Flaky pastry, easy puff pastry, or rough puff – whatever you want to call it, this buttery, flaky, but not quite authentic puff pastry is the perfect homemade substitution for all your pastry delights. It takes a fraction of the time and effort of traditional puff pastry, but with a taste so good you’ll be back for more. Read on for my tips and tricks or scroll right to the recipe and start baking!
An Easy Substitute for Authentic Puff Pastry
Anyone who has experience in making puff pastry from scratch will tell you that it’s hard work. The process of turning a cold block of butter into hundreds of whisper thin layers without letting the dough melt (if it gets too warm) or break (if it gets too cold) takes a lot of patience and a lot of arm work.
On the other hand, frozen puff pastry from the grocery store simply requires that you follow the directions to thaw it out correctly. While it may be so much easier, it doesn’t allow you to control the ingredients, or their quality.
Being someone who loves a challenge and loves to bake, neither of the above options were right for me. So I started digging and discovered something called rough puff pastry, aka blitz pastry, aka easy puff pastry. While it might not be authentic enough to win a baking contest in Paris, it is just the ticket for creating delectable, buttery, pastry delights here at home.
Why is it called Rough Puff Pastry?
The biggest difference between rough puff pastry (also known as flaky pastry) and classic puff pastry is that in the rough version you break the butter up into small pieces before combining with the flour, instead of incorporating as one large slab of butter.
Some bakers do this by chopping the butter into cubes, some use a pastry cutter, some use a couple of forks. I opted for a combination of chopped cubes and the food processor. It’s quick, which means that the butter stays cold, and it’s efficient in that it takes less than 2 minutes to mix the dough.
The biggest similarity in the two types of puff pastry is the list of ingredients. Puff pastry is typically made with four simple ingredients: unsalted butter, flour, salt, and water. Technically the version pictured has 3 because I was too lazy to go to the store and buy unsalted butter. Haha! Joking aside, you can make this with salted or unsalted butter. If you do choose to use salted butter, be sure to omit the added salt in the recipe.
How to make rough puff pastry dough with a food processor
The picture collage above shows the step by step instructions for mixing the dough using a food processor. The bottom two pictures are what the dough should look like after the butter is pulsed (left) and after the water is added (right).
I measured my ingredients by weight, but provided the volume measurements for those of you who don’t have a scale. In all baking, weight measurements are much more precise and I highly recommend getting a cheap kitchen scale. You’ll probably end up using it more than you thought.
Once the dough is mixed, it will be rolled out like classic puff pastry. On a lightly floured surface shape the dough into a rough rectangle and roll it into a longer rectangle until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Fold the top down, then fold the bottom up. Turn the dough by 90 degrees and start the process again. Repeat this until you have rolled and folded 6 times. This repetition is what gives us our flaky layers – 729 of them to be exact.
Rolling out the flaky pastry dough
The rolling process isn’t exactly difficult, but it is where things can get tricky. Use extra flour to prevent sticking. If the dough starts to break apart and stick anyway it means that the dough is too warm. The actual time to roll out the dough will vary based on your environment.
On a cold day in a cold kitchen with cold granite countertops, I was able to go straight from the food processor into the rolling phase and do all 6 roll outs without my pastry falling apart. Total time: 15 minutes.
On a cold day with my oven going at 425 degrees, I could only get two roll outs completed before the dough started to stick. I placed the dough on a plate, covered it with a damp tea towel, and froze it for 10 minutes. Set a timer so that you don’t forget about it! Total time: 25 minutes.
On a warm day with the windows open and the oven running, the dough started to stick immediately. I let it rest in the freezer after the 1st, 3rd, and 5th roll out, for 10 minutes each time. I don’t recommend making puff pastry in these conditions. Total time: 45 minutes.
The most important part of making any puff pastry dough: It MUST be chilled.
Bottom line: the colder it is in your kitchen the more quickly this dough will come together. The 15 minute time estimate on the recipe is based on my experience in a cold kitchen. If you are working in a warm environment, add extra time to chill the dough as you move through the rolling out process.
This puff pastry must be chilled in the fridge for at LEAST one hour before shaping, stuffing, or baking. If you plan to chill it between 1 – 3 hours, cover it with a damp cloth. To chill longer, up to 3 days, cover with plastic wrap or place in a reusable airtight container. This will keep it from drying out or absorbing smells from the fridge. For storage longer than 3 days freeze it in an airtight container, then thaw overnight in the fridge.
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Rough Puff Pastry Dough Recipe
Once made, your flaky pastry dough can be frozen to use later or rolled out and used immediately. Just make sure it’s cold enough to work with right away.
This flaky rough puff pastry can be used anywhere you would use traditional puff pastry, like my Apricot Prosciutto Puff Pastry Braid, Homemade Cinnamon Twists, or as an alternative topping for Chicken Pot Pie. To see more recipes for homemade treats see all of my dessert recipes.
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Rough Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 5 ounces all-purpose flour (1 cup)
- 1/4 tsp salt (finely ground)
- 5 ounces cold unsalted butter (10 TSBP)
- 1/3 cup water (ice cold)
Instructions
- Measure flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse twice to combine.
- Cut the butter into cubes and place into the food processor. Pulse 25 – 30 times, or until butter is in small chunks and resembles wet sand.
- While pulsing an additional 8 – 10 times slowly pour in the water. The dough should still be crumbly, but should start to come together.
- Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and press together until it becomes a dough ball.
