Volume 13 , Issue 8

Home Comfort Range (1934) - Puff Pastry Recipes

This week we bring you some instructions for Puff Pastry that was made on the Wrought Iron Range and found in the 1934 Home Comfort Cookbook.

Puff Pastry -- Puff Pastry should be attempted only when materials may be kept under cold conditions, since its success depends very greatly upon an even, low temperature in handling. A little patience and practice will be required to master the art of making perfect puff pastries, but the time and patience required will be well rewarded.

Ingredients: 1 up butter, 2 cups pastry flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cold water.

Place butter in cold water and work until it is smooth and pliable; if necessary, change water frequently to keep it as cold as possible; cool the hands in cold water before beginning. When sufficiently pliable, roll or press the butter into a square sheet about a quarter inch in thickness; wrap in a cold damp cloth and set aside until needed. It is important that, throughout the process, the butter be keep at a temperature to be pliable, yet firm.

From the flour, salt and sufficient cold water form a paste and knead to an elastic dough as in plain pastry -- no shortening is used in the paste -- and set aside for a few minutes in a cold place to bring it to the temperature of the butter.

Place dough on a floured board, and roll out into a rectangular sheet slightly more than twice in width and three times in length the size of the square of butter, and slightly less than half-inch in thickness.

Place the square of butter on one corner of the sheet of dough, leaving a slight margin of dough at the two corners, or outside edges; now fold the dough lengthwise into a double thickness, enclosing the butter in one end of the strip; press the long edges together with the rolling pin, and, likewise, close the open edges at the butter end; now fold the third of the strip containing the butter back over the dough evenly, then fold the opposite end of the strip up over the butter section; this brings the dough to a square form, and of 6 layers, with the sheet of better in the center.

Turn the dough board so the pressed together edge of the dough is nearest to you, and roll out the folded dough into another sheet of the same size and thickness as the first one on which the butter was placed -- being careful to keep the edges of the folded dough even, and the butter in place.

Now, fold the sheet of dough in exactly the same manner as at first, forming six layers as before, keeping the edges even; turn as before, and roll again into a rectangular sheet. Repeat this folding, turning, rolling process at least six times, setting the dough in a cool place for about ten minute periods between each rolling out to restore the elasticity of the dough and the firmness of the butter. On last rolling out, bring to desired thickness and shape, ready for cutting out forms.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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