Made of flour, milk, water or beaten egg and some butter, the art of pastry making has been around for centuries. There are many types of pastries and each has its own beauty.

To me the one pastry that drags me into any pastry shop is the irresistible Napoleon, also known as mille-feuilles in France. This delicate pastry is made of layers of puff pastry filled with pastry cream, iced with fondant and chocolate.

Now there are some pastries that we make at home and some that we do not. The shortcrust is one pastry that is easy to make at home but the ‘Napoleon’ is not! One just wants to go, buy it and eat it ? simple. However, one pastry that is simple to make and looks good is the great puff pastry. You don’t have to follow the traditional puff ? that takes too long. There is a shortcut you can take! This pastry can be used to make mille-feuilles and cheese straws as well as crusts and hot pies.

You begin with a basic dough, which is rolled out and wrapped around a slab of butter. The dough is then repeatedly rolled, folded and turned. The main aim is to make sure that the butter is evenly distributed so that when the pastry is in the oven, the moisture in the butter creates steam, thereby causing the dough to puff and separate into many layers. The result is light, crisp and delicious.

rough puff pastry

Ingredients: 21/2 cups cold flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 24 tbs cold butter, cut into pieces; 1/2 - 3/4 cup cold water

Method: Sift the flour and salt onto the cold cubes of butter. Using a large knife, cut the butter into the flour. Work until you have a crumbly mixture. Flatten any large chunks of butter with your fingertips. Add the ice-cold water a little at a time to loosely bind the dough. Mix the dough until it just hangs together. Shape the messy, shaggy dough into a rough rectangle and roll it out until it’s 1/2-inch thick. Do not add extra water or overwork the dough; it will eventually hold together. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter. Don’t worry if it folds in pieces. Turn the package of dough 90 degrees, so the folds run vertically. Square off the edges of the dough as you work. Roll the dough into a rectangle that’s 1/2-inch thick, always rolling from open end to open end. Continue rolling, folding, and turning until the dough looks smooth. By four or five “turns”, the dough should hang together well. For even more layers, fold the smooth dough up like a book. To do this, fold the two shorter sides into the centre and then fold the dough like a book. Brush off excess flour as you fold. Wrap the dough and chill it for half an hour before giving it two final turns. At this point, you can then use the dough, though another short rest will make rolling and shaping easier. Use as desired.