- Lightly flour the work surface, then shape the dough into a long rectangle. Roll it out into a longer rectangle until it’s about 1/2 inch thick. Fold the top 1/3 down towards the middle, then fold the bottom 1/3 up towards the middle to create an envelope type shape. Turn it 90 degrees so that the openings are at the top and bottom. This completes 1 roll out.
- Check your work surface and add more flour if necessary. Roll the dough into a long rectangle again, until it’s about 1/2 inch thick. Fold the top 1/3 down towards the middle, then fold the bottom 1/3 up towards the middle to create an envelope type shape. Turn it 90 degrees so that the openings are at the top and bottom. This completes 2 roll outs.
- Repeat until you have completed 6 total roll outs. *See notes about chilling dough as necessary throughout the process.*
- Cover the dough with a damp towel and refrigerate for at least one hour prior to using. **See notes about longer storage times.**
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.
For the step by step version of this recipe, check out the How to Make Rough Puff Pastry Story.
Hi Renee. I have yet to try making your rough puff pastry recipe. I do have one question before doing it, if you don’t mind? When baking it, how long and how hot should the oven temperature be? Is it the same for blind baking and when baking the pastry with the filling in it? Sorry for asking too much, I still have a lot to learn about puff pastries. Thank you very much.
Hi Anna! Don’t be sorry! We all learn by asking questions.
For most puff pastry recipes the oven temperature should be 425ºF. The high heat is needed in order for the puff pastry to puff. However, if you are following a specific recipe and it states to use a different temperature, follow the recipe instructions. This applies when baking the pastry on its own or when using it as a topping for something like chicken pot pie or filling it with jam for easy fruit pies. As with all pastry making, there is going to be some trial and error, so give yourself some grace while you are figuring it all out. Best of luck!
Renee
Good morning,
Love simple way you do things , first time visiting but do you do vegetarian or
Vegan that donot go the heavy spicy route ? Thanks from a beautiful wind still Saldanha bay, South Africa
Thank you Cynthia! Thanks for dropping in and leaving a comment. I do have some vegetarian recipes available, but I do not specialize in them. Most of my recipes are rich in flavor, but I’m not a fan of a lot of spicy heat either.
Renee
I made the puff pastry yesterday to top a chicken and leek pot pie. Sadly, it did not rise in the oven. I chilled it several hours, (covered,) and rolled it out to just top, not seal 4 pies. I brushed it with an egg wash and put them in the oven. After 35 mins at 425f, the pastry had browned slightly and had a couple of layers, but was very flat. More like a flaky pancake. I checked my oven temp just to be sure, but it was correct.
How thick should the dough be rolled? I rolled mine about 1/4 inch. Too thin?
Rough Puff not rising in the oven. Just flat. Overworked? Oven too hot? Its not tough. its very flaky. Just flat flat flat.
LOVE IT! Such a comprehensive post! Bookmarking to try it next time I’m baking something!
Puff pastry is not my favorite dough. Call it laziness. ? You did such a great job with your puff pastry. I feel like making pain au chocolat now.
This looks awesome, my wife makes ruff puff quite regularly and this is really close to her method… I’m afraid I am definitely a reluctant baker so avoid pastry where ever possible 😮
I made the puff pastry yesterday to top a chicken and leek pot pie. Sadly, it did not rise in the oven. I chilled it several hours, (covered,) and rolled it out to just top, not seal 4 pies. I brushed it with an egg wash and put them in the oven. After 35 mins at 425f, the pastry had browned slightly and had a couple of layers, but was very flat. More like a flaky pancake. I checked my oven temp just to be sure, but it was correct.
How thick should the dough be rolled? I rolled mine about 1/4 inch. Too thin?
Sherry, 1/4 inch should not be too thick and it should have puffed, especially if it was chilled for hours. You are the second person recently to have trouble with this post and I am so sorry about that. It’s one of those rare recipes that never gives me trouble, which makes troubleshooting and knowing what not to do that much more difficult. I had scheduled this post for a video addition later this year, but I’m going to move it up. Hopefully I can figure out what is missing in my instructions that may have caused your issue.
Rough Puff not rising in the oven. Just flat. Overworked? Oven too hot? Its not tough. its very flaky. Just flat flat flat.
Peggy,
I’m so sorry to hear your’s puff pastry didn’t work out and I’d love to help you troubleshoot what went wrong.
Puff pastry dough usually can’t be overworked. The original is created by rolling the dough into a thousand layers – pastry dough can take some work and still puff. Typically if your pastry isn’t puffing it’s because it wasn’t cold enough when you baked it or the oven isn’t hot enough.
What did you make with the dough? How long did you chill it? What temperature did you bake it at? I was just working on some cinnamon twists yesterday with this dough and they turned out beautifully. However, the ones I baked without chilling after assembly didn’t puff.
Renee
LOVE IT! Such a comprehensive post! Bookmarking to try it next time I’m baking something!
Thanks Jovita! Let me know if you run into any questions!
Thank you for creating a recipe that cuts the time down. Homemade puff pastry takes forevvvverrr. But 15 mins? That’s perfect.
Yep! As long as your kitchen is cold enough you can do this version in 15 minutes.
This sounds like a recipe I need to try. Better than buying the dough.
Agreed!! Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
This looks awesome, my wife makes ruff puff quite regularly and this is really close to her method… I’m afraid I am definitely a reluctant baker so avoid pastry where ever possible 😮
A reluctant baker – sounds like a great blog name! Thanks for stopping by!
Puff pastry is not my favorite dough. Call it laziness. ? You did such a great job with your puff pastry. I feel like making pain au chocolat now.
Oohhh!! Pain au chocolat would be perfect with this dough! I used to find it so intimidating, but with a bit of practice it gets much easier.