Puff Pastry Dough

4 c all-purpose flour, approximately
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1¼ c milk, very cold (whole milk best)
1 lb unsalted butter, very cold

In a large bowl, mix 3⅓ c of the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the milk and begin tossing with the flour. Smear the flour and milk along the sides of the bowl to blend well, then incorporate into the mixture. If the flour absorbs the moisture too quickly, add another tablespoon or so of cold milk. Mix well, but do not over-work the dough or knead it. If it seems heavy, add just a little more milk to get a dough that is still very soft. Sprinkle a pinch of flour over it and flatten the dough. It should look coarse and marbleized but hold together in one piece. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the butter.

Clear the work area and then pour on the remaining ⅔ c flour. Remove the butter from the refrigerator and place onto the flour. Keep the butter covered with the flour while cutting and kneading it quickly with a pastry scraper. Feel for cold lumps in the butter, which might later damage the layers; break them apart and blend with the flour. Add a bit more flour, if necessary, to properly soften the butter without melting it. Once the butter is soft but not melted, and thoroughly dusted all around, form it into a rough square.

Scrape down the work area again and toss on some fresh flour. Place the chilled dough onto the flour without folding or handling it too much. Roll out the dough corners into thin flaps, which you will use to enclose the softened butter. Place the softened square of butter onto the dough. Lift each flap snugly over the butter, making sure to overlap the corners and seal up the bundle.

The dough package is now ready for the first of 4 double turns, or folds. This dough-butter bundle will be stretched into about 260 layers, and ideally the butter is spread to an even thickness equally distributed across each successive layer.

Here are a few tips before actually beginning with the turns:

Keep the dough separated from the work surface by frequent rotations and adequate flouring.
Leave the center of the dough thicker by rolling away from it.
If you put more pressure on the rolling pin, you’ll have fewer repeated rolls over the dough and the resulting dough will require less work and be easier to handle.
Keep a good pastry scraper and a bowl of clean flour handy at all times.

Assuming your kitchen is cool (below 72°F) and the butter has not begun to melt, you need not be in a rush to complete this first and most critical turn. Start by pounding the dough gently in one direction. If you begin rolling, make sure the dough is not stuck to the work surface. Roll only in one direction and not past the far end. Rolling past the end will pinch and smear the layers at the edge. Roll and manipulate the dough into a rectangle about 20 inches long and 8 inches wide. Press hard on the handles of the rolling pin to form the rectangle, then brush off any excess flour from the surface of the dough. Bring both ends toward the center like a book, leaving a small space in between for the spine. Fold in half, “closing” your book. Wrap the pastry dough in plastic and refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes. Your dough has been turned once, and it now has 4 layers.

Place the chilled and rested dough on a lightly floured surface so that the spine off your book becomes the long side of your rectangle. Begin again by pounding gently. If the edges crack slightly, take your time working the dough and don’t get upset. This time the dough should be chilled and relaxed enough to turn twice without a rest in between. Make your next rectangle large, about 12x18 inches. This will not only make turn #3 easier but will help ensure equal and smooth distribution of butter between the layers. Fold and turn in the same way as before, first forming a rectangle that measures about 10x14 inches, then folding the 2 sides in the center with a gap in the middle for the “spine”. Fold in half making sure the “spine” of your book becomes the length of the rectangle. Rest the dough after turn #3 for about 1 hour in the refrigerator.

The fourth and final turn should reveal the dough to be smooth and just a bit elastic. Try to form well-defined corners and neat edges to your rectangle. Fold and turn once more in the same way, then chill for at least 4 or 5 hours before using.

NOTE: You may have to vary the amounts of butter, flour, or milk slightly in order to achieve the desired texture. This is a common practice, since there are so many variables in making puff pastry and because flours differ substantially in their ability to absorb moisture. It is more important to manipulate the components quickly to reach the proper consistency than to adhere to exact measurements. Trust your instincts and practice until you have what works for you.

Puff pastry freezes wonderfully and is easily thawed in the refrigerator overnight before using in a recipe.

Makes ~ 3 pounds

Source
The Joy of Pastry