Smoked Salmon and Chive Puff Pastry Mille Feuille
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 27, 2022
Time
1½ hours, plus 3 hours chilling
Yield
Makes about 2 dozen
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, about 9 ounces (255 grams)20 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch dice (4 tablespoons kept separate)1 teaspoon table salt 6 tablespoons cold water, plus a tablespoon more, if necessaryTopping
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, softened1 medium lemon, zested to yield 1 tablespoon zest3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, or snipped6 ounces (170 grams) smoked salmon, sliced thinBefore You Begin
This recipe uses half the puff pastry dough. You can double the recipe, or reserve half for another purpose. This dough will keep in the freezer for at least three months. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap, then seal in zipper lock bag. Thaw by placing in refrigerator overnight. Illustrations for shaping the feuille and other forms can be found in the related Illustrated How to Guide, "Making Puff Pastries."
Instructions
- Place flour in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade; add the 4 tablespoons butter; pulse until butter is absorbed, about 10 to 12 pulses of 1 second each.
- Add remaining butter; pulse once or twice to distribute. Dissolve salt in water and add to flour mixture; pulse 3 or 4 times, until dough just starts to form a rough ball (see illustration 1, below) - do not overprocess. If mixture remains very dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time and pulse again.
- Turn dough onto floured work surface and shape into rough rectangle, then place on top of sheet of well-floured plastic wrap measuring at least 12-by-18 inches. Lightly flour top of dough and cover with another sheet of wrap. Press dough with rolling pin to flatten, then roll back and forth several times with rolling pin to make 12-by-18-inch rectangle of dough.
- Peel away plastic wrap and invert dough onto floured work surface, long side facing you. Peel away second piece of wrap. Fold top third of dough down and bottom third up (illustration 2) to make 4-by-18-inch rectangle, then roll up dough from one end (illustration 3). Divide dough in half, and press each half into a square, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Reserve second square for other purpose, or double the recipe.
- On a floured surface, roll dough square into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle. Slide onto a pan and refrigerate until firm and rested, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prick dough with a fork and place on a parchment lined pan. Cover dough with another piece of parchment and another pan and bake at 350 degrees, turning pans occasionally to ensure even browning, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool between pans to prevent warping.
- Meanwhile, beat softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and light. Beat in lemon zest, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in chives.
- Cut pastry lengthwise to make 2, 8-by-11-inch pieces. Spread each piece with half the filling. Arrange smoked salmon over one piece, then invert the other piece on it to cover the salmon. Slide onto a pan; press to adhere. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- To serve, cut into strips 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, then cut diagonally to make diamond shapes.
Time
1½ hours, plus 3 hours chillingYield
Makes about 2 dozenIngredients
Puff Pastry
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, about 9 ounces (255 grams)
20 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch dice (4 tablespoons kept separate)
1 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons cold water, plus a tablespoon more, if necessary
Topping
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 medium lemon, zested to yield 1 tablespoon zest
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, or snipped
6 ounces (170 grams) smoked salmon, sliced thin
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, about 9 ounces (255 grams)
20 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch dice (4 tablespoons kept separate)
1 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons cold water, plus a tablespoon more, if necessary
Topping
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 medium lemon, zested to yield 1 tablespoon zest
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, or snipped
6 ounces (170 grams) smoked salmon, sliced thin
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, about 9 ounces (255 grams)
20 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch dice (4 tablespoons kept separate)
1 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons cold water, plus a tablespoon more, if necessary
Topping
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 medium lemon, zested to yield 1 tablespoon zest
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, or snipped
6 ounces (170 grams) smoked salmon, sliced thin
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wondered if we could eliminate the repeated rolling and folding called for in the conventional puff pastry recipe, but still create multiple layers in our quick puff pastry dough recipe. We discovered we could do this by folding the dough and rolling it up jellyroll style in just seconds. Mixing the dough in a food processor also helped to speed things up. The dough puffed as well as any quick puff pastry we've ever made. Not only that, it definitely lived up to our hopes for saving time; the whole process—from measuring the flour to wrapping the dough and refrigerating—took only 15 minutes.
Before You Begin
This recipe uses half the puff pastry dough. You can double the recipe, or reserve half for another purpose. This dough will keep in the freezer for at least three months. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap, then seal in zipper lock bag. Thaw by placing in refrigerator overnight. Illustrations for shaping the feuille and other forms can be found in the related Illustrated How to Guide, "Making Puff Pastries."
Instructions
- Place flour in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade; add the 4 tablespoons butter; pulse until butter is absorbed, about 10 to 12 pulses of 1 second each.
- Add remaining butter; pulse once or twice to distribute. Dissolve salt in water and add to flour mixture; pulse 3 or 4 times, until dough just starts to form a rough ball (see illustration 1, below) - do not overprocess. If mixture remains very dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time and pulse again.
- Turn dough onto floured work surface and shape into rough rectangle, then place on top of sheet of well-floured plastic wrap measuring at least 12-by-18 inches. Lightly flour top of dough and cover with another sheet of wrap. Press dough with rolling pin to flatten, then roll back and forth several times with rolling pin to make 12-by-18-inch rectangle of dough.
- Peel away plastic wrap and invert dough onto floured work surface, long side facing you. Peel away second piece of wrap. Fold top third of dough down and bottom third up (illustration 2) to make 4-by-18-inch rectangle, then roll up dough from one end (illustration 3). Divide dough in half, and press each half into a square, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Reserve second square for other purpose, or double the recipe.
- On a floured surface, roll dough square into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle. Slide onto a pan and refrigerate until firm and rested, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prick dough with a fork and place on a parchment lined pan. Cover dough with another piece of parchment and another pan and bake at 350 degrees, turning pans occasionally to ensure even browning, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool between pans to prevent warping.
- Meanwhile, beat softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and light. Beat in lemon zest, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in chives.
- Cut pastry lengthwise to make 2, 8-by-11-inch pieces. Spread each piece with half the filling. Arrange smoked salmon over one piece, then invert the other piece on it to cover the salmon. Slide onto a pan; press to adhere. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- To serve, cut into strips 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, then cut diagonally to make diamond shapes.
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