Blitz Puff Pastry

Blitz is German for lightning. This is a fast method of making puff pastry, although it does not give you as many layers as normal puff pastry it still achieves a light and airy and flakey product.

For puff pastry there are a few different methods of rolling it out:
Single Fold: You fold the rectangle in from both ends, making sure to dust off all flour.

Book Fold or Double Fold: You fold the ends in to the center, making sure to dust off all flour, and then fold the sheet in half once again. Forming a booklet shape.

Formula*: yields 2# 8 oz.
8 oz. Bread flour**
8 oz. Pastry flour
16 oz. Butter, chilled
0.25 oz. Salt
8 oz. Water, cold

*This formula is modified from Gisslen, Professional Baking Ed. 5, pg. 325
**You will need extra bread flour for dusting and rolling out pastry


MOP:
Sift both flours into a large mixing bowl, add salt and sugar.
Cut in or break up butter into small bits, about 1" across.
Add water, like you would for the well method for pie dough. Mix until it starts to come together, can turn out on table to knead into a solid form. Wrap in plastic wrap and press dough into a rectangle shape, no thicker then 1/2". Refrigerate, chill until the butter is cold and dough feels solid. At least 15 minutes.

Take pastry out of cooler and turn out on a well floured surface. Roll out to 1/4" thickness. Make sure to move the pastry around so that the butter does not stick to the table or rolling pin, this will break the structure that is forming. Dust off flour from pastry and fold the pastry using the book fold method. Make sure to dust off flour as your folding. Re wrap and refrigerate until butter is cold and dough feels solid. At least 15 minutes.

You will do two more folds to the pastry. Repeat the steps above but each time roll out in the opposite direction from the previous fold. I like to look at where the "spine" of the pastry was when I rolled it out last time, and have the spine facing you when you begin to roll it again. Helps you keep track of which direction you were rolling.

Refrigerate to set. You might need to make one more fold before you use it, depending on the application. For instance, for the Gâteau St. Honoré we used the puff pastry for the cake bottom and only rolled out the pastry 3 times total.