"inverse puff pastry", or "Pâte feuilletée inversée": Sounds scary to make but worth give it a try!

I heard about this kind of puff pastry a long long time ago, and I always wonder, how can someone make pâte feuilletée with the butter on the outside, I believed that it should be hard to make.

So I let my fear conquered me for a long time, or I just didn’t believe in myself. Until lately I think I grown up (^^ spiritual way, not physical, haha), I start to give everything a try, because if you never make it, how can you know that you can do it or not. And even I can’t make it the first time I still have many, many time more to try it again.

Anyway, the other reason for me is a new book ………….., that just published last year. I had to wait for 3 months before I get the book and the day then, I saw many comments in the amazon fr., most of them made my heart sink. But I know that each person have their own expectation, for me, I love his creations, the way he mixes some flavor and fragrance together, and I personally like him ^^. I just turn each pages and in the last chapter, I saw this “Pâte feuilletée inversée”, the inverse puff pastry that becomes one of his icon (even he always say that it’s not his invention, I read about it in ………………… , but he made it famous. So, I decided to try it, the “Pâte feuilletée inversée”, that I’m afraid.

The first time is “GREAT”, ^^ I’m make the pastry and turned the pastry into many thing, Apple jalousie, butterfly cookies, and sausage roll. Even I made a mistake by making more turn than the recipe suggests -*- . You have to know me, I forgot how many turn I already made so the first batch had 3 double turn and 1 single turn, I really love the result but I had to make it again to be sure about the recipe, hehe.

This time I make only 2 double and 1 single turn as the book tell me to do but if you ask me, I love the first one more. So it’s my suggestion, if you have time just try it both way, and use the one that you like, I think the less turn pastry (2double 1single) can be used in my kinds of dessert, but if you want more lift, just make 1 more turn (single or double it’s up to you).

The puff pastry is flakier, and very rich (in a good way), it’s a bit crumbly and has more melt in the mouth feeling, I think I love it more and more. I know that some people will say that because I make a lot of it so I think it’s easy but I found this method is a lot easier than the one with the butter inside. You can roll it without fear, the butter won’t leak because it’s already on the outside!!!! The only problem is the first turn, just keep the dough cool and dust the work surface with flour (and don’t forget to brush it out of the dough after turning), and you will be fine ^^.

PS. Today I give you the basic recipe for “inverse” puff pastry, or “pâte feuilletée and I will show you the recipe that you will use it on my next post.

Pierre Hermé’s “inverse puff pastry”, or “Pâte feuilletée inversée”

Make 1.2kg of puff pastry

La première étape (butter block)

375g …………………………. Unsalted butter

75g …………………………… Pastry flour*

75g …………………………… Bread flour*

(*you can use 150g of all purpose flour)

Détrempe

175g …………………………. Pastry flour *

175g …………………………. Bread flour*

15g …………………………… Salt

110g …………………………. Unsalted butter, melted and cool

150g …………………………. Water

½ tsp ……………………….. White vinegar

………………………………….. Flour for dusting the work surface

(*you can use 350g of all purpose flour)

Preparing the butter block:

Mix the flours and the butter until the dough forms a smooth dough, and put the dough into a plastic bag (use the one that about 20cm), and roll with the rolling pin to make it smooth.

Refrigerate for 1½ hours

Preparing the Détrempe:

Mix all the ingredients.

When the dough is homogenous, flatten it in a square wrap in plastic warp and refrigerate for 1½ hours

Take both of the dough out of the fridge.

Cut the butter bag and place it on the floured work surface, roll to the size that’s large enough to cover the détrempe. Place the détrempe in the center and fold the arcs of the butter disk over the détrempe, sealing it fully. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Start flattening this square by banging all over its surface with your fist or rolling pin (this way, the dough will be soft and easier to roll). Then, use the rolling pin and starting from the center, roll genly towards the borders to form a rectangle three times as long as it is wide.

Give it a double turn, Fold the bottom and top short ends of your dough towards the center of the rectangle. Fold the top half over onto the bottom half so you have 4 layers of dough in a thick square, the press down gently and wrap in film. Wrap in plastic warp and refrigerate for 1 hour.