Puff Paste and half Puff Paste

This paste is actually not so very difficult to make, only it requires particular attention. Weigh one pound of the very best quality, not too fresh, but well dried flour; one pound of butter, well drained and cooled on the ice, then kneaded in a cloth to make it become flexible. Sift the flour on to the table, arrange it in a circle, and put into this one teaspoonful of salt and a glassful of water. With the right hand mix gradually the liquid with the flour, adding more water when necessary, so as to obtain a smooth, even paste, soft in preference to hard, and of a consistency neither stringy nor ropy; as soon as the dough is made, knead it well for two minutes, detaching all the small particles from the table, but if the paste be well made it should adhere neither to the table nor to the hand; cover it with a cloth and let it rest for twelve minutes. Dredge the table lightly with flour, lay the paste on top, and roll it out square shaped, roll out the butter likewise, lay it in the center of the paste, on top, then bring the four outer edges back on to the butter so as to inclose it well (Fig. 64); take a pastry rolling pin, apply it on the paste, and using the two hands push the paste and butter forward, rolling it out to the thickness of three-sixteenths of an inch or thereabout, keeping it straight on both sides as represented in the following design (Fig. 65). Fold this band into three, press it down with the rolling pin to compress it, the accompanying design will show how to fold it (Fig 66). The paste has now only received one turn; to fold it once more, give it a half turn so as to lengthen it to the same thickness, but in a contrary direction, as thin as before; then fold the paste in three, cover it and let it rest for ten or twelve minutes; the paste will now have received two turns; then give it two turns more, exactly the same as the others, and let it rest each time for ten minutes. Before giving the last two necessary turns to fine puff paste, it must have already had six, if more are given it will be found detrimental to its delicacy.

One special obstacle to be absolutely avoided during the operation is not to let any butter whatever escape from the folds of the paste, which might easily occur if the paste happens to be too soft, if rolled out too thin, if not rolled out regularly in smooth layers, and if it is thicker on one side than the other. In summer it is very difficult to obtain good puff paste without the use of ice or at least without a cold cellar; in any way this inconvenience can be obviated by substituting good beef kidney suet for butter. This fat must first be skinned, then soaked in cold water, well drained, and pounded in a mortar, so as to convert it to a smooth paste, and then made supple by working it with the hands for a few minutes while wrapped in a cloth. If the paste should be made in moist, summer weather it must be laid on a cold baking sheet dredged with flour, and put aside in the ice box.

For Half Puff Paste.—The parings from puff paste make an excellent half paste. If this paste should have to be made, prepare a dough of three-quarters of a pound of butter for one pound of flour, operating exactly the same as for the puff paste, but giving it seven or eight turns instead of six.