Page 40 - Pie It Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes, and Other Pastries Reinvented

Quick Puff Pastry

! It’s true. The
procedure of folding the butter in “turns,” as shown on page 27, a
process known as lamination, creates alternating layers of butter
encased in flour. When touched by the heat of your oven, these
become puffed layers of infinite flakiness. The resulting pastry is
glorious and unruly—and perfect with custards, which, at their heart,
are astoundingly rich and sweet. The Quick Puff crust, with its insane

buttery crispness, puts what could otherwise be over-the-top sugary
creaminess in its place.
This version is called “quick” (or “blitz”) because you cut the butter
into the dough instead of going through a proper lamination, as you
do with Traditional Puff Pastry (page 25). You also make all the folds
and turns at once instead of resting in between, as in the traditional

method.
You can substitute Quick Puff for All-Butter or Part-Butter Easy Pie
Dough (page 19) as well, if you’re feeling reckless abandon. Either
way, flavor- and texture-wise, there’s nothing quite like it.

Makes approximately 4 pounds 11 ounces (2.1 kg) dough

all-purpose flour, cold 2 pounds (7½ cups) 910 g

salt ½ teaspoon 3 g
unsalted butter, chilled and 2 pounds 910 g
cut into small pieces
cold water 1¼ cups 300 ml

1
. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and butter.

2
. Massage the butter into the flour with the tips of your fingers until
the butter pieces are a bit smaller, about the size of a dime. Add
the water and smoosh everything around with a wooden spoon or
with your hands, coating the mixture with water (this gets terribly

messy and sticky). Gently knead until the whole mess looks like it’s