Sesame Free Classic Puff Pastry
Flaky, buttery, and impossibly layered, this from-scratch puff pastry is one of those kitchen projects that feels like pure magic once you pull it from the oven. The entire recipe relies on just four humble ingredients — flour, salt, butter, and water — which means there is absolutely nothing hidden in the mix to worry about. Store-bought puff pastry can be a minefield for anyone avoiding sesame, since shared production lines and enriched dough blends sometimes introduce unexpected ingredients, but making your own puts you in complete control. The technique here is the classic lamination method: a simple détrempe dough wrapped around a cold butter block, then folded and rolled through six careful turns to build those signature hundreds of layers. It takes patience and a bit of chilling time between folds, but none of the steps are truly difficult — just methodical. Once baked at high heat, the layers separate into shatteringly crisp, golden sheets that smell absolutely incredible. Use it for tarts, turnovers, vol-au-vents, or anything else that deserves a seriously impressive pastry shell.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the détrempe (dough)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup cold water, plus more as needed
For the beurrage (butter block)
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 225 g) unsalted butter, cold
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Instructions
- 1
Make the détrempe: whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour and the salt in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle in the melted butter and toss with a fork. Add the cold water a little at a time, stirring with the fork until the dough just comes together — it should be shaggy and slightly rough, not smooth. Turn it out, press into a flat square, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 2
Make the beurrage: scatter the 2 tbsp flour over a sheet of parchment paper. Place the cold butter sticks side by side on the flour, fold the parchment over to enclose them, and beat firmly with a rolling pin until the butter is pliable and roughly 6 inches (15 cm) square. Fold the parchment edges in to square up the block, then roll lightly to even it out. The butter should be cool and pliable — not soft or greasy. Refrigerate for 10 minutes if it has warmed.
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