Homemade Einkorn Puff Pastry
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Moving. Being pregnant. Have 3 littles 5 and under already. Beginning kitchen renovations. All valid excuses for a pretty terrible menu in my book.
But enough is enough.
We've eaten scrambled eggs for too many nights in a row and this past week, I was determined to up my game. Not to prove I could or to show it off to visiting friends or family....
... but because I love (looooooove) good food. And cooking lifts my spirits and fills my soul!
Oh Lord, restore to me the joy of my kitchen!
Chicken stock. Fresh einkorn bread. Soups. Salads. Stocking up on the good stuff, baby.
Part of this menu involved mushroom and parsley tartlets. Because yum. And part of those tartlets involved homemade einkorn puff pastry. Because double yum.
What's that? You're unfamiliar with einkorn? Well, lucky for you, I'm about to ready to drop some serious einkorn bombs on this blog. For the past few months, I've been baking exclusively with einkorn flour - ordered fresh and directly from Jovial Foods. To say I'm impressed would be an understatement.
I am more than impressed. Because, as previously noted, saying I'm only impressed that would be an understatement. I am in love. Twue wuv.
Einkorn is the only wheat that has never been hybridized. This means it's original, baby. As original as wheat could possibly be. The result is a wheat that has low yields and is difficult to harvest - but is rich in protein, minerals, and flavor. So much dang flavor, man. And to boot, many of those who suffer with gluten sensitivity are even able to digest einkorn without a problem. Because it's that awesome.
See how scientific I am?
But let's get to the point: utilizing einkorn flour to make homemade einkorn puff pastry.
YES, you can buy puff pastry in the grocery store. But that wouldn't be nearly as fun or delicious, now would it? Not to mention the additives snuck in for shelf-life...
So here we are. Homemade Einkorn Puff Pastry. The real deal. The best of wheat. The best butter available. A simple and basic method for creating a rich and flaky pastry dough that's sure to blow your mind.
Homemade Einkorn Puff Pastry
You will need:
- 2 cups all-purpose einkorn flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 20 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add in the water and 4 tablespoons of the butter. Use your fingers to gently work the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you go snuggle the new baby lambs. Or, ahem, focus on the next step.
Lay down a 12" piece of parchment paper. Place the remaining 16 tablespoons of butter on top of the parchment paper and cover with a second piece of parchment. Use a rolling pin to shape the butter into a 5" x 8" rectangle-ish. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill slightly. NOW you can go snuggle the baby lambs.
Now, remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator. Cut a large 'X' in the top of the ball and pull each corner out, like you're opening a gift box! This will help to begin the rectangle shape were aiming for. Lightly flour your work surface and begin to gently roll the dough out into a 10" square-ish, rectangle shape.
Place the flattened butter in the center of the dough and fold in the corners. Roll out gently to combine the butter and the dough into a rectangle. Turn the dough so that a short side of the rectangle is facing you - fold the dough into thirds, like an envelope. Gently roll this into a rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, fold it into thirds again, and gently roll into a 8" x 12" rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Repeat the folding/rolling/chilling routine 5 more times. You know what we're doing here? We're building layers of flaky dough. Each time we fold and roll, we're creating a new layer of buttery awesomeness.
The dough can be held in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month! Bake according to your recipe that is calling for the puff pastry.
I'd show you a picture of the finished product, but I'll be honest here: "finished" photographs aren't really happening these days... because I'm serving approximately 861 mouths at supper time and that's a lot of cups of milk, dainty plates of tartlets, and coaxing to sit still.
And you know what? I even held some of the homemade einkorn puff pastry back so that I could take a picture of the deep, delicious layers in the daylight. I baked it up for breakfast and set some aside so that I could photograph it when the sun came up...
... and then I came into the kitchen to find Stuart wiping buttery crumbs from his beard. Oops.
Can you blame the man? It's buttery, delicious einkorn flour. Coupled with... ya know, more butter. For the win!
And Amen.
Homemade Einkorn Puff Pastry
2 cups all-purpose einkorn flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup filtered water
20 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature, divided)
In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add in the water and 4 tablespoons of the butter. Use your fingers to gently work the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Lay down a 12″ piece of parchment paper. Place the remaining 16 tablespoons of butter on top of the parchment paper and cover with a second piece of parchment. Use a rolling pin to shape the butter into a 5″ x 8″ rectangle-ish. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill slightly.
Now, remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator. Cut a large ‘X’ in the top of the ball and pull each corner out, like you’re opening a gift box! This will help to begin the rectangle shape were aiming for. Lightly flour your work surface and begin to gently roll the dough out into a 10″ square-ish, rectangle shape.
Place the flattened butter in the center of the dough and fold in the corners. Roll out gently to combine the butter and the dough into a rectangle. Turn the dough so that a short side of the rectangle is facing you – fold the dough into thirds, like an envelope. Gently roll this into a rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, fold it into thirds again, and gently roll into a 8″ x 12″ rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Repeat the folding/rolling/chilling routine 5 more times. You know what we’re doing here? We’re building layers of flaky dough. Each time we fold and roll, we’re creating a new layer of buttery awesomeness.
The dough can be held in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month! Bake according to your recipe that is calling for the puff pastry.