Puff Pastry
Makes 450g/1lb pastry
Ingredients:
450g/1lb/4½ cups strong plain (bread) flour plus extra to dust
a pinch of salt
450g/1lb/2 cups butter, chilled
1 tbsp lemon juice
Method:
1 Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut off 50g/2oz/4 tbsp butter and flatten the remaining large block with a rolling pin to a slab, about 2cm/¾in thick. Set aside.
2 Cut the smaller piece of butter into dice and rub into the flour, using your fingertips.
3 With a round-bladed knife, stir in the lemon juice and 300ml/½ pint/1¼ cups chilled water to make a soft elastic dough.
4 Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and quickly knead until smooth. Cut a cross through half the depth, then open out to form a star.
5 Roll out, keeping the centre four times as thick as the flaps. Put the slab of butter in the centre and fold the flaps over the top. Press down with a rolling pin and roll out to a rectangle, 40 × 20cm/16 × 8in.
6 Fold the bottom third up and the top third down, keeping the edges straight. Wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
7 Put the pastry on a lightly floured surface with the folded edges to the sides. Repeat the rolling, folding, resting and turning sequence five times.
8 Shape as required, then chill again for 30 minutes before baking.
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