SallysBakingAddiction Rough Puff Pastry

I keep referring to Sally’s Rough Puff Pasty but I made a few changes to reflect my personal quirks and how I use the recipe. Here is my version, which is, of course Sally’s.

Rough Puff Pastry – Sally


INGREDIENTS
• 166 g (1⅓ c) all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring hands, surface, and dough
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 170 g (¾ c or 1½ sticks) unsalted Kerry Gold butter, very cold and cubed
• 6–8 Tbl ice cold water

METHOD

  1. Cut the butter into ~1/4” cubes return to the fridge to chill.
  2. Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the cold and cubed butter on top. Gently toss the flour and butter together with your hands, and then briefly rub the butter into the flour to begin combining. Do not break down the butter too much in this step. This step is only possible if the butter is very cold.
  3. Begin adding the ice cold water 1 Tablespoon at a time until dough forms 1 large shaggy clump with big chunks of butter in your bowl. Use your hands to toss the mixture together after you add each Tablespoon. (Start with 2 Tablespoons of water before tossing together.) As the dough begins to hydrate after about 4 Tablespoons of water, you can start lightly squeezing or clumping the dough together with your hands to help bring it together. Mixture will still be very shaggy. If your dough feels sticky and wet before adding 6 Tablespoons of water, your butter was likely too warm– you can continue with the recipe, but the dough will not be as flaky.
  4. Pour the shaggy clump of dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. There will still be large chunks of butter at this point and that’s a good thing. Begin patting the dough down with lightly floured hands until it’s ¾ – 1” thick, about a 5×8” rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds as if you were folding a business letter. Use your hands to gently flatten and smooth out any cracks in your dough. Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap.
  5. 1st refrigeration: Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
  6. Roll & Fold: Take the dough out of the refrigerator to begin the “rolling and folding” process. If the dough chilled for longer than about 3 hours, it’s likely very stiff so let it rest for about 5 minutes before you begin rolling. Lightly flour a work surface. The dough gets sticky, so make sure you have more flour nearby as you roll and fold. Use your hands to gently flatten the dough into a small square. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 6”×12”x ½” thick. The exact dimensions are not important, but the thickness is. As you roll, it’s best to flip the dough over once or twice to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Lightly flour your work surface as needed. Fold the rectangle into thirds as if it were a business letter. Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise and roll it out into a 6”×12”x ½” thick rectangle again. Then, fold into thirds again. Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise. You’ll repeat rolling and folding 4 more times for a total of 6 times.
  7. 2nd Refrigeration: Wrap up/seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours before using in your recipe. You can also freeze the dough at this point. See freezing instructions.
  8. Use wherever you would use frozen store-bought puff pastry. To bake plain, roll pastry dough into a 10×16” rectangle and cut into desired portions. Fill if desired, and paint with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbl water.)
  9. Bake 400°F until golden brown and puffy, about 25-28 minutes.

NOTES

  1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare as instructed in steps 1-3. At this point the dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours (see step 4). You can also prepare the dough through step 5. At this point the dough can be refrigerated for up to another 24 hours (see step 6).
  2. During or after this second chilling time, you could also freeze the dough for up to 1 month. (I don’t recommend freezing the dough before the rolling and folding step.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in a recipe that calls for 1 lb puff pastry dough (or 1 store-bought package with 2 sheets puff pastry).

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pastry

Our son, Neil was visiting from Seattle for Vivian’s birthday this weekend, which provided an excellent excuse (as if I needed one) tp practice making puff pastry and creating the method of this pastry.

I bought a “professionally prepare” blueberry and cream cheese pastry at Paris Baguette and it was delicious. Today, I made my version of the same pastry and while not professional looking, it was delicious as well.

I have to say that SallysBakingAddiction’s directions to make rough puff pastry are tremendous. This is now my go-to puff pastry. Yes, it takes longer than running to the market an buying some, but it is more satisfying to make it, and most the time is a result of chilling and resting the dough during the process.

