This homemade puff pastry recipe only requires four ingredients – flour, salt, butter & water. The best dough to have on hand for last minute desserts and easy baking!
This guide on making puff pastry is foolproof and always results in those signature flaky layers. With just a little muscle and a few simple ingredients, your freezer will stay stocked with buttery puff at all times. Hello savory appetizer bites (think: ham and brie), beef wellington, sweet hand pies, and so much more.
Homemade Rough Puff Pastry
Contrary to popular belief, puff pastry dough can be quite easy to prepare at home. This is especially true when you use the rough puff pastry (aka flaky pastry, blitz pastry or quick pastry) approach versus the traditional puff pastry method. It takes a fraction of the time because you grate the frozen butter into the flour – significantly speeding up the prep work.
Ingredients for Puff Pastry Dough Recipe
With just 4 ingredients you likely have already hanging out in your kitchen, you can make a puff pastry worthy of any French bakery.
- All-Purpose Flour – Regular, old-fashioned all-purpose flour is all you need. Ensure to sift it (especially if it’s been sitting around for awhile) to remove any lumps and clumps.
- Salt – Regular table salt will do the trick, but we usually use pink Himalayan salt for it’s full-bodied flavor.
- Unsalted Butter – For maximum flavor, use a European-style butter like Plugra or Kerrygold.
- Water – Ice cold water is a must. If you can, use filtered water to reduce any impurities from altering the flavor of the dough.
How to Make Puff Pastry Dough from Scratch
To get those essential flakey layers, all you need to do is follow the recipe instructions closely. Puff pastry is all about working with cold dairy and keeping the dough marbled.
- Sift the Flour & Salt: First, sift the all-purpose flour and salt into a large bowl and place it in a refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
- Grate the Butter: Next, grate the frozen butter into the flour, stirring it in as you go.
- Add in the Water: Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the ice cold water, mixing until the dough is firm yet a little shaggy.
- Chill the Dough: Next, wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Roll the Dough Out: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out onto a floured work surface, kneading it to form into a smooth rectangle. The finished pastry dough should be about 1/4 inch thick when rolled out.
- Fold & Roll the Dough: Fold the top third down to the center, then the bottom third up and on top of it. Roll the dough out again to three times the length and into a rectangular shape. Place the parchment paper on top of the dough. Fold down the top third and then the bottom third over it.
- Chill the Dough: Next, wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in a refrigerator for an hour. Bake away, friend!
Puff Pastry Video Tutorial
5 Tips for Nailing this Puff Pastry Dough Recipe
Making puff pastry for the first time may feel a little intimidating. Don’t fret! These useful tools will ensure you get the flakiest pastry possible.
- Avoid big clumps of grated butter. As you grate the frozen butter, continually mix it into the flour to prevent the butter pieces from sticking together. If the clumps of butter are too big, you’ll get too much concentrated in one area and the pastry will be less flakey.
- Use frozen butter and ice cold water. The two most important rules to follow when making puff pastry dough are to work with FROZEN butter and ICE COLD water. You need the ingredients to stay as cold as possible so the butter doesn’t melt.
- Do not over handle puff pastry. Try to minimize how much you shape the dough to prevent over mixing. The more you fuss around with it unnecessarily, the flatter the pastry will be.
- Thaw the dough in the refrigerator before handling it. Be sure to pop your frozen dough into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using it (an hour is preferred). Do not unfold it until it has completely thawed. This will cause cracks and breaks.
- Work on a well-floured surface. When you are ready to bake with your puff pastry, flour the service you are working on so the dough doesn’t stick.
Recipes Using Puff Pastry
While you can improvise and use puff pastry to make your own creation, here are a handful of our favorite ways to use this wonder dough.
