Rough Puff Pastry

I could make puff pastry from scratch the proper way… but I haven’t yet found a dish where I think it’s actually worth it! This is a perfectly acceptable ‘rough’ puff pastry. I saw Nigella’s recipe for making puff pastry in a food processor and started off with that but then went by way of this ancient tome “Farmhouse Cookery” we have because it was much more helpful in the method. I did use the food processor to do the first bit but frankly5 minutes and a knife would have the same effect. Yes, it would technically take longer but once you factor in getting the food processor out, set up, used and washed up you’re probably more than even. But I’m washing up phobic so I always choose the method with the least amount!

250g strong plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
250g butter, cut into 1/2 cm slices
1 tsp lemon juice
5-6 tbsp chilled water

– Mix together the flour and salt.
– Add the butter and either pulse 3-4 times or cut the butter into the flour repeatedly. Chunks of butter will still be visible.
– Add the lemon juice and enough water to bring the dough together.
– Get in there with your hand to bring the dough together in a ball.
– Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
– Unwrap the dough and roll out on a floured worksurface into a large rectangle 3 times longer than it is wide.
– Fold into thirds (bring the right third over onto the centre third then the left side over on top of that), turn 90* and roll out again.
– Fold into thirds again, turn another 90* and roll out again.
– Repeat another 3-4 times. The dough will become harder and harder to roll out as you go and the buttery chunks will disappear.
– Fold the dough again and rewrap in clingfilm and chill for another 30 minutes.
– Unwrap and roll out the dough to your desired thickness on a lightly floured surface.