ISO tips and tricks for using frozen, store bought, puff pastry

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

taxlady

Chef Extraordinaire
Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
Messages
32,392
Location
near Montreal, Quebec
I finally found some frozen puff pastry with decent ingredients. This one is all butter . It's not cheap, so I don't want to mess it up. I have never used puff pastry before. The instructions are to defrost it in the refrigerator for 4-6 (or was it 6-8?) hours and then unfold it. It can be stored for a total of 24 hours in the fridge after taking it out of the freezer.

So, for those of you who have used frozen puff pastry, any tips or tricks? How about any gotchas?
 
I use it often, but how I use it depends on what I'm making. Once you fold it there are crease lines where it was folded. You can roll it out some, and the creases will melt away.

Remember that it is a laminated dough, many layers. Sometimes when I am making something special, I don't unfold it. I just roll the folded dough out to the size I want, thereby creating even more layers.

There are no gotchas. It's really easy to work with.
 
I use it often, but how I use it depends on what I'm making. Once you fold it there are crease lines where it was folded. You can roll it out some, and the creases will melt away.

Remember that it is a laminated dough, many layers. Sometimes when I am making something special, I don't unfold it. I just roll the folded dough out to the size I want, thereby creating even more layers.

There are no gotchas. It's really easy to work with.
Oh, that makes sense. I was all in a dither about getting the timing right with unfolding the dough. But, if I don't get it done in time, I can just roll it out still folded. Phew!
 
uhmmm . . . . too cold and it will crack - unfolding or rolling....
too warm and it sticks to everything and tears easily....

I thaw overnight in the fridge.
fortunately the 'best working range' is fairly wide - and you can pop it back in the fridge if it gets too warm.
 
uhmmm . . . . too cold and it will crack - unfolding or rolling....
too warm and it sticks to everything and tears easily....

I thaw overnight in the fridge.
fortunately the 'best working range' is fairly wide - and you can pop it back in the fridge if it gets too warm.
Thank you for the explanation. That the "best working range" is fairly wide is good to know. I am not likely to risk defrosting it overnight. I don't know how many spoons I have until I have been awake for a few hours. I would rather defrost in the morning on a day where I have enough spoons.
 
thawing in the fridge - in my experience - works for overnight to three days....
I try (sigh) to plan ahead with a weekly menu plan - if I could only remember to look at it 'before the moment' . . .

the menu plan "form" has a column for "Shopping Needs" - I've taken to writing the 'thaw xxx' or 'soak beans for xxx' in the notes column in day(s) in advance it needs to happen.
helps. still have to read&sink-in tho . . .
 
thawing in the fridge - in my experience - works for overnight to three days....
I try (sigh) to plan ahead with a weekly menu plan - if I could only remember to look at it 'before the moment' . . .

the menu plan "form" has a column for "Shopping Needs" - I've taken to writing the 'thaw xxx' or 'soak beans for xxx' in the notes column in day(s) in advance it needs to happen.
helps. still have to read&sink-in tho . . .
absolutely ditto... but I even forget to look at my shopping list while at the store, only to get home and realize I forgot the....
 
Oh, that makes sense. I was all in a dither about getting the timing right with unfolding the dough. But, if I don't get it done in time, I can just roll it out still folded. Phew!
Not sure what you mean. It has to be unfolded to use it.
Thank you for the explanation. That the "best working range" is fairly wide is good to know. I am not likely to risk defrosting it overnight. I don't know how many spoons I have until I have been awake for a few hours. I would rather defrost in the morning on a day where I have enough spoons.
Its very forgiving. Like said above just pop it back into the fridge if it starts getting to warm.
Since its so user friendly it only takes a matter of a few minutes from unfolding, assembling and baking.
We use Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry exclusively. To easy. And quite good.
 
Not sure what you mean. It has to be unfolded to use it.

Its very forgiving. Like said above just pop it back into the fridge if it starts getting to warm.
Since its so user friendly it only takes a matter of a few minutes from unfolding, assembling and baking.
We use Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry exclusively. To easy. And quite good.
The instructions on the package say that it is best to unfold it as soon as it is ready to work with, after taking it out of the freezer and setting it to thaw in the fridge and that it can be put back in the fridge after unfolding it. Maybe it starts to stick to itself. Anyways, Silversage pointed out that it is a many layered, laminated dough and if you don't unfold it before you roll it out, you just get more layers.
 
I got around to trying out this puff pastry. There were two pieces. I thawed out one. I think it would have been ready to use after about three hours. I waited the six hours. It unfolded to a 25 cm x 25 cm square (~10"x10"). It was already rolled out. I just had to unfold it and put it on the foil on the baking sheet. I kept it very simple. I made an apple galette. Oh. my. goodness. That worked a treat and the pastry was wonderful. I'm eager to try this so many other ways.

 
When puff pastry is shaped, there must be leftover pieces. Can bigger scraps be patched together to make bigger pieces? How does one do that? Are there other suggestions of ways to use the scraps?
 
I got around to trying out this puff pastry. There were two pieces. I thawed out one. I think it would have been ready to use after about three hours. I waited the six hours. It unfolded to a 25 cm x 25 cm square (~10"x10"). It was already rolled out. I just had to unfold it and put it on the foil on the baking sheet. I kept it very simple. I made an apple galette. Oh. my. goodness. That worked a treat and the pastry was wonderful. I'm eager to try this so many other ways.

For the money its tops on my list. And its not cheap. Making it is not that easy and requires several steps.
If I'm in the mood I have made it myself. The frozen is way more consistent.
I am trying to bake more so I will for sure work on puff pastry. I have only made it a few times.
 
When puff pastry is shaped, there must be leftover pieces. Can bigger scraps be patched together to make bigger pieces? How does one do that? Are there other suggestions of ways to use the scraps?
Twist them together into sticks, sprinkle with salt or grated cheese, bake, devour.
 
Can you smush small pieces of leftover puff pastry to make bigger pieces? How would you do that? I don't imagine it would be like with pie dough, where you ball it up and roll it out again.
 
Why don't you try it taxy and let us know how it goes. After all, you got your initial use from the dough, what have you got to lose?
So if our other ideas don't seem to suit you, you should really go for it. ;)
 
if you let the scraps warm, then mush them together, you can re-roll into a sheet.
but, they're not 'the same' nor as homogeneous as 'original'

which is why I do the cinnamon-sugar cookies....
 
Why don't you try it taxy and let us know how it goes. After all, you got your initial use from the dough, what have you got to lose?
So if our other ideas don't seem to suit you, you should really go for it. ;)
I could lose some potential cinnamon cookies. :pig:
 
Back
Top Bottom