With puff pastry, you can make anything from an impressive Puff Pastry Antipasto Stromboli and savory salmon, to crunchy cheese snacks, savory sausage rolls, Pastelitos de Guayaba and more. Read on for what you need to know about this frozen shortcut, and then browse this collection of sweet and savory puff pastry recipes. They’ll inspire you to serve five-star dishes at your own kitchen table.
Where to buy puff pastry
Puff pastry is in the frozen food aisles of the grocery store. You can usually find it near frozen desserts, or sometimes by frozen bread.
Is phyllo dough the same as puff pastry?
Though you find both in the freezer aisle, phyllo dough and puff pastry are pretty different—enough that you don’t want to use phyllo dough for your puff pastry recipes.
Phyllo
This dough is composed of paper-thin sheets that crisp up when you bake them. There’s hardly any fat in the dough, so you’ll likely have to brush it with butter before you use it.
Puff
Puff pastry is about as thick as pie dough and has quite a bit of fat in it. The dough is laminated, meaning it’s a lot of alternating layers of dough and butter. When you bake it, the dough puffs up, creating a multi-layered flaky pastry.
Is puff pastry vegan?
Traditional puff pastry is made with butter—and a lot of it. So generally, it’s not vegan. But vegan substitutes are available, and you can check the ingredients list of the puff pastry in the freezer aisle. Some companies may swap out ingredients to make the dough more shelf-stable. If you want to make vegan puff pastry at home, try using a vegan butter substitute or firmed-up coconut oil.
How to thaw puff pastry
Thaw puff pastry either in your refrigerator or at room temperature. It works best when it stays cold, so only let it sit out on the counter for about 30 minutes—just until it’s newly thawed. If you have a warm kitchen, leave it in the fridge until it thaws.
Is puff pastry gluten-free?
Puff pastry is not gluten-free. Flour is a major ingredient, which contains gluten because it is generally made from wheat. It’s possible to make gluten-free puff pastry recipes, though—you just need to either find a gluten-free brand (don’t worry, plenty exist) or make your own with an all-purpose flour alternative, like rice flour.
Can you refreeze puff pastry?
Depending on your puff pastry recipe, you’re not always going to use the entire package of dough. You can store it in the fridge for a few days, but if you aren’t going to get back to it, just pop the dough back in the freezer. It should work just fine when you decide to thaw it and bake it again. Up next: 24 Crazy Creative Ways to Use Up That Can of Biscuits You Have in the Fridge Get the recipe: Easy Peasy Cinnamon-Pecan Rolls Get the recipe: Puff Pastry Cheese Straws Get the recipe: Everything-Spiced Cocktail Weenies with Mustard Get the recipe: Cranberry-Brie Puff Pastry Bites Get the recipe: Guava Pastries (Pastelitos de Guayaba) Get the recipe: Kevin McKidd’s Salmon in Pastry Get the recipe: Puff Pastry Tomato-Basil Pizza Get the recipe: Poached Pears in Puff Pastry Get the recipe: Puff Pastry Antipasto Stromboli Get the recipe: Sandra Lee’s Pear Puffs Get the recipe: Apple Sauce Puff Pastry Tarts Get the recipe: Baked Brie in Puff Pastry Get the recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons Get the recipe: Tartes aux Poires Get the recipe: Italian Zeppole Recipe Get the recipe: Twisted Puff Pastry Cheese Bacon Sticks Get the recipe: Rosemary Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Milk Anglaise and Turmeric Puff Pastry Get the recipe: Easy Chicken Pot Pies Get the recipe: Sausage Pinwheels Get the recipe: Easy Baked Brie Get the recipe: Pizza Cocktail Weenies Get the recipe: Quick Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream Get the recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato & Goat Cheese Tartlets Get the recipe: Double Piggies in a Blanket Get the recipe: Plum-Coconut Tart Get the recipe: Butternut Squash-Cheddar Tart Get the recipe: Sausage Rolls Get the recipe: ‘Toaster Doodles’ Get the recipe: Witches’ Fingers Cheese Straws Get the recipe: Asparagus-Tomato Tart Get the recipe: Maple Almond Pear Tarts Get the recipe: Spinach Feta Tarts Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Slab Pie Get the recipe: Sausage Mummies Resting in Peas Get the recipe: Asparagus-Ricotta Tart Get the recipe: Zucchini & Goat Cheese Tart with Walnuts
