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How to Fold French Paste

the hands in water as hot as can be borne, rinse them in cold water, and knead the butter in the bowl until all the salt is drawn from it. This state may be told by its tenacity. When the process is begun, the butter will crumble, but when free from salt it will cling and mass together. When thus washed, wrap the butter about a piece of ice and leave it in the water until wanted. Now take a flat-bottomed mixing bowl, and into it put two-thirds of the flour, making a well in the center and keeping the sides even and firm. In the well place a piece of butter the size of an egg, add the salt, sugar and egg unbeaten, pour on a little of the ice water and commence to work with the ends of the fingers from the center toward the edges, taking care that the wall of flour is not broken through. Add more water gradually, not using all the quantity stated unless necessary. The amount required depends upon the quality of the flour, the finest flour requiring the least water. The dough thus made is the foundation for the paste. It should be kneaded until smooth and then divided into halves. Roll out each half until both are of the same size and shape. Over one of the sheets of dough sprinkle a little flour. Make the remaining butter into a sausage-like roll, add flour and roll out very thin and as like the sheets of dough in shape as possible, flouring the pastry board and the rolling pin so the butter will not adhere. Place this buttered sheet upon one sheet of dough, lay the other sheet of dough over it and roll from you, lifting the roller, bringing it back and passing it from you again. In this manner roll out as thin as possible without the butter breaking through. In the flouring of board, butter and rolling pin use only the flour that has been weighed. When the sheet becomes thin, fold in the sides until they meet, turn the roll about and roll from you as directed. Fold and roll in this way twice, then place in the ice chest for fifteen minutes. Take it from the chest, roll out thin, fold as before, roll out and place in the ice chest to remain for fifteen minutes. Repeat this rolling-out-and-cooling-off process four times. If not needed for immediate use, it may be covered with a towel and left in the ice box from twelve to twenty-four hours, when it will be found even lighter and more flaky than when but freshly made.

Puff paste may be made without stopping to let it cool off, but it is lighter and rises better when the above directions are followed. It should not, however, be placed in direct contact with the ice. The layers in puff paste are made by the folding and rolling, incorporating air which, expanding with the heat, makes the paste rise. A noted French chef folds his paste differently. The sheet of dough is made rectangular and then folded in three folds or layers instead of two.

TO BAKE PUFF PASTE-A most important factor in the making of puff paste is having the oven at exactly the proper temperature, for even if the very best materials have been selected and have been mixed exactly as directed, the paste will be a failure if placed in an oven that is not rightly heated. The paste should be ice cold when put into the oven, which should be very hot (at least as high as 460° Fahrenheit, if a thermometer is used). For patties the oven should have a strong underheat, allowing them to rise to their full height before browning. If the oven should be too hot, so that the paste begins to brown as soon as put in, immediately reduce the temperature by opening the draughts of the stove, and placing in the oven a small basin of ice water.