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Gordon Ramsay Puff Pastry Recipe

Gordon Ramsay puff pastry dough being rolled out

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This Gordon Ramsay puff pastry recipe gives you bakery-level layers using simple pantry ingredients and a cold-hand technique that delivers crisp, buttery results every time. Whether you’re making sweet tarts or savory pies, this flaky dough is a must-have staple you can freeze and use anytime.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough:

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen solid
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and diced
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • Cold water (approx. 60ml), added slowly as needed

Instructions

  • Mix the Dry Base: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the cubed cold butter and gently work it in with your fingertips until the mixture feels like coarse crumbs. Keep everything cool.
  • Add Water Gradually: Slowly pour in cold water (about 1 tablespoon at a time), mixing gently until a rough dough starts to come together. It should be slightly crumbly but able to hold its shape.
  • Roll Out the Dough: Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle. Move quickly so the butter doesn’t melt.
  • Grate in Butter (First Fold): Evenly grate half the frozen butter over the bottom two-thirds of the dough. Fold the top third down, then the bottom third up like a business letter.
  • Second Fold and Rotate: Rotate the dough 90 degrees, roll it out again, and grate the remaining frozen butter across two-thirds. Repeat the folding process.
  • Final Folding: Continue the roll-fold-turn process two more times, completing a total of 3 roll-and-fold cycles.
  • Chill Thoroughly: Wrap the finished dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This step is critical for keeping those layers intact.

Notes

  • Keep it Cold: Cold butter = flaky layers. Don’t rush the chill.
  • Grater Hack: Grating frozen butter makes layering easy and consistent.
  • Less Is More: Don’t overwork the dough—think delicate layers, not dense bread.
  • Freezer-Friendly: Store extra dough in the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge before using.