Shortcut puff pastry made easy for quick baking delights

Ingredients for Shortcut puff pastry

• 30 g caster sugar

• 9 g sea salt (or kosher salt)

• 300 g plain flour, plus more for dusting

• 280 g chilled unsalted butter

How to make Shortcut puff pastry

1. Whisk together the sugar, salt, and 315 g of flour in a large bowl until well combined.

2. Grate 115 g of butter using the large holes of a box grater directly into the bowl, working quickly to prevent the butter from softening too much in your hands.

3. Thinly slice the remaining 170 g of butter and add it to the bowl. Toss to coat the butter, then gently smash the slices with your fingers into smaller, flatter pieces.

4. Gradually drizzle in 105 ml of ice water while tossing constantly with a fork to distribute evenly.

5. Using your hands, knead the dough a couple of times in the bowl until it comes together in large clumps.

6. Transfer the clumps to a piece of cling film, leaving any dry bits behind in the bowl. Toss the dry bits in the bowl, drizzling in more ice water by the teaspoonful as needed, until they hold together when squeezed in your hand (the mixture will be quite dry, which is normal).

7. Add the dry bits to the dough on the cling film and wrap tightly, forming it into a 15 cm square. Flatten the square, pushing the dough into the corners and pressing out any air pockets.

8. Chill the wrapped dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

9. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 4 minutes to soften.

10. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a long rectangle about 0.6 cm thick.

11. Fold the rectangle into thirds like a letter, then rotate it 90 degrees.

12. Repeat the rolling and folding process, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking.

13. Rewrap the dough tightly in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.

14. The dough can be made up to 2 days in advance; keep it chilled until needed.

Disclaimer
While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.