Last minute entertaining doesn't have to be stressful, as long as you keep one ingredient stocked in your freezer: puff pastry. Whether homemade or from the store, a sheet of puff pastry can mean breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or cocktail snacks in a matter of minutes. Here's how!
The Dough
You can do a lot with 1 lb of puff pastry, but 2 lb will give you more flexibility if you have the space to store it. Most prepared versions come in boxes that are roughly 1 lb. It is best to store your dough in the freezer and defrost as needed. At room temperature, you can defrost puff pastry relatively quickly, but it should never be microwaved or otherwise thawed using heat, as that will warm the butter layer and impact your finished product.
For most applications, you can roll your dough to about 1/4-inch thick. If you are using a particularly heavy or wet filling, like cooked apples, roll your dough slightly thicker to help prevent breakage or leaks. Store-bought puff pastry can be rolled thinner, as needed. Always flour your surface and rolling pin before rolling.
Puff pastry is best used and baked when chilled, so if your dough feels warm or too soft, ten minutes in the refrigerator can make a big difference.
What to Make
Puff pastry can be trimmed and shaped in endless variations, or used as a whole sheet for a tart crust, free-form galette, or to top a pot pie. For that purpose, use about 1 lb of dough. If trimming, use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough while still cold.
Cut the dough into long strips for items like:
- Cheese twists (see how we make those in this new video: Small Bites: Cheese Twists)
- Pastry-wrapped items, like pigs in a blanket or wrapped asparagus spears. About 1/2-in strips are good for most applications.
Cut the dough into squares or circles of various sizes for items like:
- Turnovers, filled with cooked fruit mixtures, cheeses, or cooked veggies.
- Bite-sized pockets filled with cubes of cheese, caramelized onions, jams, or relishes. These can be shaped freeform or in mini- or regular-sized muffin tins.
- Vol-au-vents (vohl-au-vahnts), which are are traditional French puff pastries with a filling in the center. Use a smaller circle cutter to push into the dough about halfway. With a small hand tool, like a paring knife or offset spatula, remove the circle, leaving a layer to hold your filling.
- Flat cracker-type vessels with cheese and other ingredients.
Leave the puff pastry whole (or cut into a 9-in by 9-in square) for:
- Topping individual or family-style soups, stews, or pies.
- To fill and roll like a jelly roll, to then chill and slice for individual pieces.
- A freeform tart, with sweet or savory toppings, like pears, sliced mushrooms, or thinly sliced onion. Leave the sides flat, or fold over to create a crust.
Fillings
You can pair puff pastry with virtually anything you can imagine, which is what makes it so handy for last-minute bites. You can utilize odds and ends from the refrigerator or frozen leftovers you may have frozen. This is one great reason to keep those unfinished bits of soups and stews, roasted vegetables, caramelized onions, and shredded cheese.
Lower moisture ingredients are best, so pre-cooking high moisture ingredients may be helpful to avoid soggy pastries. Pre-cook items like spinach, mushrooms, and fruits, either on the stove-top, roasted in the oven, or grilled.
Some ingredients or fillings are well-suited to be cooked in or on the puff pastry, like jams, custards, sausages, cured meats, and cheeses for turnovers, tarts, or vol-au-vents. If you are using a prepared filling, like stewed mushrooms or grilled veggies, or dairy products like mascarpone, whipped cream, and crème fraîche, you can cook the puff pastry first and add the topping to the cooled pastry.
Some easy fillings that you may already have on hand include:
- Soft scrambled eggs and crumbled bacon, added after baking.
- Cream cheese and chilled smoked salmon, added after baking.
- Brie and strawberry jam, baked inside or on top of the pastry.
- Prepared chicken, tuna, or egg salad, added after baking.
- Parmesan cheese and herbs, baked inside or on top of the pastry.
- Fruit or custard pie fillings (like pumpkin or pecan), which can be baked inside the pastry.
- Leftover mashed potatoes with cheese and chives, baked inside or on top of the pastry.
- Hearty soups, like minestrone, clam chowder, or Italian wedding soup, strained to remove most broth, baked inside the pastry.
Baking
Before baking, you may choose to brush your pastries with egg wash, for a shiny, golden brown crust. This step is optional and will not impact the flavor or quality of your finished item. Filled items, like turnovers or pot pies, benefit from venting to prevent breaks or leakage in the crust. Simply use a sharp paring knife to cut a few small openings in the crust for steam to escape. If egg washing, cut your vents after you apply the egg wash.
For flat pastries, like tart shells (without fillings) or flat cracker-like items, use a fork to dock the dough. This will help it to rise evenly without so much puff that you lose space for toppings.
Puff pastry cooks best quickly and at high temperatures, so set your oven to 400°F to 425°F, depending on the shape and filling. Smaller items without fillings can be cooked at higher temperatures, while filled pastries will benefit from the slightly lower and slower temperature. If using a convection oven or countertop air-fryer, reduce the temperature by 25°F.
If you aren't in a hurry, you can shape and fill your pastries a day or two ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate until needed. Bake right from the refrigerator.
Finishing
Some items can be served right from the oven, while others may benefit from cooling before serving. Fruit-filled pastries like turnovers are typically served at room temperature, but hot fillings should be warm if not very hot.
Items topped with fresh fruit are sometimes brushed with warm apricot jam to keep the fruit from oxidizing and to add sheen.
