Everything You Need To Know To Properly Freeze Puff Pastry (2024)

FAQs

Everything You Need To Know To Properly Freeze Puff Pastry? ›

How to Freeze Puff Pastry. Homemade puff pastry can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to a month. If you're picking up a pack of the frozen stuff at the supermarket, just pop that box right in the freezer. It'll be good until the “use by” date on the box.

How to Freeze Puff Pastry. Homemade puff pastry can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to a month. If you're picking up a pack of the frozen stuff at the supermarket, just pop that box right in the freezer. It'll be good until the “use by” date on the box.

Frozen puff pastry will last 10-12 months in the freezer. It's best to put your pastry in the freezer as soon as possible and keep it at -18°C. Puff pastry can easily get freezer burn, so store it in airtight packaging.

If your Puff Pastry becomes soft and sticky while working with it, chill it in the fridge for a few minutes. Place in the refrigerator between rollings, too.

Tip #2: Roll it Out

Most puff pastry comes folded. Never try to unfold a pastry sheet unless it is thawed or it will crack. I dust my work surface very lightly with all-purpose flour, then dust my rolling pin.

Unfilled baked Puff Pastry Shells or Cups may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To recrisp Puff Pastry shells, place them in a 400° F oven for 5 minutes. Always bake Puff Pastry Cups in a preheated 400° F oven. Do not bake Cups in a microwave or a toaster oven.

* The freezer temperature should be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or less. * Use moisture-proof, vapor-proof wraps or containers such as plastic containers with tight-fitting lids, heavy duty foil and freezer-weight plastic bags and wraps. * Cool baked goods completely before preparing for the freezer.

Always preheat your oven for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before baking, because Puff Pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. Place pastries 1 inch apart. If you want a flaky thin and crispy pastry that's not very puffy, prick the unbaked Puff Pastry all over with a fork, which lets steam escape while baking.

Refreezing the pastry simply rehardens the fat. And though the water in the dough will go through two cycles of freezing into a solid and thawing into liquid—and this may impact the dough a little turning it ever-so-slightly soggy and marginally impeding its rise—it won't be enough to make a difference.

Pastry being soggy in the middle is a result of the pastry being undercooked. Don't place the pastry on too high a shelf in the oven. One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling. Also, avoid over-filling your pastry.

What are the black spots on puff pastry? ›

Over life small black spots may develop within the pastry dough. These are specks of bran which are naturally occurring within the flour. These will not have any adverse effect on the quality of the pastry and will disappear during the cooking process.

Temperature is a key factor in baking up puff pasty that actually puffs. Set the oven dial too low, and the pastry is likely to fall flat. Follow this tip: As a rule of thumb, a higher oven temperature (400°F is ideal) results in puff pastry with a higher rise.

If you work slowly, you may find the dough becoming too soft and difficult to roll. You can always place it in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes. It's okay if your dough is not a perfect circle. Once you get it in the pie plate, it doesn't matter.

You would need to let the frozen puff pastry thaw completely before using it.

You can brush an egg-wash glaze (1 egg plus 1 tsp. water) over the Puff Pastry to create a rich, golden sheen when baked. Use an egg wash to help seal filled pastries and connect Puff Pastry pieces: mix 1 egg plus 1 tsp. water, brush between layers, then pinch or press together.

You can freeze uncooked pastry but if you roll it and freeze and plan to shape once defrosted there is a risk that it will be dry and prone to crack.

Freeze in Discs

This is very similar to storing your pie dough in the fridge. All you do is press it down into discs, wrap it in plastic and place in the freezer. The day before you want to bake your pie, let the dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then you can roll and shape the dough like normal.

You can thaw Puff Pastry in the fridge. Separate and place each sheet on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and defrost in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. Once Puff Pastry is thawed, work quickly while it's still cold. You can cut it into desired shapes, then store in the fridge until you're ready for the next step.

Puff puff can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month. To warm puff puff, cover with a damp paper towel and reheat in the microwave in 10-second intervals.