Quick puff pastry (adapted from julia child)

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 cups Unbleached, all-purpose
Flour, plus extra for
Rolling dough
1 cup Bleached cake flour
1½ teaspoon Salt
6½ Sticks (1 pound 10 ounces)
Unsalted butter, each stick
Cut into 16 to
20 smalls Pieces, chilled
About 1 cup ice water

Directions

On work surface, preferably a large marble board, measure out flours and salt and combine. Add chilled butter all at once, tossing to coat pieces in flour. Mixing rapidly with your hands, flatten butter into lima bean size pieces. Begin adding ice water, a few drops at a time, lifting and turning dough until it begins to come together. Using a dough scraper pat dough into a rough rectangle, 18-inches long and about 6-inches wide, with short side facing you. Dough will be messy and unmanageable. If butter softens too much during initial mixing, transfer entire work surface to refrigerator and chill.

When dough has come together in a rough rectangle, fold bottom third up to middle, then fold top third over both layers, as if you were folding a letter. Scrape any excess dough to side and flour work surface well. Turn dough package 90 degrees to right, so top layer of dough could open like a book. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough vertically into another 18x6-inch rectangle, with short side facing you. Fold again in thirds. Wrap dough in wax paper and refrigerate at least 20 minutes until dough is firm enough to roll again. Turn 90 degrees to right. This is the second turn.

Repeat rolling out, folding and turning 4 more times, refrigerating again after the 3rd and 5th turns; after 5th turn, chill at least 45 minutes, if possible. Dough can be made ahead up to this point and refrigerated for 2 days, or frozen. After 6th turn, dough is ready to roll out into desired shape.

Yield: About 2¾ pounds dough, enough to roll out to a ¼-inch thick 12x36-inch rectangle

TASTE SHOW #TS4608

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