Massa Folhada (Puff pastry)
Puff pastry is the pastry used to make the traditional portuguese egg tarts (Pastel de nata).
It’s not too hard to prepare, but prepare to spend some time to prepare your own! To prepare a decent puff pastry to use for Pastel de Nata, you will need at least 4 hours (do not use any rough puff)
Ingredients
(for 1kg of puff pastry)
• 250 gr bakers margarine or 200gr of butter (unsalted)
• 350 gr all purpose flour (wheat)
• 200 ml cold water
• 7g coarse salt
Instructions:
•Work on a stonecountertop ideally. Mix the salt in the water.
• Place the flour on a circle with a large opening on the middle.
• Add the water to the middle of the circle without breaking the flour “walls”. Mix the flour slowly into the water and keep on blending it until all the flour is blended with the water and you get a compact homogeneous ball shaped dough.
• Using a knife cut a cross shape on the top of the dough and cover with cling film. Leave it to rest for 20 minutes in the fridge.
• If you re using butter, place the butter between two sheets of cling film, cover it completely and using a rolling pin squash it to a “square” form around the same size of the ball shaped dough. Leave it to cool for 20 min in the fridge. If you re using margarine you can do this process, but you won’t need to cool down the mix.
• Flour your counter-top before placing the dough. Take the dough out, using your fingers spread the top part (open by the cut), and then using the rolling pin spread the 4 corners to allow a stretched dough that you can fit the butter in. Place the butter inside, and wrap it like a gift, closing any gaps.
• Flour the top part of the dough, and using the rolling pin, give a few hits on the top to blend the butter with the dough (don’t hit it too hard). After that roll out the square lengthwise making sure the butter is not coming out of the dough. Shape the dough into a long rectangle, to a thickness of about 1cm.
• Give the dough a quarter-turn anti-clockwise. Flatten the corners a bit if necessary. Fold the dough into three parts. Start by folding the right third over, then the left third. Make sure the edges are sealed and regular. This is the first fold. If you re using butter, cover the dough with cling film and take it to the fridge to cool down and set the butter for 30 minutes. If you’re using margarine proceed to the next fold.
• Fold as before, cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 mins before rolling to use. Repeat the process until you reach 4 folds in total. Before each fold, put some flour on top and also have some flour on your counter-top.
• After the fourth fold, stretch the square dough lengthwise to 0,5 cm thick (5o mm). Turn it anti-clockwise, brush excessive flour, and using your fingers spread some water into the top surface. Use your thumb and index roll up the dough. Wrap it with parchment paper and keep it in the fridge for at least 45 min before using it.
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