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pastry

INGREDIENTS
• One 9”x9” sheet of puff pastry
• 60g ( ¼ c) cream cheese
• 1 Tbl + 1 tsp (divided) sugar
• 60g Blueberries
• 1 egg for egg wash
Clear Glaze
• ¼ c water
• ¼ c sugar
• ~¼ c corn syrup
METHOD

  1. Toss the blueberries with the teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl and set aside,
  2. Mix the cream cheese and the tablespoon of sugar in a small bow and mix to combine into a smooth paste.
  3. On a lightly floured workspace roll puff pastry out into a 9”x9” sheet. If it shrinks back, cover and let it rest a few minutes then continue rolling. Dust the pastry with flour, flipping several times as it’s rolled to ~ 1/16 “ thick
  4. Place a row of blueberries ~1” from one edge of the pastry then spoon a row of cream cheese/sugar mixture ~1” from the blueberries.
  5. Cut 6 parallel slits at an angle ~1” from the cream cheese and a second row of slits, herringbone angled opposite the first row of slits.
  6. Fold the puff pastry over the rows of cream cheese and blueberries such that one row of slits covers the blueberries and the other covers the cream cheese. There should be a 1-2” “flap” of pastry extending beyond the edge near the blueberries.
  7. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is firm enough to manipulate. This is a good time to preheat the over to 400 ⁰F
  8. Remove pastry from the refrigerator and flip over on its top. Egg wash the flap and ends of the pastry and press firmly to seal onto what will be the bottom of the pastry. Press the ends together and trim as desired.
  9. Flip the pastry right side up and egg wash the top and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
  10. Bake at 400⁰ F on a lower oven rack. After 20 minutes it may be necessary to tent the pastry with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning as the bottom, thicker, layer of the pastry bakes.
  11. Mix sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil. Once the sugar is completely dissolved transfer to a heat proof bowl, combine ¼ cup of the mixture with ¼ c of corn syrup and mix well.
  12. Brush mixture onto the pastry and let dry to a shiny, non sticky surface.

Note:
I make SallysBakingAddiction rough puff pastry. It is easy to make and while mostly rest and chilling, time consuming results in a beautiful puff pastry that rivals any commercially available product. (Incidentally, I use Kerry Gold high fat content butter.)

Back Home Day 2 in Dede’s Bakery

While we were away my blackberry bushes flourished. I needed 6 cups to make a blackberry pie, but only harvested 4 cups from the bushes this morning. Luckily, I had 2 cups of fresh frozen raspberries in the freezer, so I compromised my desired blackberry pie into a “berry” pie. It’s all good.

Don’t be afraid or intimidated by the thought of making a delicious, flaky pie crust. John Kanell’s Preppy Kitchen will calm your nerves. Every time I made this pie crust, including the very first time, the result was a perfect crust, and a perfect companion to any pie.

I also had one sheet of puff pastry left over from a bake prior to our Vermont trip and needed to use it up. At my brothers we were fortunate enough to sample some traditional Portuguese palmiers, which are puff pastry coated with granulated sugar, rolled and baked. Once again John Kanell solved my problem with a spare piece of puff pastry.

I need to remember to use the convection oven to achieve a more even bake.

Fresh Fruit Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream – Sally

The June 2025 Sally’s Baking Challenge was the above mentioned tart and it was fantastic. The look and taste were perfect. I am harvesting the blackberries in my garden so added a few, because I could.

Removing the pith from the mandarin oranges was challenging. I ended up dipping them for a few seconds in near boiling water then gently rubbing with a soft brush. Not perfect, but not bad either.

Fresh Fruit Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream – Sally

INGREDIENTS
Crust
• 188g (1 ½ c) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 45g (6 Tbl) confectioners’ sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 113g ( ½ c (8 Tbl) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 8 pieces
• 1 large egg, cold
Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
• 120g ( ½ c) heavy cream, cold
• 60g ( ½ c) confectioners’ sugar, divided, 45g:15g
• ½ tsp fresh lemon zest
• 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste
• 8 ounces (226g) mascarpone, cold
Fruit Topping
• assorted fresh sliced fruit
• 2 Tablespoons orange, peach, or apricot preserves
• 1 Tablespoon water

