Flaky rough puff pastry

Flaky & Delicious

With a few simple techniques it’s possible to create a really flaky pastry when you need it. (Think spicy cheese straws or cream-filled Napoleons!) 

I use it for asparagus bundles, spinach pie and mushroom Wellington. It also makes a lovely turnover, pop tart and tart tatin! 

All that’s needed are a few minutes of extra rolling, folding and some chill time. 

Note: I tried all the plant based butters and Miyoko’s is the only one I recommend. The results were excellent with this product! 

Do not stress about turns & method. It’s not a croissant. The idea is just to get folds in there.

Recipe for 1/2 bag 

Makes one 15 x 8” rectangle approx. 

(I recommend doing a 1 or 2 cup recipe as it’s easier to handle for the folding, at least initially.)

Ingredients

1/2 pack Gusto Pastry & Pasta mix (280 g or 2 cups)

150 g salted butter cubed (1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp)* see notes on plant based butters 

1 Tbsp granulated sugar for sweet crust 

120 g (10 tbsp) ice cold water*

1 tsp apple cider or white vinegar 

Directions:

1. Empty flour into a food processor. Add about 1/3 of the cubed butter. 

2. Blend until butter is broken down, add remaining cubes & pulse or rub in until about the size of peas. (The whole recipe also be made by hand. See notes below.) 

3. Add in vinegar & water, pulse about 5-10 times, depending on your processor, to slightly mix dough. Transfer the mix to bowl or counter top (I prefer a bowl) and with a fork, mix until it starts to come together. Don’t be tempted to add more water than the recommended amount. 

4. Finish the dough by hand, by kneading until a ball forms and there’s no loose flour. Transfer to a floured countertop. 

1. Roll immediately into a rectangle. No need to get a perfect rectangle at this point just aim for about 13 x 9” or so. 

2. Ensure the surface is well floured & rotate dough around to prevent from sticking. 

3. Fold the rectangle in 3 folds, like a letter. Rotate 90° so the short end is now facing you. Give a quick roll again to roughly form a 13 x 9” rectangle. Fold in 3 again.

4. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

5. Use for desired recipes. Wrap & refrigerate or freeze leftovers. Dough will keep in fridge for a week and at least 6 months frozen. 

Notes & tips:

• For best result you must use Miyokos cultured butter for plant based dough. I’ve tested them ALL for you and this was leagues ahead. 

• Other plant based butters worked well for basic pie dough but this recipe requires Miyoko’s. It is expensive but the good news is there isn’t too much of it in there! Also note, I find the high temperatures don’t work well for Earth Balance and give it a burnt taste, but that’s just my opinion. 

• To get your water icy cold simply submerge a few ice cubes in a small bowl of water and allow to sit a few minutes. You’ve now got very chilled water to work with. I recommend weighing water with a scale.

• 1 Cup of this mix is 140 g. I always recommend weighing any gluten free flours but if using cups here scoop the flour into the cup and then level off. 

• Do not worry too much about how the dough is rolled. The key is just to get folds in. 

• Blending 1/3 of the butter until like sand is optional but I found it gave me better results. 

• If making by hand I recommend chilling the bowl of flour and butter to keep everything cooler & easier to work with.