Puff Pastry Nutella Twists (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the best results with Puff Pastry? ›

Always cut Puff Pastry straight down, never on an angle, to prevent layers from sticking together and inhibiting the rise. Cut up and down, and don't drag the knife. You can brush an egg-wash glaze (1 egg plus 1 tsp. water) over the Puff Pastry to create a rich, golden sheen when baked.

Classic puff pastry gets six. Continue refrigerating it after each two turns (or more often if necessary) until all six turns are completed. Keep track of how many turns you've made. When all six turns are done, put the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour (preferably 3 or 4 hours).

The trick is to work large pieces of cold butter into dry ingredients and hydrate it all with ice cold water (as if you were making pie crust). Sometimes bakers grate butter into the mix or use a food processor. There's lots of ways to make rough puff pastry.

If bubbles appear on the surface while baking Puff Pastry, prick with a fork to deflate them. Always flip and place the cut side of the Puff Pastry down on the baking sheet.

Egg wash is the most reliable but it can be very thick and sticky. Milk wash will go on more evenly but it can soak into pastry and make it weaker. Melted butter works nicely after the crust has set but it can make the crust greasy and weaker.

Pastry being soggy in the middle is a result of the pastry being undercooked. Don't place the pastry on too high a shelf in the oven. One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling. Also, avoid over-filling your pastry.

Tip #2: Roll it Out

I dust my work surface very lightly with all-purpose flour, then dust my rolling pin. I run the rolling pin very lightly over the puff pastry crease to remove it. Don't over roll the pastry. Just roll over it enough to remove the crease.

About halfway through baking, peek into the oven to see how the pastry is baking. Always bake Puff Pastry Shells in a preheated 425° F oven. Bake Puff Pastry Cups in a preheated 400° F oven for 20 minutes. Do not bake either Shells or Cups in a microwave or toaster oven.

If it goes in the refrigerator allow it to come back up to temperature before you start rolling it again. Continue until you have rolled and folded the pastry at least 5 times but no more than 6. The pastry shouldn't be at all streaky. It is now ready to use.

These holes help steam escape. and interrupt the formation of large bubbles. for a pastry that is still flaky. but much thinner.

Why do you put vinegar in puff pastry? ›

If you had a mass spectrometer at home, you could measure the teensy difference vinegar makes in the tensile strength of gluten strands in the dough, which in theory makes it a bit more tender. But there are two much more important perks to using vinegar: it provides a little insurance against overworking the dough.

Puff pastry does need some gluten development but, because of the amount of rolling out that will happen during lamination, it is very easy to overwork a dough which makes it incredibly hard to use and can cause a lot of shrinkage.

Warm pastry: Your pastry should be cold, cold, cold going into the oven. It's worth reiterating: Cold butter equals flaky layers. If your pastry is warm, the butter can easily leech right out during baking. For best results, work quickly and keep your hands off!

How can I tell when puff pastry is done? Properly baked puff pastry will have a light golden appearance with noticeable rise and flakiness.

If you want to keep the inside from rising as much as the edges, just use a paring knife to score a border. Don't cut the dough all the way though! Use a fork to prick the dough. The pastry will still be light and flaky with the edges puffed up and the center will stay down.

Chill time

A step you should never miss is chilling the dough after you make it (regardless on whether it's elastic or not). It's also a good idea to do it before once you've assembled your pastry creation, before baking. This also sets the butter, and helps the pastry to keep its shape in the oven.

Always preheat your oven for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before baking, because Puff Pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff.

Warm pastry: Your pastry should be cold, cold, cold going into the oven. It's worth reiterating: Cold butter equals flaky layers. If your pastry is warm, the butter can easily leech right out during baking. For best results, work quickly and keep your hands off!