Mary Berry Rough Puff Pastry Recipe

This flaky Rough Puff Pastry is a baker’s secret weapon as well as being surprisingly quick to master! Keeping the butter in large chunks makes the dough go layered and puffy, which along with the squeeze of lemon juice adds a tenderness to this pastry that is so superior to shop-bought blocks.

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Mary Berry Rough Puff Pastry Recipe Ingredients

• The Dry Mix:
  • 225g (8 oz) strong plain flour (or plain flour)
  • 1 tsp salt
• The Fat:
  • 175g (6 oz) butter, chilled and cut into small cubes (approx. 1cm)
• The Liquid:
  • 150ml (5 fl oz) ice-cold water
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

How To Make Mary Berry Rough Puff Pastry Recipe

1. Sift and stir: Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled butter cubes. Crucial: Do not rub the butter in! Stir the cubes into the flour so they are coated but remain as whole, distinct chunks.
2. Bind the dough: Mix the lemon juice with the ice-cold water. Pour about three-quarters of the liquid into the bowl. Using a round-bladed knife, mix the dough gently. Add the remaining water only if necessary to bring the dough together. It should be soft but not sticky.
3. Knead briefly: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead it very lightly for just a few seconds to shape it into a brick. Don’t overwork it or you will melt the butter.
4. First roll: Roll the dough out into a long rectangle (approx. 30cm x 10cm). Keep the edges straight.
5. The Fold (Turn 1): Fold the bottom third of the dough up towards the middle, and the top third down over that (like a business letter). Seal the edges gently with your rolling pin. Give the dough a quarter turn (rotate 90 degrees).
6. Repeat (Turn 2 & 3): Roll the dough out again into a long rectangle and repeat the folding process. Turn it again. Repeat one last time (3 rolls and folds in total).
7. Chill: Wrap the folded dough block in cling film or greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for at least 20–30 minutes before using. This relaxes the gluten and hardens the butter again.
8. Use: Roll out and use for pies, sausage rolls, or tarts.

Recipe Tips!

• Chunky Butter: The secret to “rough” puff is seeing the butter! You want visible streaks of yellow fat in the raw dough. When these melt in the oven, they release steam which pushes the layers apart, creating the puff.
• Cold Hands: If your hands are hot, run them under cold water before handling the dough. Melting butter is the enemy of flaky pastry!
• Lemon Science: The lemon juice isn’t for flavor; it relaxes the gluten in the flour and prevents the pastry from shrinking or turning grey in the fridge.
• Strong Flour: Mary recommends using strong plain flour (bread flour) if possible. The higher gluten content helps the pastry rise higher and hold its flaky structure better than standard plain flour.

What To Serve With Mary Berry Rough Puff Pastry Recipe?

This Mary Berry Rough Puff Pastry Recipe is the foundation for countless masterpieces! It is the perfect lid for the Chicken and Mushroom Pie we discussed earlier, baking up golden and crisp. For a sweet treat, use it to make Ecclés Cakes or simple Apple Turnovers dusted with sugar! It also makes spectacular Sausage Rolls for a party buffet or picnic lunch.

How To Store Mary Berry Rough Puff Pastry Recipe

• Refrigerate: Wrap the block of dough tightly in cling film. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. In fact, resting it overnight makes it even better!
• Freeze: This pastry freezes brilliantly. Wrap it in a double layer of cling film and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out.
• Baked: Once baked, the pastry is best eaten fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container for 2 days and refreshed in a hot oven.

Mary Berry Rough Puff Pastry Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 15g
• Protein: 2g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving (assuming 8 servings per batch).

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Choux Pastry Recipe
• Mary Berry​ Filo Pastry Mince Pies Recipe
• Mary Berry​ Salmon In Filo Pastry Recipe