Puff Pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. Place pastries 1 inch apart. If you want a flaky thin and crispy pastry that's not very puffy, prick the unbaked Puff Pastry all over with a fork, which lets steam escape while baking.

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. For extra-thin, crisp Puff Pastry, set a second baking sheet on top of the filled pastry before baking.

The main differences between puff pastry and phyllo dough are their fat content and preparation. Puff pastry is a laminated dough that gets its signature airy puff from layers of butter, while phyllo dough is comparatively low-fat. Phyllo dough is mostly flour and water and can dry out easily.

That really depends on what you mean by ““worth it”. If you mean how the finished pastry looks and tastes, it's so much easier to just buy frozen puff pastry, because most of the flavor will come from your filling.

Plus, these puff pastries possess processed, refined carbohydrates, which we already know can increase blood sugar levels and promote an inflammatory response.

​​Puff Pastry​

Croissants, or even fan khari are highly rich in fat, may seem like a tempting way to start your day, but they contain yeast, a type of microbe that irritates the stomach lining and can result in flatulence.

Filo is the lowest-calorie option too, and it's easy to use. You can buy it fresh or frozen (defrost first if it's frozen). Just scrunch up the sheets and place on top of the pie and it crisps up nicely.

What does vinegar do in puff pastry? ›

Adding an acid, the theory goes, stops the gluten in its tracks and rescues the crust from toughness. These same acid enthusiasts claim that stopping or at least hindering the gluten makes the dough easier to roll out, and may even prevent it from shrinking as it bakes.

Egg wash is the most reliable but it can be very thick and sticky. Milk wash will go on more evenly but it can soak into pastry and make it weaker. Melted butter works nicely after the crust has set but it can make the crust greasy and weaker.

Docking means to pierce lightly with a fork, or a docker (looks like a spiked paint roller), to make small holes in dough that will let steam escape during baking. This helps the dough to remain flat and even.

Puff pastry can be tricky to work with and needs to be treated with care and respect to ensure good results. By following a few simple guidelines you can have perfect puff pastry every time. The keys to ensuring that you get crisp, flaky layers from your pastry are concerned with temperature and handling.

Richard's solution: Tough pastry is very common, but easily avoidable. It usually occurs when you've been a bit heavy-handed with the water when you're initially bringing the pastry together (by adding water to the flour and butter), or if you have over-worked the dough and developed the gluten in the flour.

Your puff pastry may fail to puff for several reasons. Warm pastry: Your pastry should be cold, cold, cold going into the oven. It's worth reiterating: Cold butter equals flaky layers. If your pastry is warm, the butter can easily leech right out during baking.

The problem is that the dough on the bottom of your crust is not reaching a high enough temperature by the time the top of your crust is done cooking. Puff Pastry is notoriously finicky. Be sure to handle the dough according to puff pastry best practices to ensure the layers do not collapse and stick together.