Moving. Being pregnant. Have 3 littles 5 and under already. Beginning kitchen renovations. All valid excuses for a pretty terrible menu in my book.
But enough is enough.
We've eaten scrambled eggs for too many nights in a row and this past week, I was determined to up my game. Not to prove I could or to show it off to visiting friends or family….
… but because I love (looooooove) good food. And cooking lifts my spirits and fills my soul!
Oh Lord, restore to me the joy of my kitchen!
Chicken stock. Fresh einkorn bread. Soups. Salads. Stocking up on the good stuff, baby.
Part of this menu involved mushroom and parsley tartlets. Because yum. And part of those tartlets involved homemade einkorn puff pastry. Because double yum.
What's that? You're unfamiliar with einkorn? Well, lucky for you, I'm about to ready to drop some serious einkorn bombs on this blog. For the past few months, I've been baking exclusively with einkorn flour – ordered fresh and directly from Jovial Foods. To say I'm impressed would be an understatement.
I am more than impressed. Because, as previously noted, saying I'm only impressed that would be an understatement. I am in love. Twue wuv.
Einkorn is the only wheat that has never been hybridized. This means it's original, baby. As original as wheat could possibly be. The result is a wheat that has low yields and is difficult to harvest – but is rich in protein, minerals, and flavor. So much dang flavor, man. And to boot, many of those who suffer with gluten sensitivity are even able to digest einkorn without a problem. Because it's that awesome.
See how scientific I am?
But let's get to the point: utilizing einkorn flour to make homemade einkorn puff pastry.
YES, you can buy puff pastry in the grocery store. But that wouldn't be nearly as fun or delicious, now would it? Not to mention the additives snuck in for shelf-life…
So here we are. Homemade Einkorn Puff Pastry. The real deal. The best of wheat. The best butter available. A simple and basic method for creating a rich and flaky pastry dough that's sure to blow your mind.
Homemade Einkorn Puff Pastry
You will need:
– 2 cups all-purpose einkorn flour
– 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
– 1/2 cup filtered water
– 20 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add in the water and 4 tablespoons of the butter. Use your fingers to gently work the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you go snuggle the new baby lambs. Or, ahem, focus on the next step.
Lay down a 12″ piece of parchment paper. Place the remaining 16 tablespoons of butter on top of the parchment paper and cover with a second piece of parchment. Use a rolling pin to shape the butter into a 5″ x 8″ rectangle-ish. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill slightly. NOW you can go snuggle the baby lambs.
Now, remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator. Cut a large ‘X' in the top of the ball and pull each corner out, like you're opening a gift box! This will help to begin the rectangle shape were aiming for. Lightly flour your work surface and begin to gently roll the dough out into a 10″ square-ish, rectangle shape.
Place the flattened butter in the center of the dough and fold in the corners. Roll out gently to combine the butter and the dough into a rectangle. Turn the dough so that a short side of the rectangle is facing you – fold the dough into thirds, like an envelope. Gently roll this into a rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, fold it into thirds again, and gently roll into a 8″ x 12″ rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Repeat the folding/rolling/chilling routine 5 more times. You know what we're doing here? We're building layers of flaky dough. Each time we fold and roll, we're creating a new layer of buttery awesomeness.
The dough can be held in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month! Bake according to your recipe that is calling for the puff pastry.
I'd show you a picture of the finished product, but I'll be honest here: “finished” photographs aren't really happening these days… because I'm serving approximately 861 mouths at supper time and that's a lot of cups of milk, dainty plates of tartlets, and coaxing to sit still.
And you know what? I even held some of the homemade einkorn puff pastry back so that I could take a picture of the deep, delicious layers in the daylight. I baked it up for breakfast and set some aside so that I could photograph it when the sun came up…
… and then I came into the kitchen to find Stuart wiping buttery crumbs from his beard. Oops.
Can you blame the man? It's buttery, delicious einkorn flour. Coupled with… ya know, more butter. For the win!
And Amen.
Homemade Einkorn Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose einkorn flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 20 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
Instructions
- In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add in the water and 4 tablespoons of the butter. Use your fingers to gently work the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Lay down a 12″ piece of parchment paper. Place the remaining 16 tablespoons of butter on top of the parchment paper and cover with a second piece of parchment. Use a rolling pin to shape the butter into a 5″ x 8″ rectangle-ish. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill slightly.
- Now, remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator. Cut a large ‘X’ in the top of the ball and pull each corner out, like you’re opening a gift box! This will help to begin the rectangle shape were aiming for. Lightly flour your work surface and begin to gently roll the dough out into a 10″ square-ish, rectangle shape.
- Place the flattened butter in the center of the dough and fold in the corners. Roll out gently to combine the butter and the dough into a rectangle. Turn the dough so that a short side of the rectangle is facing you – fold the dough into thirds, like an envelope. Gently roll this into a rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, fold it into thirds again, and gently roll into a 8″ x 12″ rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Repeat the folding/rolling/chilling routine 5 more times. You know what we’re doing here? We’re building layers of flaky dough. Each time we fold and roll, we’re creating a new layer of buttery awesomeness.
- The dough can be held in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month! Bake according to your recipe that is calling for the puff pastry.
