Puff Pastry Dough

Creating homemade puff pastry dough is a rewarding culinary endeavor that can elevate your baking skills to a new level. With layers of flakiness and buttery goodness, this versatile pastry dough can be used in sweet and savory recipes alike.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup ice-cold water
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, for flavor)

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the Butter Block:
Place the cold, cubed butter on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Fold the wrap or paper over the butter, creating a package.
Use a rolling pin to gently flatten and shape the butter into a rectangle that’s about 1/2 inch thick. Place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the dough.
Make the Dough:
In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and salt. If you’d like to add a hint of flavor, you can also mix in a tablespoon of lemon juice at this stage.
Gradually add the ice-cold water to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until the dough starts to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times until it forms a cohesive ball. Be careful not to overwork the dough; you should still see streaks of butter …