Make the dough:
Mix the flour with the salt, then turn out onto your work surface in a
pile. Run your fingers down the center to create a trough. Sprinkle 1
tablespoon of water into the trough. Quickly fluff the dough with your
fingers, keeping your fingers loose and using a scooping motion. Gather
the flour back in to a mound, create a trough, and add another
tablespoon of water. Continue sprinkling and fluffing until the flour
clumps together in large pieces and holds together when pressed.
Chill the dough:
Press the dough into a square and wrap in plastic. It's fine if it
looks a little shaggy and unkempt at this stage. Refrigerate for at
least 30 minutes.
Prepare the butter block:
Cut the butter into a few large pieces and sprinkle with a teaspoon of
flour. Begin pounding the butter with a French rolling pin to soften it,
sprinkling flour on your rolling pin as needed. Pound the butter flat,
then use a pastry scraper to gather it up again. Sprinkle with another
teaspoon of flour, pound flat, and repeat. Add one more teaspoon of
flour, then continue pounding and gathering, pounding and gathering,
until the butter is very pliable and does not break when you fold it
over on itself.
Chill the butter block: Once the butter is pliable, shape it into a 4-inch x 4-inch square, wrap in plastic, and chill 10 minutes (no longer).
Roll out the lean dough: Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out to a roughly 7-inch square.
Wrap the butter in the dough:
Place the square of butter on top of the dough at a 90-degree angle to
the dough. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter so they meet in
the middle. Pinch to seal.
First turn:
Flour the work surface lightly and flip the butter package over so the
seams are down. Roll it out to a rectangle roughly 12 inches long by 6
inches wide. Fold the top third over the bottom third, and the bottom
over the top third, like a letter.
Second turn:
Rotate the folded dough so it looks like a book about to be opened.
Roll it out again into a rectangle 12 inches by 6 inches. Fold it again.
Chill for 30 minutes.
Mark 2 divots in the edge of the dough to remind yourself that you've
done two turns. Wrap the puff dough in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Do two more turns:
Repeat rolling out and folding the dough two more times. The dough
should feel much more smooth and pliable at this point. If you notice
any butter popping up through the dough, pat it with a little flour.
Chill for 30 minutes: Mark 4 divots in the edge of the dough to remind yourself that you've done 4 turns. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Perform two final turns:
Repeat rolling and folding the dough two more times for a total of six
turns. By this point, the dough should feel completely smooth and be
easy to roll out.
Chill for 1 hour or overnight: Wrap in plastic and chill for a final 60 minutes, or overnight.
Roll and cut the dough:
When ready to bake, begin the oven preheating to 425°F. Roll out the
puff pastry dough to between 1/4 and 1/8 inches thick. Use the dough as
is to make a large tart, or cut the dough into whatever shapes you need.
Transfer them to greased tart pans or baking sheets. Fill with your planned filling. If the dough feels very soft and warm at this point, chill for another 30 minutes before baking.
Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F.
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until dry, crisp, and deep golden-brown - about 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool completely:
Baked puff pastry is at its crispiest best the same day it's made, but
will keep quite well in airtight containers for a few days.
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