Jenna
February 11, 2016 at 11:06 pmWe are die-hard Jovial Einkorn lovers in our household too!! My Husband has had a sourdough starter going for quite a few months now and to say he might be obsessed is a complete understatement. 🙂 He’s never had beef wellingtons so I am SUPER pumped to show him your recipe and get the ball rolling on that!! I just wish we had baby lambs to snuggle while the dough chills 😀
Kati
February 12, 2016 at 5:58 amMy mouth is watering! My daughter and I both have Celiac Disease, so we haven’t tasted good pastry in 6 years. Is your sister able to tolerate this flour?
Kelsey
February 12, 2016 at 8:18 amI think you may have just made my Einkorn loving dreams come true : ) I will definitely be trying this!
Suzanne
February 14, 2016 at 10:10 amI started laughing at true wuv..dread pirate roberts came to mind! All joking aside..do you get ground or do you grind the berries?
Shaye Elliott
September 9, 2016 at 11:58 pmI order all-purpose from Jovial and also grains from Jovial!
Kathy Cerwin
February 14, 2016 at 11:26 amI ordered your 2 for 1 recipe book but haven’t seen the link for the e book. Did you send it out or are you not finished yet. Also, where do you buy this flower? I have never seen it.
S. Adger
February 16, 2016 at 1:53 pmhttps://jovialfoods.com/shop/
Peacock Orchard
February 14, 2016 at 12:10 pmLooks wonderful! My own kitchen is missing a wall right now. Cooking in a kitchen under construction is hard! Actually I think construction in a kitchen you cook in is worse. Instead of leaving the dust and debris until the wall is down or whatever is happening is done you have to clean up in between each thing because you have to cook there. It’s exhausting!
DDeb B
February 16, 2016 at 8:01 amThanks, once again for another great post Shaye! I’ve thought about trying Eikhorn, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten… after this post? I will be buying it and making this!
Hopefully you will have your kitchen done soon…we have been there too…eating off paper ( which I HATE! I even hate anything plastic – it’s all glass, crystal, pottery for me! I know, I’m weird! ) and washing pots and pans in the bathtub! It will be worth it, but in the meantime. ..!
Take care,
Deb B
Amy
February 16, 2016 at 1:28 pmI have been looking for einkorn puff pastry everywhere. Jovial foods in an interview says this one recipe kept alluding her. Congratulations in figuring out a process!
Just a question though. I have been grinding and sifting my own einkorn flour from einkorn berries. If I wanted to use whole grain einkorn flour, what adjustments do you think I should make and what complications or results will come out of switching the flour? Thanks so much! This looks wonderful!
Shaye Elliott
September 9, 2016 at 11:57 pmI don’t think it would work well. It will be dense and lack the flaky aspect of the traditional puff pastry.
Tabitha
February 17, 2016 at 7:07 pmCan you use freshly ground einkorn for this recipe? I got a grain mill for Christmas and am trying to figure out how to substitute freshly ground wheat/grains in my recipes.
Shaye Elliott
September 9, 2016 at 11:56 pmWhole grain flour wouldn’t lend itself super well to a puff pastry… it’s so much heavier.
Tabitha
February 23, 2016 at 11:55 amCan you use freshly ground einkorn for this recipe or does it have to be store-bought? Trying to learn how and when to substitute freshly milled grains in regular recipes!
Elaine Sarchet
April 6, 2016 at 3:57 amMany congratulations – I think you must be related to Wonderwoman! x.
Elizabeth
October 30, 2017 at 5:41 pmOK it seems to have the ingredients necessary to make puff pastry so has anyone made croissants with this recipe? Any feedback?
Andrea
November 12, 2018 at 1:05 pmDid you forget the levain or yeast for this recipe? Flour, water, salt and butter won’t rise unless you have something to cause it to ferment…
V
November 19, 2018 at 2:06 pmThe puff pastry came out very well. I was slightly skeptical due to its color(dark brown) but it came out wonderfully. There were distinct layers and a flakey crust. The only gripe I have is that the dough became very very sticky, very fast. I allowed it to thaw in the fridge overnight and used it straight from the fridge. I ended up with a gooey dough within 5 minutes of working with it as fast as I possibly could. Any ideas on how to mitigate the sticky dough?
Monica
August 22, 2019 at 2:32 pmWorking with einkorn can be very tricky/sticky. Especially when living in a more humid climate (I do). I can say when working with a yeast einkorn dough, using oil instead of flour on your cooking surface and dough can make things way more manageable. I know it may sound weird and messy, but it really works and saves some frustration. Just be sure to thoroughly oil your work surface first. I also find wearing nitrle gloves can help as well to avoid sticking. As for this type of recipe, maybe chill your rolling pin too? Also, a marble rolling pin can help to keep things cool if you have one. If you do live in a humid/hot climate, try putting the dough/butter in the coldest part of your fridge, or maybe even thw freezer if you need to. If you do freeze it, maybe only do 20 minute increments instead. Hope this is helpful.
Josephine Stratton
December 27, 2018 at 4:29 pmThis recipe is great. I used it to make European sausage rolls. Soooo good. Thank you!!
Josephine
December 27, 2018 at 4:31 pmAlso wanted to say that yes the dough gets sticky real quick. I just put a bunch of flour on the counter and use a dough spatula to get enough flour in between the surface and the dough and it’s fairly easy to mold.
Carmena
February 22, 2019 at 11:55 pmWhen you bake the puff? How long and what temp?