Puff Paste, French. — Take the same
quantity of butter as of flour, so that if you use
two poimds of the one you must also use two
pounds of the other ; and so on. Weigh two
pounds of very dry flour, and sift it ; then lay
it on the table, and make a very large hole in
the middle ; throw in a little pinch of sa.lt,
a few small pieces of butter, and three yolks of
eggs ; use a little cold water to melt the s Jit ;
take water enough to make the paste of the
same consistency as the butter. In winter you
must make the paste very firm, because then
the butter is so; in summer you must make
the paste very soft, on accoimt of the butter
being the same. The reason you are obliged
to do so is, that if the paste were not made of
the same substance as the butter, the latter,
when you turn the paste, would break through.
AVlien you have worked the flour Lightly, moiild
it into a large ball, which flatten as quickly as
possible ; turn it into a spiral direction, and
flatten the middle. Lay butter on the table,
with a little water, handle it to extract the
white liquid, and squeeze it in a clean towel,
that no moisture may remain. Lay the ball of
butter over the paste, flatten the butter with a
cloth, then fold the paste over the butter all
jound, but in a square form, so as to wrap it
well all over. Tiy whether the paste is firm
enough to prevent the butter from breaking
through it. Now powder a little flour over the
table aiid the paste. Roll the paste as smooth
as possible with the rolling-pin as long as you
can ; fold it in three, and roll it over once
again, taking care always to powder it over
with a very little flour, to prevent it sticking to
the table or to the rolling-pin. After ha\ing
spread it well, fold it again in three. Make
two marks on the top with the rolling-pin, to
remember that it has been rolled twice. Then
put it into a plafond trimmed with a little
flour : place it on the ground to keep it cool,
and leave it there for a little while. Shortly
after put the paste on the dresser, and proceed
twice more as before ; then let it rest again,
and give it two turnings more, which makes six
in all. Now give it a long shape, and fold it
in two. You may then use it to make a vol-
an-vent : when, at the latter end, fold the paste
double only, and that is what is called half a
turning. Of coui'se you are aware that the paste
must have had six turnings and a half before
you can make a vol-au-vent, and that you must
keep the paste thicker than for other small
articles of pastry. Cut the vol-au-vent the size
of the dish in which it is to be sent up, and
immediately after put it iato a plafond ; brush
it over with yolks of egg, open it all round with
the j)oint of the knife, and put it in a very hot
oven. ISIind that puff paste always requires the
oven to be very hot. If you are not careful to
keep the oven shut the vol-au-vent will not rise
properly. TVTien it is weU baked a fine colour,
and you are certain that it is done through, take
it out of the oven, remove the middle which
served as a cover, empty and throw away the
paste of the middle which is not baked, and
lay the vol-au-vent cleanly on some paper to
extract the butter. When you are ready to
serve up, dish the vol-au-vent, and fill it Avith
whatever you think proper.
Page 1397
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
Puff Paste, French. — Take the same
quantity of butter as of flour, so that if you use
two poimds of the one you must also use two
pounds of the other ; and so on. Weigh two
pounds of very dry flour, and sift it ; then lay
it on the table, and make a very large hole in
the middle ; throw in a little pinch of sa.lt,
a few small pieces of butter, and three yolks of
eggs ; use a little cold water to melt the s Jit ;
take water enough to make the paste of the
same consistency as the butter. In winter you
must make the paste very firm, because then
the butter is so; in summer you must make
the paste very soft, on accoimt of the butter
being the same. The reason you are obliged
to do so is, that if the paste were not made of
the same substance as the butter, the latter,
when you turn the paste, would break through.
AVlien you have worked the flour Lightly, moiild
it into a large ball, which flatten as quickly as
possible ; turn it into a spiral direction, and
flatten the middle. Lay butter on the table,
with a little water, handle it to extract the
white liquid, and squeeze it in a clean towel,
that no moisture may remain. Lay the ball of
butter over the paste, flatten the butter with a
cloth, then fold the paste over the butter all
jound, but in a square form, so as to wrap it
well all over. Tiy whether the paste is firm
enough to prevent the butter from breaking
through it. Now powder a little flour over the
table aiid the paste. Roll the paste as smooth
as possible with the rolling-pin as long as you
can ; fold it in three, and roll it over once
again, taking care always to powder it over
with a very little flour, to prevent it sticking to
the table or to the rolling-pin. After ha\ing
spread it well, fold it again in three. Make
two marks on the top with the rolling-pin, to
remember that it has been rolled twice. Then
put it into a plafond trimmed with a little
flour : place it on the ground to keep it cool,
and leave it there for a little while. Shortly
after put the paste on the dresser, and proceed
twice more as before ; then let it rest again,
and give it two turnings more, which makes six
in all. Now give it a long shape, and fold it
in two. You may then use it to make a vol-
an-vent : when, at the latter end, fold the paste
double only, and that is what is called half a
turning. Of coui'se you are aware that the paste
must have had six turnings and a half before
you can make a vol-au-vent, and that you must
keep the paste thicker than for other small
articles of pastry. Cut the vol-au-vent the size
of the dish in which it is to be sent up, and
immediately after put it iato a plafond ; brush
it over with yolks of egg, open it all round with
the j)oint of the knife, and put it in a very hot
oven. ISIind that puff paste always requires the
oven to be very hot. If you are not careful to
keep the oven shut the vol-au-vent will not rise
properly. TVTien it is weU baked a fine colour,
and you are certain that it is done through, take
it out of the oven, remove the middle which
served as a cover, empty and throw away the
paste of the middle which is not baked, and
lay the vol-au-vent cleanly on some paper to
extract the butter. When you are ready to
serve up, dish the vol-au-vent, and fill it Avith
whatever you think proper.