All-Butter Puff Pastry

It’s not usual for people to make their own puff pastry, buying is easier. But if you like to be in the kitchen, why don’t you make something you will love (I hope you will like this puff pastry as I do, the all-butter means there won’t be some unpleasant feeling left in your mouth, and the flakiness is very much, I made a sausage roll from this recipe and after refrigerating the roll still crisp and delicious). Many of my friends want this recipe, but I didn’t have a chance to make it until today. Making your own puff pastry is not hard but it takes time. You need about 4 hours to make it, so plan to make it when you don’t have another thing to do. I got this recipe from ........................ (.............. again, if you can buy only one book about pastry making, this is the one, I love it and it’s covered with flour and batter until I decide to copy the page and stick it in the notebook, so the book will be in better condition - you can see it in the photo). There is only key to making good puff pastry, DON’T RUSH. I made a lot of mistakes before but rushing is the worst, because your dough needs time to relax and the butter has to stay cold to prevent leakage, so 30 minutes between each turn is not too long, believe me.

All-Butter Puff Pastry

Yield: 1 kg 250g

Butter Block
510 g	Unsalted butter
	Pinch of salt
10 ml	Lemon juice
130 g	Bread flour
Dough
10 g	Salt
240 ml	Water
55 g	Unsalted butter (cold)
15 ml	Lemon juice
100 g	Cake flour
310 g	Bread flour

TO MAKE THE BUTTER BLOCK

1. Work the cold butter into the proper consistency with the warmth of your hand. Dissolve the salt in the lemon juice. Mix the butter together with the bread flour.

2. Shape into a 15cm square and refrigerate until firm.

Note: The butter block should not be so soft that it is hard to handle; you should be able to transfer the finished block easily from one hand to the other. It should not be so firm that it cracks or breaks if you press on it. Ideally, the dough and the butter block should have the same consistency.

TO MAKE THE DOUGH

1. Sift both flours together onto your work surface. Cut the firm butter into chunks, place it on top of the flour, and, using your fingertips, cut it into the flour, pinching it down until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Shape into a mound, make a well in the center, and add the salt, lemon juice, and most of the cold water to the well. Stir to dissolve the salt. Gradually mix the flour and butter into the water, using the fingers of both hands. If necessary, gradually add more water to form a dough that holds together but is fairly sticky and rough looking.

3. Form the dough into a ball, kneading it as little as possible. Flatten the dough a little and cut a cross halfway into the ball. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

TO ASSEMBLE

l. Pull the corners of the cuts out to make the dough square-shaped.

2. Roll the opened dough out to a square slightly thicker in the center than on the sides and slightly larger than the butter block.

3. Place the butter block diagonally within the square so there are 4 triangles around the sides. Fold the dough triangles in so they meet in the center. Pinch the edges together to seal in the butter block.

4. Start by pressing down the dough with the rolling pin before rolling the dough into a rectangle 1.2 cm thick (-this is my method to prevent the leakage of the butter). Do not roll the dough wider than a sheet pan is long.

5. Give the dough the first single turns by folding the bottom third of the rectangle up toward the center, carefully aligning the edges. Brush off any flour. Fold the top third down to make a neat square and brush off any flour.

6. Give the dough another 4 single turns, refrigerating it for approximately 30 minutes between each turn. Be sure the dough is well covered at all times.

7. After the last turn, roll the puff pastry out to approximately ⅛ inch (2 mm) thick. If this is difficult to do, refrigerate the dough for a few minutes to relax the gluten. Place the dough on a sheet pan lined with baking paper, cover, and refrigerate or freeze. Remember that you should not keep puff pastry dough in the refrigerator for more than 5 days.

Poppy Seed Fruitcake

OK, I know “poppy seed” again; this is an adaptation from “Lemon Verbena Scented Fruitcake” from ............. in his original recipe the lemon verbena is the key, but for me this fruit cake is great because there are a lot of poppy seed. I like fruitcake with a load of fruit, but not the one that makes me feel like eating a block of candied fruit and I hate the green and red candied cherry. So this cake is my answer (because I make it myself I can add something or take anything that I don’t like out). I add the candied mango and the apricot and I take all the spice out because my mom doesn’t like them (but I write it down because someone may have a feeling that fruitcake must have some spices). Because no brandy adds, everyone can enjoy it, all year round, and this cake is my nephew’s favorite.

Poppy Seed Fruitcake

Make 2 loaves 25 x 7.5 x 7.5 cm each

Candied mango 55 g

Dried currants 85 g

Light raisins 85 g

Candied orange peel, diced 55 g

Dried apricot, diced 55 g

Dark rum 60 ml

Unsalted butter 340 g

Granulated sugar 340 g

Egg yolks 6

Cake flour 340 g

Baking powder 2 tsp

Salt 1 tsp

Poppy seeds 85 g

Egg whites 6

Ground ginger ½ tsp

Ground nutmeg ½ tsp

Ground doves ½ tsp

Preheat the oven to 190°C.Line the loaf pans with baking paper and set aside.

Place the mango, currants, raisins, candied orange peel, and dried apricot in a bowl. Add the rum and stir to combine. Cover and macerate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Place the butter, half of the sugar (170g), the egg yolks in a bowl. Cream until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, spices (if using), and salt; mix in the poppy seeds. Combine with the fruit mixture, tossing to coat each piece of fruit with the flour mixture (to prevent the fruits to fall into the bottom and make them separate).

Beat the egg whites with the remaining granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir half of the whipped egg whites into the butter mixture. Fold in the fruit mixture, followed by the remaining egg whites.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread out evenly. Bake for 1 hour or until baked through; use a cake tester to check. Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes before take them out of the pans.

(If you like, sift powdered sugar over the top of the loaves before serving, but for me I eat them plain.)