METHOD

  1. Lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base with nonstick spray.
  2. Make the crust: In a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt and pulse or process on low speed to combine. Add the butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing a few times after each addition. Add the egg and pulse only until the dough comes together in a clump. The dough should be soft. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and press it into a 1-inch-thick disc.
  3. Place the soft dough in the prepared pan and use your hands to press it evenly into the pan and up the sides. It may seem like you don’t have enough dough at first, but keep pressing. Use the bottom of a metal measuring cup to press the edges firmly against the rim of the pan. (Refrigerate for 10 minutes to make the dough firmer and easier to press into the sides of the pan.) Flatten the top edge so it’s even with the rim of the pan, or use a paring knife to trim. Save the scraps to patch up any thin-looking areas. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Cover and freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Remove the crust from the freezer and place the tart pan on a large baking sheet for easy handling.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes (rotation half way through) or until the crust appears set. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
  6. Make the cream filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, 6 Tbsp (45g) confectioners’ sugar, the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds until stiff peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. In a small bowl using a fork, gently mix the mascarpone with the remaining confectioners’ sugar. Don’t over-mix; you only want to smooth out the mascarpone here. Over-mixing will result in a separated mixture.
  7. Transfer the mascarpone mixture to the whipped cream mixture. Fold together with a silicone spatula or beat on low speed until combined. Use right away (next step), or cover and refrigerate the filling for up to 3 days before using.
  8. Spread the filling into the cooled crust. I usually use a small offset spatula for this. Refrigerate until ready to garnish with fruit, or garnish right away.
  9. Top the tart: Garnish the tart with fresh fruit. Use a fork to whisk together the jam and water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Warm for about 15 seconds in the microwave, then brush the glaze on top of the fruit.
  10. Slice and enjoy! Store leftover fruit tart, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Maggies Biscuits

I needed a quick snack this morning and had insufficient heavy cream to make drop berry scone, and remembered Maggies Biscuits. These are delicious, short biscuits that are ready in less than an hour. Paired with jam or butter and they are perfect.

Maggie’s Six Biscuits

(Reproduced here in almost the original vernacular)

INGREDIENTS
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• 1 ½ c AP Flour
• 1 stick Cold Butter
• 3/4 Sour Milk or Buttermilk (I soured whole milk with a bit o’lemon juice)

METHOD

  1. Mix the dry ingredients.
  2. Cut in the butter (fingers or pastry thingie, your choice) til it’s a shaggy mess … remembering that the less it’s messed with the flakier it’ll (like, I have to tell YOU that, 🤣).
  3. Once it’s at the shaggy mess stage begin adding the liquid a bit at a time until it’s a soft dough … keeping in mind then”remembering” bit notes above.
  4. Knead it a tiny bit.
  5. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, pat it into a rectangle about 1/2” high, spread some melted butter on it,
  6. Fold in half, pat it into a rectangle about 1” high
  7. Cut into 1½ “ circles, spread some melted butter on it, place on parchment papered baking sheet, and chill in the freezer as oven pre-heats, ~15 min
  8. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

Sally’s Baking Addiction – May 2025 Challenge

This month’s challenge was to make a Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake or alternatively an Orange Sweet Roll (which was my entry choice.) While cheesecake is fine, no one bakes one better than my son Dan who makes two for every New Years.

My only comment on Sally’s method is I think chilling the rolled dough for an hour before slicing would make the cutting easier and would not deform the shape.

The taste and texture were outstanding (a word I use too frequently, but is typically appropriate.)

Look Ma! (I wish) I Did It Myself!

QC and I rarely have desserts out, but last week it was included in our meal, so what’s a person to do? We had “pizookies” at BJ’s and I instantly thought: “You know, this could be even better if….”

I made my chocolate and raspberry brownie tart free standing, not in a tin. I also add raspberry Jammie bits to the batter, raspberry coulis and whole raspberries because, as you might guess, I like raspberries.

The amount of raspberry stood up to the otherwise overwhelming dominant chocolate. I also made the hot fudge, caramel sauce and coulis.

Chocolate and Raspberry Brownie Tart with Raspberry Coulis, Hot Fudge and Caramel Sauce Drizzles.

