5 Puff Pastry Mistakes to Avoid
Having puff pastry on hand gives you a head start on a wide array of dishes. But if you’re not careful, you may inadvertently inhibit your puff’s performance.
Here are five common mistakes to avoid while working with one of our freezer-aisle favorites.
Trying to Speed Up the Thawing Time
We’ve all been there: You forgot to pull your puff pastry out of the freezer ahead of time, and now you’re considering leaving the box on the countertop to thaw more quickly. Consider a few things first.
Do you need to thaw both sheets? (Most boxes contain more than one sheet.) If not, put the other sheet back in the freezer.
What's your kitchen temperature like? If your kitchen is cool, thawing on the counter isn't the worst idea, but avoid room-temperature thawing in a warm kitchen. You risk overheating it.
The safest bet is always to think ahead and defrost it slowly in the fridge.
Rolling over the Dough’s Edges
Watch where you roll: When rolling out your dough to the correct size, make sure you don’t roll over the edges of the sheet. Flattening the edges inhibits the “puff.”
Using a Dull Knife
Along the same lines, a too-dull knife will also pinch the puff pastry’s edges together—to preserve the flaky layers, you need a knife or bench scraper with a keen blade to make clean, precise cuts.
Baking Immediately After Shaping and Cutting
If you pop your pastry directly into the oven after you’ve cut and shaped it, you risk the butter melting too quickly and leaking out. Just a 15 to 30 minute chilling period in the fridge before baking will firm the butter and help retain flakiness.
Tossing Your Leftovers!
If you thaw more puff pastry than you need for your recipe, you needn’t waste it: Simply refreeze what’s left over.
