Puff pastry is a light, flaky, and buttery pastry dough made by repeatedly folding and rolling layers of butter into a simple flour-and-water base. This lamination process creates hundreds of alternating layers of dough and fat that puff up dramatically during baking as steam is trapped between them. The result is a golden, crisp, and airy pastry with a delicate, shatteringly flaky texture.
Puff pastry is one of the most versatile doughs in the kitchen, used for both sweet and savory dishes — from vol-au-vents, palmiers, and millefeuille to sausage rolls, cheese straws, and fruit tarts. Classic lamination involves six single or double folds with chilling between each turn to keep the butter firm. While making puff pastry from scratch requires patience, the technique rewards with incomparably light and layered results. Ready-made frozen puff pastry is also widely available for convenience.
Discover more about puff pastry — from lamination techniques and baking tips to classic recipes and creative applications — in the articles below.
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