- Puff Pastry Cheese Turnovers – Sweet cheese stuffed pastries
- Quick Apple Turnovers – 5 ingredient apple turnovers
- Angel Wing Cookies – A classic Polish cookie
- Poppy Seed Rolls – Spiral pastries with a sweet poppyseed filling
- Sweet Cheese Bourekas – Filled with a sweet farmers cheese filling
Storing Homemade Puff Pastry
For best results, store your puff pastry folded with parchment paper and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the freezer. It will keep for up to 2 months when stored properly. Once you thaw it in the refrigerator, be sure to use it within 2-3 days. Any longer and the pastry may fall flat in the oven.
FAQ
Should puff pasty be baked cold?
Refrigerating your puff pastry before baking it is crucial. Baking puff pastry at room temperature will cause the dough to become floppy and flat. This makes the delicate layers stick together, causing the dough to be especially hard to work with. Cold puff pastry will take longer to melt in the oven, allowing the dough to rise beautifully and form light, pretty layers.
Can you make puff pastry the day before?
You can make puff pastry a day or weeks ahead! You can store the dough in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to two months as long as you seal it in an airtight container.
How do you keep puff pastry from getting soggy?
Puff pastry can become soggy in the middle for many reasons. Primarily, it becomes soggy when it is frozen and allowed to thaw on the countertop for too long. While some chefs approve this method, we think it is best to allow your frozen dough to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. It takes longer, but it saves you the stress of soggy dough!
Can you refreeze raw puff pastry dough?
Yes, you can refreeze raw puff pastry dough if you thawed it and decided you weren’t going to use it after all. It may change the texture slightly, but it’s essential that you keep the puff pastry stored in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
Why did your puff pastry dough not rise?
Your puff pastry dough likely didn’t rise if you left it out at room temperature too long. This causes the butter to melt and the dough to become less flakey and airy. To avoid this, work with cold puff pastry and try to shape it as quickly as possible.
Other Homemade Dough Recipes
- Overnight Pizza Dough – Day-ahead pizza dough
- Yeast Pastry Dough – Universal yeast dough
- Pizza Dough – Quick pizza dough with a 2 hour rise
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 250 g unsalted butter frozen
- 2/3 cup water ice cold
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients for the puff pastry dough.
- Using a fine mesh sieve or flour sifter, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and place it in a refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Next, grate the frozen butter into the flour, occasionally mixing it to prevent the butter from sticking.
- Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the ice cold water. Mix it until you have a firm, rough dough.
- Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and leave in a refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, kneading it gently to form into a smooth rectangle. Keep the edges straight and even and don’t overwork the butter streaks – the dough should have a marbled effect.
- Fold the top third down to the center, then the bottom third up and on top of it. Do the same with the sides. Roll the dough out again to three times the length and into a rectangular shape. The pastry dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Place the parchment paper on top of the dough, folding it over the top and bottom of the dough. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in a refrigerator for about an hour. Use the dough to your heart's desire!
I love your recipe this is my second time make for empanada my employer love it so much
Hi Lani, I'm so glad you and others love it!
Love watching you make puff pastry .always bought it before going to try and make some tomz for Eccles cakes thanks christine
Hi Christine, thank you and I hope you love the recipe. Its shocking how easy it is. Dont forget to work quick and keep things cold. Enjoy
Hi Natalya, I read your how to story instructions, i’m a little confused should I do the folds before freezing or can I freeze then take out the day I decide to use it I’m not planning to use it the same night I just want to pre-make for later on recipes?
Thank you for the recipes!
Hey Melanie- yes, you should still fold it and wrap in parchment paper before freezing. This way when you are ready to use it, it's easier to handle. Hope this clarifies it! Enjoy!
Tried to this recipe and it worked great! One thing is I added 3 Tablespoons of sugar, and didn’t know what temp to cook it at but ended up doing 350
Hi Joy- this recipe is just for raw puff pastry dough which is why no baking instructions were included. Please use the puff pastry however it's called for in the recipes you end up using it for 😀 (it varies a bit from recipe to recipe). Hope this makes sense! Thank you for giving it a try.
