Vegan Flaky Pastry
Step into the world of pastries that walk the delicate line between perfect puff and flake. This buttery Vegan Flaky Pastry offers a versatility that’s truly unparalleled, making it ideal for nearly any dish you’d employ puff pastry for. Although it doesn’t soar as high as its puffier cousin, it compensates with layers that dance with impeccable flakiness. The touch of sugar isn’t just for sweetness; it aids in caramelization, lending a golden hue and a subtle depth of flavor that shines even in savory pies. A pro tip to master this pastry: Always opt for firm butter. For stellar results, I swear by the Naturli’ vegan block or Flora’s unsalted plant butter. Steer clear of softer alternatives like Nuttelex or generic margarine—they simply don’t do justice to this masterpiece. Your perfect pie awaits.
Makes enough pastry for a 12-inch (30-cm) or two 8-inch (20-cm) tart tins.
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (250 g) firm vegan butter, diced
- 2 1/4 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (55 g) caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1–3 tablespoon (20–40 ml) cold water
INSTRUCTIONS
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To start, I place my diced butter and the food processor bowl and blades in the freezer until the butter is rock solid.
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To begin the pastry, place the flour, sugar, salt and cold butter in the cold food processor and pulse until it is roughly mixed and has a large crumb-like consistency. Add the cold water and continue to pulse until it is just combined, maintaining large streaks of butter. I normally pulse until the dough has formed into little pebbles the size of lentils.
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Remove the dough from the food processor and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Working quickly, gently press the dough between your fingertips so that it comes together. Now shape it into a rectangle. Wrap it with cling wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 10 minutes.
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Roll 1
Once rested, unwrap the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll out the dough into an 8 x 16–inch (20 x 40–cm) rectangle. Fold the short ends into each other so they meet in the middle. Fold the two short ends over again to create a book fold. Give the rectangle of dough a quarter turn, 90 degrees to the left. -
Roll 2
Lightly dust the dough with flour and roll it out again to approximately 8 x 16 inches (20 x 40 cm). Repeat the folding process, ensuring the dough is turned a further 90 degrees to the left once again. Wrap it with cling wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 10 minutes. -
Roll 3
Repeat the previous step. Wrap with cling wrap and rest in the fridge for 10 minutes. -
Now the dough is ready to be rolled out in whatever way you wish.
Credit:
Reprinted with permission from Cakeboi Goes Vegan by Reece Hignell. Page Street Publishing Co. 2024. Photo credit: Zoe Lonergan.
