Rough Puff Pastry

Submitted by Halcyon Eve

"From a book of British cookery. This pastry recipe is used in several pie and tart recipes, both sweet and savory. You can always use frozen puff pastry, of course, but if you have the time and want to take the extra step to make it really special, this doesn't seem like it would be very hard to make. Times are estimates, and cooking time is minimum chilling time."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 5
• Yields: 1 puff pastry

ingredients

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 lb chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1⁄4 cup chilled lard or 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 4 -6 tablespoons ice water

directions

1. Sift fry ingredients together into a large, chilled mixing bowl. Add cold butter and lard pieces, and working quickly, rub flour and fat together until the texture of coarse meal. If you prefer, you can use a pastry blender or knives. You may also use a mixer or food processor, but take great care not to overmix or overprocess.
2. Add 4 Tbsp icy cold water and quickly blend into flour mixture.
3. Gather all the dough and crumbs up into a ball. If it is too crumbly and will not hold together, add up to 2 Tbsp more icy cold water, 1 tsp at a time, until it holds together.
4. Lightly dust pastry with flour, wrap in wax paper, and chill for 30 minutes.
5. Place pastry on lightly floured board and gently press into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Dust flour underneath and on top of pastry. Roll out into a rectangle about 21x6 inches. Fold into thirds to form a three-layer rectangle about x6 inches.
6. Turn pastry 1/4 turn, dusting underneath with flour if needed. Roll out again into a 21x6 inch rectangle, and again fold into thirds.
7. Repeat two more times, turning a quarter turn before rolling out each time and ending with the pastry folded into a 7x6 inch packet.
8. Wrap tightly in wax paper, foil, or a freezer bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3-4 days.