I just wanted to clarify- in the recipient it states 250g of butter but looks like you use 2 sticks which is 230g butter. How much should I use? Thanks!
Hi Kay, you would need 250g of butter for this recipe. Sorry if the photo is misleading. Enjoy it, its a good recipe.
Hi I was wondering if I could use whole-wheat and siff it ?
Hi Robin, I think you can but I also think you may need different amount of flour. It would be more dense. If you do master it, please share feedback. Thank you
If I make it in the evening to use the next day do I need to freeze till use?
Hi Janet, you just need to keep it cold, leave it in a fridge. Enjoy it!
I’ve made this twice now.once with butter and once with dairy free alternatives. Both highly successful. The tips on freezing everything made a huge difference as did having your video for reference.
When I look at the nutritional information, the calories and fat seem off. Am I missing something?
Hi Tamara, I am so glad to hear this!! Thank you for sharing your process with me. I am thrilled that you found this recipe helpful. Our caluculator isnt always 100% on point. I will take a look at it. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Most recipes include a temp and bake time, generally?
Hi Elizabeth, this recipe is for the dough itself. What you do with the dough will differ in the cooking. I hope this makes sense.
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
I used dairy free butter alternatives (Earth Balance), not margarine, with great success.
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Tamara! I appreciate the insight!
Hey Claudia, I have not tried it but I wouldn't. Good quality butter is a lot of the flavor so I think better would give you the best result. Keep me in the loop if you do end up trying it.
Hey can I use salted butter if I don't have the unsalted?
Hi there! If you are going to use salted butter, I would cut down on the salt. otherwise the dough will be too salty. Thank you for reaching out!
Hi, could I make this does the night before get it all ready to go and leave it in the fridge overnight
Hey Sandra, you definitely can. If you look under storing instructions, you will see suggested ways to store it. Enjoy.
Hi Natasha I just made your pastry dough. The measurements for the butter you showed metrics then I seen 2 sticks of butter so that's what I used. On one of your post you had 1 cup and 2 tbsp. I only used 2 sticks. Will it come out ok?
Hey Martha, it should be ok. Two sticks is 226 grams and the recipe calls for 250 grams but its pretty close. Just make sure to work with cold dough this way the flaky layers of butter dont melt. Enjoy it.
What temperature do you think is best for baking this dough and do you use regular bake or convection?
Hi Leila- I use the regular conventional bake settings. Regarding baking it- it really depends which recipe you are using it for. Generally speaking 400° or 415° degrees for about 15 minutes is a good start, keep an eye on it and make sure its a nice, golden brown before removing from the oven. Enjoy! 🙂
Hey! Would this be enough pastry to create a galette des rois?
Hi Joely, Yes this recipe will be enough to make that dish. I would love to know how it goes! Good luck!
This recipe is fantastic! It worked so well thanks so much for such a simple and effective recipe.
Hi Joely, I am so delighted to hear that you love this recipe! Thank you for the feedback. Enjoy!
I've been using Anchor salted butter for a while now to make the puff pastry dough but it never succeed and it's so stressful!! a little help here, how many grams of butter do i need to use if i use Anchor butter? seems to me 250g for Anchor butter is too much buttery in the dough. Haven't found any recipe that used Anchor butter.. maybe a little less? since different butter has different fats. Need to know the exact amount of Anchor butter used.
Hi Gems, I think it should still be the same amount of butter, 250grams. But you have to keep in mind to keep all the ingredients cold because this can turn into a mess if not mixed quick or kept cold. Also, I am not sure if I would use salted butter because this will give you salty puff pastry dough. Hope all the tips are helpful. Enjoy
You use rock salt. You do not mention grinding it down so that there isn’t chunks of salt in your dough. If the dough is kept cold enough for a great product then the salt will not dissolve so easily. Thoughts?
Hey Teresa, the grinder I have makes it pretty fine. I have never had pieces of salt in the dough, just a good balance of flavor. Hope this helps. Thanks for the feedback!
Can I use whole wheat pastry flour with same results?