Chocolate And Raspberry Brownie Tart

INGREDIENTS
BROWNIES
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup + 2 Tbl dark cocoa
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup + 2 Tbl sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup + 2 Tbl AP flour
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup jammy bits
• 1 ½ Tbl honey or seedless raspberry jam
• ½ Tbl water
CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 20 g (½ Tbl) light corn syrup
• 200 g (1⅓ c) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease eight 4” tart rings and cover the bottom and outside with aluminum foil. (Spray the sides of the tart ring and foil on the bottom cooking spray.)
  2. Crack the 2 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.
  3. Add the sugar and melted butter, stirring until smooth.
  4. Add the flour, chips, and Jammy Bits, again stirring well. The batter will be very thick.
  5. Spoon 90 g of batter to half fill each tart ring and smooth with a small offset spatula
  6. Bake the brownies for 12-16 minutes, checking the temperature after 8 minutes. The brownies are done when a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (200 degrees,) or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look moist, but not uncooked. Do not over bake! Remove them from the oven.
  7. Heat the honey or seedless raspberry jam with 1 Tbl of water and stir until smooth. Brush over the warm brownies. Set aside to cool for an hour or longer before topping with the ganache.
  8. Loosen the brownies from the rings by running a knife around the brownie. Carefully peel the aluminum foil from the brownie and release the brownie from the ring.
  9. To make the ganache, heat the cream and corn syrup until they begin to steam (60 sec in 1000W microwave.) Pour over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, add any flavorings, and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 15 minutes or so.
  10. Spread ganache over the brownies while it’s still warm but has begun to thicken — reheat if it thickens too much as you work. Allow several hours for the ganache to set up fully. You may refrigerate the brownies to hasten the setting of the ganache.
  11. Spread a tablespoon of raspberry sauce on the ganache, top with a scoop of ice cream and drizzle sauce(s) of your choice, i.e. hot fudge, raspberry, caramel or marshmallow. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Hot Fudge

INGREDIENTS

  • ⅔ c heavy cream
  • 144 g (½ c) light corn syrup
  • 70 g (⅓ c) light brown sugar – not packed
  • ¼ c unsweetened natural cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 170 g dark or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbl unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    METHOD
  1. Bring cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, cocoa powder, optional salt, and half the
    chopped chocolate to a boil in a 1½-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat,
    stirring, until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat and cook at a low boil for 5 minutes,
    stirring frequently.
  2. Turn off the heat and add butter, vanilla, remaining chocolate, and stir until smooth.
  3. Cool slightly before serving.
  4. Cooled sauce can be stored in a jar with a lid or in airtight container in the
    refrigerator for many weeks. Reheat sauce before using by placing the desired
    portion in a microwave-safe bowl and heating for about 10 to 15 seconds, or reheat
    on the stovetop

Caramel Sauce
INGREDIENTS
• 112 g (½ c) RT butter
• 106 g (½ c) light brown sugar
• dash salt
• 144g (½ c) light corn syrup
• 7 oz (½ can) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
METHOD

  1. Melt the butter in 1½ quart or larger saucepan.
  2. Add the brown sugar and salt and combine. Stir in the corn syrup, mix well.
  3. Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly. It can take 10-15 minutes to add the milk. Go very slowly!
  4. Cook and stir over medium heat to 220°F for sauce viscosity.
  5. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
  6. Store in sealable container when cool

Seedless Raspberry Coulis

INGREDIENTS
• 480 g fresh washed and dried raspberries
• 200 g (1 c) caster sugar
• 60 g (1/4 c) cold water
• 2 Tbl lemon juice

METHOD

  1. Add all ingredients to a 1 ½ quart saucepan
  2. Cook while stirring and mashing over medium heat until it thickens (~220 F)
  3. Strain the coulis through a fine mesh sieve.
  4. Pour into an airtight container and cool before sealing

Puff Pastry Berry Dessert

Here’s another nice looking dessert. It had the advantage of using puff pastry and I wanted another excuse to make more Sally’s puff pastry. My first attempt went well so I tried it again. (It went well also.)

The dessert also uses berries, and if you know me, that is a deal maker!

The published recipe used too much jam filling for me. It made the pastry too wet which resulted in a messy final product. I cut the berry jam contents in half for future bakes, as noted below.

Baked Puff Pastry Berry Dessert

As I said, the final product was messy but Sally’s puff pastry is perfect. (Find her recipe in the link above.) It is light, flaky and as GBBO demands, has excellent layers.

