My next culinary challenge - Puff Pastry!

[speedymama]

Having spent time mastering how to cook a tasty Sunday roast, I now want to master something more challenging. En croute dishes! I thought I would start with beef en croute and then move on to chicken or salmon. However, most of the recipes I've seen use shop bought puff pastry. I would like to make my own so my questions are as follows:
How difficult is it to make?

Is there a full proof recipe that works every time?

What are the pitfalls in making puff pastry?
How do I make sure that it is not too dry? I tend to have this problem when I attempt to make short crust pastry.
Am I wasting my time and should I just buy it?
Someone, please help me!

my motto has always been 'life's too short to make your own pastry'. the bought fresh stuff is so good and so cheap you just can't go wrong!

Seem to remember there's loads of rolling out, folding up with dots of butter between the layers then rolling out again (have never tried making it myself, but have seen it on TV progs). I'm with DHW - life's too short - just buy it.

Blimey!
I bow at the altar of one bold enough to attempt this.
Have only ever looked in awe at photos of Fanny Craddock types doing it in my vintage Cordon Bleu cookery course.
Lots of dotting of butter and layering it seems.

I think that bought puff pastry is the way to go. It's one case where buying is equally as good as making.

If you do try and make it then, it does have a tendency to end up heavy and greasy rather than puffy.

Why not try choux pastry that is fun to make yourself and better than bought.

Nooooooo, I am an avid baker, but puff pastry is one I buy from the shops. After every roll out you must fold and leave for 30 mins....Arggggh.

If you have the time to do it, fair enough, but even if I was a sahm with a nanny & housekeeper, I wouldn't. Let the machines do it for you.

I do make my own pastry for other stuff though

you could always try "rough puff pastry" - my mother makes this for things like steak and kidney pie

Wow, looks like I will be buying this then.

What about rough puff pastry that Iota mentioned? Is this easier or should I just not bother? Also, with what type of things do you use choux pastry?

I think puff pastry and rough puff isnt worth the effort, and I do make my own shortcrust.

A friend cooks professionally. She says most places, even decent restaurants, buy puff in. Too labour-intensive

Choux pastry for things like chocolate eclairs and profiteroles. I'm not keen myself but I know loads of others will disagree.

OK, I'll buy. It seems to be too labour intensive and with 2 year old twins to look after, that time can be used productively elsewhere.

One last question for the pastry experts, when I make pastry like short crust, it usually ends up dry and cracked. Is this likely to be due to over-kneading, too little water (or too much)or not using the right type of fat/flour? For fat, I tend to use spreadable vegetable fat like Beautifully Butterly by Aldi. Should I be using real butter for making pastry?

Thanks for your help. I'm really keen to become a half decent cook so any advice given is really appreciated

Delia's how to cook series includes a recipe for quick flaky pastry - guess this is like rough puff?

My husband decided to make galettes using her recipe the other week - I tried two or three times to convince him that I should just buy puff pastry - for the same reasons that everyone here says - but he persisted - didn't take too long and tasted really nice! Not as puffy as the proper stuff though - depends whether you're looking to impress :)

Anybody feel strongly about hydogenated vegtetable fats - because both Saxby's and Sainsburys puff pastry contain it ( we have both in the fridge/freezer at teh mo and have just checked)

Speedymama - sounds as though you're using the wrong fat! You need something fairly hard - I use just plain veg fat - looks gross but makes lovely pastry. Can use real butter, can get expensive though. Tend to only use butter if making sweet dish - can use half and half with veg fat if you want. Regarding the cracking and drying, don't over knead the dough and if you can, pop it in the fridge for 30mins before you roll it out, it needs to be kept cold. Cracking could be because your dough is too warm. You might need to experiment a little with the amount of water you use, I've found it can depend on the flour you're using.

And iota, hydrogenated veg fats are in everything!! So hard to find anything without them in! Am afraid I do buy ready made puff, just don't have time to make my own. Does anyone know of one that doesn't contain hydrogenated veg fat?

Well, yesterday I made Delia Smith's quick flaky pastry for the beef encroute dish that I wanted to make. It was superb and the dish came out very well. The quick flaky pastry did not take long to make and was very easy. I will use this in future when a dish requires puff pastry.