Almond Puff Fingers

So, my family complain of having too much cakes recently, so I made something different today, with Flaky Pastry 😏

Flaky pastry is different from rough puff pastry.  Rough pastry is quicker to make as the butter are added at all once and it is all spreaded out evenly.  For flaky pastry, you'll need to spread the butter a little at a time while rolling and folding the sheet.  This action helps to build up the think layers of pastry that raise while baking.

Generally, there are 2 golden rules in making pastry:

1.  Everything has to be cool.  Ingredients, utensils and also your hand.  Hence, avoid having the palm touching the dough, use only your finger tips to manage.

2.  Pressure on the rolling pin have to firm , downwards and only roll out in one direction.  Because that's how to keep the pastry even.

Ingredients

*makes 9 sticks

100g bread flour (you can also use plain flour, but it is preferred to use a high gluten flour for pastry making)

1/4tsp salt

75g butter

4tbsp cold water

1/4tsp lemon juice

For toppings

25g sugar

25g almond flakes

1 egg - beaten as eggwash

Method

1.  Sieve flour and salt.

2.  Cut butter into small even sizes and divide into 4 portions.

3.  Rub 1 portion of the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.

4.  Mix in water and lemon juice to form a dough.

5.  Lightly dust the rolling mat, transfer dough onto it.  Knead and roll into a long rectangular shape of around 1cm thickness.

6.  Put 1 portion of the butter, evenly on the lower end of the dough. Flour lighly and fold into 3 layers.

7.  Seal the edges and make a turn to the right.  Roll out and repeat step#6 until you use up all the butter.

8.  Wrap dough with a cling wrap and leave it to rest in the fridge for 15min.

9.  Lined a baking tray and preheat oven to 210C.

10.  After the dough is ready, bring it back to the rolling mat, re-roll and fold at least 3 times.  Note:  the more you fold and roll, the more layers you'll get in the pastry.

11.  After the final roll, cut the pastry into long strips.  

12.  Transfer them to the baking tray, sprinkle almond flakes over it and press down gently.  Apply a thin layer of eggwash, then sprinkle sugar on top.

13.  Send to bake for 25-30min. 

Rub 1st portion of fat until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Add water and lemon juice, mix to a dough.

Spread 1 portion of the butter at the lower end of the dough and dust little bit of flour over it.

Fold 1/3 of the dough from top.

Make another fold to cover the butter.

Seal the edges.

Make a turn to the right.

And roll down.  Repeat the steps until finish up all the butter.

After chilling in fridge: roll down the dough.

Fold 1/3 of the dough from top.

Fold the bottom 1/3 to cover the earlier fold.

Make a right turn.

And roll down.  Repeat folding for at least 3 times.

All ready to be sent to the oven!

Yumyum :)