Christmas Baking
Rough Puff Pastry: Grate Frozen Butter Into the Flour for Flaky Dough After 10 Minutes of Work
Quick rough puff pastry made by grating frozen butter into flour. Ten minutes of active work, then chill for 2 hours or freeze.
Instructions
First, stir the very cold water, salt, and vinegar together in a glass until the salt dissolves completely. Set aside (ideally in the fridge).
Sift the flour into a large bowl.
Use the large holes of a box grater. Grate the firm (frozen) butter gradually straight into the flour.
As you grate, keep tossing the butter in the flour. You'll get a mixture that looks like coarse semolina or crumbs.
Quickly toss everything together with your hands so the butter is coated in flour. Try not to let the butter warm up.
Make a well in the center and pour in the cold vinegar water.
Work the dough quickly. Just bring it together until the ingredients are combined. Important: do not knead the dough for long! Pieces of butter must stay visible in it.
Divide the dough into two equal portions. Wrap each in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (ideally overnight).
- Why vinegar? It helps relax the gluten, so the baked pastry is more tender and flaky.
- Don't knead: Long kneading blends the butter into the flour and gives a crumbly, shortbread-like result.
- Storage: Fridge up to 3 days, freezer up to 3 months.