Introduction
The Fastest Puff is a quick puff pastry designed to give you flaky, buttery layers without the long resting and folding time of traditional puff pastry. It’s perfect when you want homemade pastry for tarts, turnovers, or savory pies but don’t have hours to spare. This method delivers impressive lift and texture in a fraction of the time.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
225 g (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup cold water
Extra flour, for dusting
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix flour and salt.
Add cold butter cubes and toss lightly to coat with flour (do not fully rub in).
Pour in cold water and mix gently until a rough dough forms.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and shape into a rectangle.
Roll out into a long rectangle.
Fold into thirds like a letter.
Rotate 90 degrees, roll out again, and fold into thirds.
Repeat rolling and folding 4–5 times, working quickly.
Wrap and chill for 20–30 minutes before using.
Description
This fast puff pastry bakes into crisp, golden layers with a tender interior and rich buttery flavor. While slightly less delicate than traditional puff pastry, it offers excellent flakiness and structure, making it ideal for both sweet and savory recipes.
Tips
Keep everything cold to maintain flaky layers.
Work quickly to prevent butter from melting.
If butter softens, chill the dough briefly before continuing.
Use a light touch when rolling to preserve layers.
Variations
Whole wheat: Replace half the flour with whole wheat flour.
Savory puff: Add herbs or grated cheese to the dough.
Sweet puff: Add 1 tablespoon sugar to the flour.
Vegan: Use plant-based butter with high fat content.
Correction (Common Mistakes to Avoid)
Overmixing the dough, which reduces flakiness.
Letting the butter melt during folding.
Skipping folds, resulting in poor lift.
Rolling too thin before baking.
Enjoy
Use The Fastest Puff for tarts, palmiers, sausage rolls, fruit turnovers, or quick pies. It’s the perfect shortcut when you want homemade quality without the wait.