Puff Pastry Berry Dessert

INGREDIENTS
• 800 g puff pastry ( two 400 g sheets = 2 of Sally’s recipes)
• 100 g spreadable cheese cream
• 3 g cinnamon
• 200 g berries
• 50 g water
• 25 g honey
• 20 g cornstarch
• 20 g melted butter
Note: The quantities of berry jam were halved from the published recipe

METHOD

  1. Cut 2 circles from the puff pastry as big as possible
  2. Spread cream cheese over the entire area of one piece of pastry
  3. Sprinkle with cinnamon
  4. Add berries to 100g of water and boil for 20 minutes
  5. Add honey and corn starch mix well
  6. Preheat oven to 425⁰F
  7. Cover the dough with jam then add the second layer of puff pastry
  8. Place an inverted glass at the center of the tart and cut radially into 12 strips
  9. Prick with a fork
  10. Twist each triangle
  11. Return to refrigerator for 30 minutes
  12. Brush with melted butter
  13. Bake 35 minutes at 425⁰F

Pastéis de Nata – Portuguese Custard Tarts

Somewhere I came across Pastéis de Natas, so I researched online for a suitable recipe. I had 6 left-over egg yolks and an extra sheet of puff pastry. Doing the maths I calculated if I used two more sheets of puff pastry and made 18 tarts I should about run out of left overs.

Well, I was once semester short of graduating with a math minor, but somehow I ended up with two small bowls of custard. This isn’t a problem as it is smooth and delicious. (I have some raspberries that need to be used soon so a nice raspberry coulis could be used here.)

Pastéis de Nata

INGREDIENTS

• 296 g (1⅓ c) granulated sugar
• 115 g (½ c) water
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 225 g (1 c) whole milk
• ½ cup (115ml) double cream
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 28 g (¼ c) cornstarch/cornflour
• 1 pack frozen puff pastry

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
    Making the Custard:
  2. In a small pan, add the sugar, water, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and set it aside to infuse.
  3. In a separate saucepan, combine milk and cream and place over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool down.
  4. To a large bowl, add the egg yolks, whole egg, vanilla extract, and cornflour. Whisk until fully combined and no lumps remain.
  5. Temper the egg mixture by slowly pouring the hot milk to it briskly whisking as you go.
  6. Return this egg mixture to the saucepan and place over low-medium heat. Whisk continually until mixture thickens, around 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  7. Whisk in the cooled cinnamon sugar syrup. Set the custard aside.
    Assembling the Tarts:
  8. Lightly flour a work surface and cut puff pastry into roughly 14 equal rounds using a 3 ½ inch cookie cutter.
  9. To a lightly greased muffin tin, push each piece of puff pastry down and up into the sides of the muffin holes until evenly distributed.
  10. Pour custard into each muffin tin so each one is three-quarters full. Bake for roughly 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
  11. Serve warm as is or with a dollop of cream on top, or dusted with confectioners sugar.

They are Berry, Berry Good

I make these drop scones with whatever berries I have on hand. I would rather spend a half hour making scones, than throwing slightly old berries away.

I made some Caramel Coconut Macaroon Thumbprints for Sally’s Baking Addiction April Challenge and had some strawberries left over. (They were BOGO.) Waste not, want more.

Berry Drop Scones

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup (67g) sugar
  • Zest of 1 small lemon (or orange or lime)
  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
  • 150-175g berries. Use any berries that you like.
  • 1 cup heavy cream + extra if required
  • Coarse or turbinado sugar for topping

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and zest. Pulse a few times to incorporate.
  3. Add the cubed butter and pulse to incorporate. The mixture should resemble very coarse sand.
  4. Empty the flour mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the cream and stir until just barely incorporated. Add additional cream by the tablespoon to help the dough come together
  5. Gently fold in the berries. (It’s fine if the raspberries or blackberries break up a little – it adds a nice pink stain to the dough.) The dough should just be moist, not wet, but also not crumbly or powdery looking. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water.
  6. Spoon the dough into 12 equally sized pieces on the parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some coarse or turbinado sugar over the top, if desired.
  7. Bake for 16-19 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The scones should be lightly golden and cooked through. I rotate the pan after 10 minutes
  8. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack.