Vol-Au-Vent Puff Pastry
- 2 cups unsalted butter cold
- 2 7/8 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/8 cups pastry flour
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups water cold
- 1 egg beaten
- Soften the sticks of butter and join them to form a single block. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Place all the ingredients except for the butter in the food processor to mix.
- Remove from the food processor, knead by hand into a ball and make shallow intersecting incisions on the surface. Cover with a moist rag and refrigerate for 5 minutes.
- After this time, stretch the dough to form a 20-centimeter by 20-centimeter square. Stretch the edges outward to create "flaps." Place the butter block in the middle. Close the flaps over the butter, overlapping one another as if closing a box.
- Using the rolling pin, stretch to a 20-centimeter by 40-centimeter rectangle.
- Fold the dough three times towards the center, then turn over and stretch lengthwise again. Fold three times again.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold again. Do this process twice.
- Refrigerate overnight and repeat this process twice the next day, 8 times in total. Let it rest for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Cut 15- by 15-centimeter squares. Inside each one, cut out another square. Lift 2 of the 4 edges and twist around to create a border. Poke the center of each vol-au-vent with a fork to keep it from rising. Add some of the egg to secure the border in place, then cover the top part of the pastry, being careful not to cover the sides or the layers won't rise.
- Place in the oven. For the first 10 minutes add a heavy flat object (a silpat, for example) on top of the vol-au-vents so they will rise evenly. Remove the silpat and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Let the vol-au-vents cool and add your filling of choice, sweet or savory.
unsalted butter, flour, pastry flour, salt, water cold, egg
Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Vol-au-Vent-Puff-Pastry-627098 (may not work)