# torn puff pastry



## wuzzo87 (May 20, 2005)

hey guys,

Today i tried making my own puff pastry. After resting the dough, i placed the butter in the centre of the cross and folded it. Then when i rolled it out, i noticed that the butter actually leaked out from underneath it, and the dough torn at some portions.  
How can this be remedied? 
I kept ignoring it and just dusted some flour over it to stop it from sticking here and there.
When i baked it, it did have layers and tasted alrite, however, it lacked volume, and the centre of it was slightly soaked in butter. Perhaps, i rolled it too thick too. About 5+ mm. 
Was the problem too much butter, or too soft a dough?  

And by the way, how thick or thin should puff pastry usually be rolled into prior baking and how cold/warm should it be?

Thx b4 hand!


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

Sounds like your dough is too warm, and possibly your butter too.

You need to shape the dough in to a rectangle and chill the dough before working with it. Then roll it out, add a layer of butter, seal, and return to chill for 30 - 45 minutes. Then pull it out and do the same thing... repeat, etc.

Are you using a specific recipe?

> How can this be remedied? 
Chill, chill, chill - the dough, the work surface, the bowls, the butter, everything. Everything must be cold.

The end product lacked volume because the butter leaked out instead of being forced to evaporate and create the air pockets that result in the much desired layers.

What was the temp of the room you were in?

Related threads and web pages you may find of interest and answer some of your questions:
http://www.cheftalkcafe.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=14278
http://www.grandcentralbakery.com/re...uffpastry.html
http://bakingbits.com/Recipes/pastry/puffpastry.shtml
http://baking.about.com/library/weekly/aa060998.htm


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## wuzzo87 (May 20, 2005)

I was in a room temperature of 30+ Celcius, due to the place where i live in...a tropical climate. 

Is it possible incorporate more folds in the frozen stored dough, after it's thawed? Will it repair the problem?  

And usually for individual pies, made of puff pastry, wat temperature do u set the oven to? 

thx


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Wuzzo
mudbug gives you the key. Actually don't use times to chill the dough. You retard to bring the dough and butter to the same temp. Lots of times the butter will be colder then the dough and tears happen.
How many and what types of folds are you using?
If you're looking to salvage, you can certainly take a couple of folds. Single folds though. Depending on the flour used it may be a little tougher. This might not repair the butter leaking though.
Puff really needs a kick in the oven at first minimum 218C or so. Once the developing has occured knock it back down to194c
keep us posted
check temps 425 knock to 375 havent worked in c for a long time


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

wozzo.
sorry, didn't see your were making pies, I would just go 190c


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## wuzzo87 (May 20, 2005)

hey thx for the info guys!

This is my first time making it.... 
I guess practice makes perfect, well of course, with the help of knowledge.  
I think i didn't chill it enough....now tht's the prob...lol...esp with the hot weather here...

Btw, just wanted to know something out of the topic...
is it possible to freeze phyllo dough (homemade) ? Will it dry out when thawed and become brittle?


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

_You never answered if you were following a specific recipe_. Panini says you can "repair" the dough to the extent that the butter won't leak. You can, but keep in mind that once the butter "mixes" with the dough due to too warm a temp (which in this case are temperatures cooler than your body temperature), you already have a lesser quality end product as you already experienced with the "center soaked in butter".

Are you only making pies or are you making other things with the dough?

Making puff pastry is ambitious if you don't have much experience with dough and you want it to turn out well. It takes a lot of time, patience, skill, and accuracy.

Yes.

Yes, eventually.


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## wuzzo87 (May 20, 2005)

Opps..sorry! i forgot about the recipe...here's the link
http://www.cuisine-french.com/cgi/md...letee_ill.html

I thought i wanted to make an amount of dough and use half of it for a jalousie and the other half of it for pies in the future.

And to the type of folds tht i used. I fold 1/3 of it to the center, and then the other 1/3 ...is it business letter fold, if i'm not mistaken?


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

make the third fold, a book fold. rolling out flat, sense the sheet in quarters, fold in the sides i/4 and fold those to the middle. I'm pretty sure I mentioned that in repair , the butter will probably still leak, it is not equally between each layer.
Also, try to buy the best butter available.


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

If it's as warm as it sounds in the location you're in... unless you're in a room that is 60-70F degrees I still strongly recommend chilling the dough in the fridge before each roll. If you try to do the entire process at once, then it will be to warm and the butter will not remain separate from the dough and it will likely leak as well.

Here is another recipe with photos you might want to check out:
http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/restaura...es/pastry.html


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## wuzzo87 (May 20, 2005)

Ah i see..
I think i got a better idea of making it already.
Thx guys for the help.

I hope my dough is still edible  , or it would have to end up in the garbage can.... hehehe


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