This is a tutorial post. Laminating dough, which is a very important skill to know if you plan on making lots of fresh pastry.
Make sure when your making your block of butter, it is perfectly square. Pastries all work out when you work to dimensions.
Here is the process.
Cut up the amount of butter required for your recipe into random rectangles lined over an outline of a square.
Use a rolling pin, and smash the butter so it smooths together. Trim the edges until they are perfectly square and defined.
Grab your dough that has been chilling in the fridge. Let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes just to come to room temperature.
Begin rolling your dough out, begin gentle, make sure your dimensions are going to fit your butter block.
Place the butter block on the dough while your rolling it out so you know you are staying in the dimensions width.
Make sure you are rolling your dough out to dimensions that will encase your butter block. You know when your butter is at the perfect consistency to roll in with the dough, when you place your finger imprint into the butter. It is soft enough it retains all your lines and textures of your fingerprint. If it is too warm, there won't be much definition from your fingerprint. If it is too cold it won't retain a fingerprint.
Roll so that the butter block can be encased by all the dough.
Fold the dough overtop the butter block making sure no butter is being exposed.
Seal the sides so no butter block can be visible .
Now a perfect block to begin rolling. Roll gently the first time because you want the butter block to stay encased.
Roll out to about a 1cm thickness.
Begin the laminating process. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter.
Make sure all corners are touching and all the width is the same from the bottom of the dough to the top. Pastry is all about precision.
Keep your edges straight but using your hands to guide the dough.
Wrap in glad wrap and let it chill in the fridge for 10 minutes before repeating this step 4 times
Perfectly laminated pastry. Homemade mmm
