What’s the difference between classic puff pastry, rough puff, and piecrust?
Piecrust is made by combining pieces of butter (or other fat) with flour, which forms smaller pieces as it blends with the flour. The texture of the dough is soft, crumbly, and full of tiny pockets of fat, resulting in a flavorful, thick, sturdy crust. Classic puff pastry is a laminated dough, which means it’s made by taking a large block of solid butter and wrapping it with pastry dough, resulting in a fluffier, crispier pastry than pie dough. Rough puff is made of the same ingredients as classic puff pastry but with large pieces of butter laminated into the dough instead of entire slabs of butter. You won’t have quite the same height as a classic puff pastry, but the result is still buttery, flaky, and heavenly!
ROUGH PUFF PASTRY DOUGH
Makes 12 pastries
If you want the crisp flakiness of puff pastry without all the work, this rough puff is for you!
1⅓ cups (300 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed
2¼ cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (6 grams) kosher salt
½ cup (120 grams) ice water
1. Freeze cold butter until firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cold butter, flour, and salt at low speed just until butter is coated
