PIES AND TACOS
Homemade puff pastry is worth the effort when you want the best flavor or to practice your skills, but store-bought is a smart shortcut—and it delivers excellent results for everyday baking.
Mix flour and salt, then cut in cold butter until shaggy with visible chunks. Add ice water just until it comes together. Shape into a rectangle, then roll and fold like a letter several times, chilling between turns for flaky layers.
Tips: thaw carefully, keep it cold, use cold water, go easy on the flour, egg wash matters, chill before baking.
Storing & freezing: Baked puff pastry keeps 1–2 days at room temp or up to a month in the freezer. You can also freeze unbaked shapes and bake them straight from frozen.
Essential Tools & Ingredients: A baking sheet lined with parchment, a sharp knife or pizza cutter for clean cuts, a pastry brush for egg wash, plastic wrap to cover the pastry while it’s chilling in the fridge to maintain moisture.
Puff pastry is an absolute dream for desserts. With its buttery, flaky layers, it transforms even the simplest recipes into something that looks like it came straight from a bakery case.
Savory puff pastry recipes are always the first to vanish at a party. There’s just something irresistible about those buttery, golden layers wrapped around a gooey cheese filling, roasted vegetables, or a flavorful spread.
Puff pastry is one of those ingredients that feels a little bit magical. With just one sheet of dough, you can create desserts that look bakery-worthy or appetizers that vanish in minutes.