Puff Paste

Directions

1. 1
   Let butter stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Set 2 tablespoons of butter aside. Place remaining butter between two pieces of lightly floured waxed paper. Pound with a rolling pin to make butter pliable. (Butter should become the consistency of firm dough.) As butter flattens, use a small spatula to shape butter into a 5-inch square with slightly rounded edges. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate while making dough.
2. 2
   Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Work reserved 2 tablespoons butter into flour by rubbing together between the fingers. Add water; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead 30 times. Cover by inverting bowl over dough. Let rest 10 minutes.
3. 3
   Lightly flour a smooth surface. Roll dough to an 8-inch circle. Mark a 6-inch square within circle of dough. Roll each side of square until dough resembles a flower with 4 petals. (Center of dough will be thick. )
4. 4
   Place chilled butter square on center square of dough. Fold dough over butter, one side at a time, bringing edges to center and overlapping slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 15 minutes.
5. 5
   Lightly flour surface, and add flour as necessary during following procedure. Place dough, flat side down, on surface. Press rolling pin firmly on dough 7 times, once in center and 3 times above and below center to flatten dough and seal edges. Roll dough into a 14- x 6-inch rectangle, keeping thickness of dough as even as possible, and corners square.
6. 6
   Fold dough in thirds to resemble a folded letter. Give dough a quarter turn to the right. Press with rolling pin to seal edges. Repeat rolling and folding procedure, and refrigerate 15 minutes.
7. 7
   Repeat rolling and folding procedure 4 additional times, refrigerating dough for 15 minutes after every two turns. Dough will be rolled and folded a total of 6 turns. Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer before using in a recipe.
8. 8
   Note: Puff paste may be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. If refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, allow puff paste to stand at room temperature 5 minutes before rolling out or 30 minutes if frozen.