If you like making your own pastry for those delicious homemade tarts and pies, maybe we can tempt you to try making Sourdough Puff Pastry! Buttery and flaky, just like your usual pastry, this recipe contains sourdough starter discard, giving your pastry an extra layer of flavour! Yes, we are talking about that signature sourdough tang! Our Sourdough Puff pastry is great to use in both savoury and sweet dishes.
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Is Sourdough Puff Pastry Difficult To Make?
If you’ve ever made your own puff pastry, you will know that it can take patience, precision and a gentle hand when rolling. Yes, using sourdough adds time to your bakes, in the sense that the dough needs to be left for much longer to ferment and prove. Having said that, sourdough puff pastry also has huge benefits. Not only does it add to the flavour (that signature sourdough tang!), but the long fermentation time makes the dough a lot easier to roll out.
Puff pastry, sourdough or not, does take a bit of practice, but I wouldn’t be discouraged to try making it, even if you are a beginner. Even if it doesn’t turn out perfectly, it is still a buttery delight and will taste great! And once you’ve mastered puff pastry, your opportunities are endless, think croissants, pain au chocolate, palmiers, delicious pie tops… the list goes on.
How to Make Sourdough Puff Pastry?
Day 1: Détrempé
Melt 50g of the butter and set it aside to cool down. In a bowl of your stand mixer (we use and love Kenwood), add the plain white flour, sourdough discard, cold water and melted butter.
With a dough hook attachment, mix it until it forms a ball. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover and pop in the fridge for 8-12 hours, or simply overnight.
Day 2: Lamination
Take the 200g of butter out of the fridge to warm up a bit so it’s a bit more pliable. Place it on baking parchment, and place another sheet of parchment on top. Using a rolling pin, gently roll it out into a 20x20cm (8×8 in) square. Take care not to break the butter, leave it to soften further if it’s too brittle to roll. When rolled, wrap it in the parchment and place it in the fridge for a short while to firm up.
Take the dough out of the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Trying not to knock all the air out of the dough stretch and roll it out into approx. 25x25cm (10x10in) square.
Take the butter out of the fridge, unwrap it and place it in the middle of the dough square. Stretching one side at a time, fold the edges into the middle creating a square envelope (see photos below). Stretch and fold all four sides into the middle, and pinch the edges together. You should now have a 20x20cm butter parcel.
Flour the top and using a rolling pin, very gently start rolling it out into a 20x60cm (8x24in) sheet. Be careful and gentle with the dough, making sure your rolling pin doesn’t stick and expose the butter.
Move the pastry sheet so that the long edge is facing you. From the short edge, hold ⅓ of the sheet into the middle, then take the opposite short edge and fold it over the first one (like a letter or a pamphlet). If your butter is very soft and the dough is hard to handle, wrap it in baking parchment and pop it in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes. If your kitchen is cold and you’ve worked fast, you can continue with the next step.
Turn the dough so that the long open edge is closest to you. Roll the dough out into a 20x60cm (8x24in) sheet again. Fold the dough like a letter or a pamphlet (just like before). Repeat this process two more times. Folded like a letter, wrap the pastry in baking parchment and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before rolling out and baking.
How To Store Sourdough Puff Pastry?
Wrap the pastry in clingfilm or baking parchment and store it in the fridge for at least 2 hours before using it in recipes. Or you may choose to refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 4 months. Simply thaw it before using it and roll it out
Recipes With Puff Pastry
If you’re looking for ideas on how to use your sourdough puff pastry, we have you covered. Here are some of our favourite sweet and savoury recipes for you to try.
Sweet
Galette Des Rois with a British Christmas Twist
Salted Caramel Banana Tarte Tatin with Pecans
Savoury
- Courgette & Whipped Feta Tart on Puff Pastry Base
- Torta Pasqualina: Italian Spinach Pie for Easter
- Mushroom Tart with Crispy Baked Leeks
- Easy Vegetarian Wellington (No Mushrooms)
For other sourdough recipes, have a look at our Sourdough section.
Recipe Card
Sourdough Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 250 g plain white flour
- 90 g sourdough discard
- 50 g butter
- 120 ml cold water
For Laminating:
- 200 g butter salted
Instructions
Day 1:
- Melt 50g of the butter and set it aside to cool down. In a bowl of your stand mixer, add the plain white flour, sourdough discard, cold water and melted butter.
- With a dough hook attachment, mix it until it forms a ball. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover and pop in the fridge for 8-12 hours, or simply overnight.
Day 2:
- Take 200g of butter out of the fridge to warm up a bit so it's a bit more pliable. Place it on baking parchment, place another sheet of parchment on top. Using a rolling pin, gently roll it out into a 20x20cm (8×8 in) square. Take care not to break the butter, leave it to soften further if it's too brittle to roll. When rolled, wrap it in the parchment and place it in the fridge for a short while (approx 10 minutes) to firm up.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Trying not to knock all the air out of the dough stretch and roll it out into approx. 25x25cm (10x10in) square.
- Take the butter out of the fridge, unwrap it and place it in the middle of the dough square. Stretching one side at a time, fold the edges into the middle creating a square envelope (see photos above). Stretch and fold all four sides into the middle and pinch the edges together. You should now have a 20x20cm butter parcel.
- Flour the top and using a rolling pin, very gently start rolling it out into a 20x60cm (8x24in) sheet. Be careful and gentle with the dough, making sure your rolling pin doesn't stick and expose the butter.
- Move the pastry sheet so that the long edge is facing you. From the short edge, fold ⅓ of the sheet into the middle, then take the opposite short edge and fold it over the first one (like a letter or a pamphlet). If your butter is very soft and the dough is hard to handle, wrap it in baking parchment and pop in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes. If your kitchen is cold and you've worked fast, you can continue with the next step.
- Turn the dough so that the long open edge is closest to you. Roll the dough out into a 20x60cm (8x24in) sheet again. Fold the dough like a letter or a pamphlet (just like before). Repeat this process two more times. Folded like a letter, wrap the pastry in baking parchment and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before rolling out and baking. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 4 months.
Sylvia Gomez
Can’t wait to try this tomorrow