Devonne Brown

I am tempted to begin making my rough puff pastry for Christmas. It’s fully delicious and cheap to make. Yet it is  the most labor intensive of all the Christmas delicacies I create, It’s worth every moment it takes for its creation. Butter and flour, rolled, folded, refrigerated and repeated at least five times, it rises. Its lamination is as impressive as any puff pastry bought in any grocery store and and tastier too. Did I  mention it costs loose change to make or less the loose change.

Bits of dough separated by frozen butter, that explodes in the oven when it bakes makes the layers of the pastry. Crumbs go everywhere when you eat it.

I’m serious about this stuff. I may not make it often, but I want it to be right when I do.I actually bought a food processor specifically to grate frozen butter to make rough puff pastry. It grates a pound of butter before you can say “Irish Wristwatch three times.” I put all of its components, as well as the bowls, utensils, and especially the ingredients into the freezer for an hour until its time to rock and roll.

It’s magic. It turns the plainest of food into elegance. Plain breakfast sausage becomes a delicacy, roll it up, make a few cuts on the top. Whatever you make becomes a shiny delight with a light egg wash on top. Bake fruit, bake meat with vegetables in its simple fold, sealed and crimped edges. A single square topping the humble onion, or cheeses and spice is a holy eating experience.  Don’t even get me started on marzipan.

Since pastry needs to stay cold, why not make it? I can freeze it until someone shows up.

It’s made only with flour, a pinch of salt, frozen butter, ice water, and a touch of vinegar. The vinegar is the secret ingredient. I have no idea why it’s important, but I dare not leave it out. 

Start it as if you are making a pie crust with butter, then add more butter on two thirds of two cups of the butter you began with on a rolled out sheet of dough. Fold it over two thirds of naked dough then fold the rest in thirds. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it. Clean up the mess you’ve made on the counter top, or not, let it rest for half an hour in the fridge, then take it out, roll it to another rectangle, and fold it again. Let it rest for half an hour, put it back in the fridge again. I do this five times for good luck. Odd numbers make me happy. I have heard that three folds are sufficient, but what’s the fun in that? I’ll make three or four batches for sausage rolls, meat pies, beef Wellington, and a lattice pie crust. You haven’t seen beauty until you’ve seen a lattice pie crust with this pastry. You’ve not tasted beauty either. 

 Cut the pastry in strips and sprinkle sugar of any color, kind, or mixture over its top; watch it rise in glory all alone on a parchment covered baking sheet with the lightest layers, crispy, and golden. Impress more than your friends and family, be proud of your accomplishment. I learned its secrets during the pandemic from the Great British Baking Show. I may never get a Hollywood Handshake for it, but I am indeed proud.

I’m tempted to make the pastry now to spare the kitchen the white of flour in every nook and cranny when company comes.

At least I know what to get at the store.