Hey Dawn, I have not tried using wheat flour. I actually think that it may not come out as fluffy as it would with all purpose flour. If you do try it, can you report back? I want to know how it comes out.
Please I want to make puff pastry without any equipment or the metric system...
Hey Jean- If you are referring to the butter, 250 grams is roughly 1 cup and 2 tbsp of butter. As for the equipment, this recipe doesn't use much- what specifically are you referring to?
Natalya, your recipe is perfect, can you please not entertain these terrible people complaining about the metric system or not having "equipment".
Thank you very much for the kind words! I appreciate everyones opinions, because it helps me connect with the needs of our followers.
Beautiful, I love how you do it.
Hi Linda, Thank you! I appreciate the feedback!
I don't usually leave reviews but I wanted to tell you this recipe is phenomenal! I made some apple pastries, and blue berry cream cheese! And they came out to die for!! Thank you, thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! I wish I could post a picture because they came out so beautiful!
Hi Mikaela, Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a hit! Enjoy!
You rock....this is so easy...so fluffy when baked...this is a definite keeper...made blueberry handpies first time using this and everything came out beautiful
Today it is ginger peach handiest
Thank you so much for this
Hi Kenn- Blueberry handpies, ginger peach handpies..they all sound so delicious! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback, I'm glad you love this puff pastry recipe!
How long do you bake it and at what temperature
Hi Analise- it depends on what the recipe that calls for puff pastry says! This recipe is just for the cold puff pastry dough itself. For example, if you make my puff pastry cheese turnovers it'll be 415° for 15 min. Hope this helps!
How many times do you fold the dough?
Hi Rosa. You fold the dough a couple of times. First you fold the top and bottom thirds of the dough in, and then you roll it into a rectangular shape. Then you fold it again (with parchment paper or just flour it). I explain and show this in the video as well, at the 4 minute mark. Hope this helps!
Okay I know that you have sea salt on your picture but you don't have on your list you have salt
Hey Viesnta, there is salt listed in the recipe card, and it's used in step 2. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
She said SEA salt. She was asking if there was a difference as your image showed SEA salt and your recipe list simply stated salt
Hey there- in my images I show pink Himalayan salt, but I mention using regular table salt in my post. To be honest, the type of salt you use in this recipe is not a deal breaker, the puff pastry will be great either way. I hope this clarifies things. Enjoy!
In the past I always purchased the ready made frozen butter pastry to roll out but it is difficult to find without other added ingredients (i.e. palm oil, canola oil, etc). I would love to try this recipe but wonder if it is possible to double the amounts, or must I make two separate doughs at the same time to work with smaller quantities. To make custard slices (in other words filling with a top and a bottom which must be prebaked), I would need to roll out the dough to a full pan size and I am unsure if the quantity outlined would be enough.
Hi Michelle - Totally hear what you're saying. We love to avoid extra add-ins and ingredients whenever possible. You can definitely double the batch - I do it all the time when I'm prep cooking. You can definitely whip up the dough all at once, then separate it into two event pieces so it's easier to handle. Hope this helps!
Hi Natalya, this recipe is so easy and lovely I made chicken pies with it and it turned out awesome. I wish I could upload images but image upload is currently disabled. My mum kept asking for more chicken pies. Can I ha e your permission to share this recipe.
Hi Yetunde- I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Chicken pies sound delicious! Feel free to share the recipe but please make sure to credit me as the author, thank you! 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. Just to clarify - as part of step 4, are you putting the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes ?
Hi Trisha - Thank you! No need for the freezer, just the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Hope this helps and Happy New Year!
Thank you for the excellent puff pastry recipe. Made apple strudel last night with puff pastry and it came out really delicious.
Marina, those sound delicious, I am so glad you love this puff pastry recipe!!
Hi thanks a lot for you and im shan from sri lanka .we are love your recipes.thanks again
Hi Priya, welcome! I am so glad you love the recipes, thank you for taking the time to comment!