Puff Pastry Dough
Blitz Method
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Ingredients U.S. %
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Bread flour 8 oz. 50
Pastry flour 8 oz. 50
Butter, slightly softened 1 lb 100
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Salt 0.25 oz 1.5
Water, cold 8 oz. 50
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Total weight 2 lb 8 oz 251%
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Variation
Reduce the butter to 75% butter( 12 oz)
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PROCEDURE
1.Sift the two flours together into a mixing bowl.
2. Cut the butter into the flour as for pie dough, but leave the fat in very
large lumps, 1 inch across.
3.Dissolve the salt in the water.
4.Add the salted water to the flour/butter mixture. Mix until the water is
absorbed.
5.Let the dough rest 15 minutes. Refrigerate it if the bakeshop is warm.
6. Dust the bench with flour and roll out the dough into a rectangle.Give the
dough 3 four-fold.
Puff Pastry
It is believed that puff pastry was developed by accident. Truth or
fiction, the fact remains that puff pastry, properly prepared, yields a light
Flaky, delectable product. Different methods may be used to produce puff
pastry. These methods center around the introduction of fat into the dough
because, the quantity of fat as well as the method used for rolling in, will
determine the number of layers as well as the leavening action of the dough.
The dough itself is a mixture of flour ,water, a small quantity of acid, and
and fat. The difference between puff pastry dough and other Doughs is not
the basic formula but rather in the fact that additional fat is rolled in. This
roll in fat gives puff pastry its light, delicate texture and its melt in the mouth
flavor. The amount of acid has a tendency to tenderize the gluten strands
allowing the dough to rise higher.
The roll in fat should posses a high melting point enabling the baker to
Work the dough without melting the fat through simple friction. Butter is
Used when appetizing yellow color and delicate flavor is desired. Other fats
may tend to cause excessive browning as well as produce greasy taste.
Before working the dough into various shapes it should be removed from
the retarder 30 minutes in advance. Allowing the dough temperature to rise
will facilitate the shaping process. After shaping, the dough should be
allowed to relax before baking. Allowing the gluten strands to relax results
in a more tender and fluffier pastry. Oven temperature of 400F-415F allow
sufficient leavening without excessive drying or cracking of outside crust.
Blitz Puff Pastry
Blitz puff pastry is the most basic of the puff dough selections. Blitz puff
pastry, also known as quick puff pastry, is named for its fast preparation.
It is essentially very flaky pie dough that has had turns completed on it.
The average percentage of butter in the dough is 75 percent of the flour
weight.
Blitz puff dough is mixed only until rough dough is formed, and it is
essential to not overmix it. The butter chunks in the dough should be about
golf-ball sized in order to provide proper layering for lamination.
It may appear shaggy out of the mixer, but it will become more cohesive
once lamination begins. After the dough is mixed, it should rest in the
refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes. Four single folds are standard
for blitz puff because there is not a large concentrated mass of butter in the
dough. The dough should rest for a minimum of 20 minutes after the first
two folds, as well as after the third and fourth folds. Too many folds can
sacrifice the volume and flakiness of the final product.
Key Pointsto Remember
- Allow dough to relax or shrinkage will result.
- Chill dough during the rolling in process to maintain the separation of
layers of dough and fat.
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- Overworked doughs will result in tough chewy pastry.
- Use proper temperatures for baking (400F-415F) to maximize leavening without excessive dehydration.
- When using a filling, be sure outer edges are sealed to prevent leakage
and a product with poor eye appeal.
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