How to Make Homemade Puff Pastry Dough

If you enjoy making pastries at home, you might have found yourself buying puff pastry dough at the store. Learn how to make homemade puff pastry with simple pantry essentials you might already have on hand.

A plate of puff pastry dough sitting on a white countertop with butter on the side.

Want To Save This Recipe?

Enter your information below, and I’ll send it straight to your inbox! Plus, you’ll get complimentary gifts!

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Kim Schob.

Once you learn how to make this simple pastry dough, you will never want to buy it again. Simple steps, for a light and fluffy pastry dough that is just as good as your favorite bakery!

Table of Contents

Why This Puff Pastry Dough Recipe A Must Make

4 Simple Ingredients
Affordable
Quick To Make
Easy
Fluffy and Tender Pastry Dough

What Ingredient Are Needed For Pastry Dough

Water, flour, cold butter and salt sitting on a white countertop.

Flour
Salt
Cold Butter
Water

How to Make Puff Pastry Dough

The complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.

Collage of mixing the ingredients for puff pastry dough.

Start by mixing the flour and salt together. Then you will take your cold butter, and use a pastry cutter to mix it in with the flour. (Photo 1)
Once the butter and flour are mixed well, they should be crumbly. Begin slowly adding in your water and mix well. (Photo 2)

Collage of folding the puff pastry dough.

Place the formed dough on a floured surface and roll out the dough into rectangles then fold up. (Photos 3 & 4)
Once the dough is formed, freeze, or use it right away.

Storing Tips

Pastry dough needs to be refrigerated until you are ready to use it. You do not want the butter to warm up, as it will affect the whole texture of the dough.

So wrap in a plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for 3-4 months. Thaw on the counter for a short bit, then once you can work the dough, begin using for whatever recipe you have in mind.

Helpful Tips For Making Pastry Dough

You need to ensure you are using real butter for the pastry dough. Otherwise, the texture will be off.
If you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
Work fast when you are working with the dough, as you do not want the butter to melt. Your hands will warm it up when you work with the dough once you place on a floured surface.
All purpose flour is what I recommend using for this recipe. I have not tried it with any other type of flour. So I can’t say if it would turn out.

How Much Does This Recipe Make

This recipe makes around 2 boxes of puff pastry of what you would buy in the store. It is a good amount of dough.

If you are needing to have a lot more to make a larger batch of pastries, then feel free to double the batch. The biggest thing with doing a double batch is making sure to work fast enough the butter doesn’t get too soft.

Puff pastry dough on a white plate with butter on the side.

Recipe FAQs

Here are some common questions about this homemade pastry dough recipe.

Are phyllo and puff pastry the same thing?

Phyllo dough tends to be fat-free, and puff pastry gets its rich layers from all the butter used in the dough. So while they might offer a similar texture, they are greatly different in how they are made.

What is puff pastry dough used for?

Puff pastry can be used for making pastries like danishes, pie crust, or even used for biscuits. There are tons of recipes that feature puff pastry as a sweet or savory component in a recipe.

Can I make puff pastry in advance?

You are more than welcome to make this puff pastry ahead of time if you would like. Just simply prep the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer until ready. I tend to wrap it up, then place it in a freezer bag to prevent it from freezer burning.

Delicious Dessert Recipes To Try

Did you make this recipe? Rate it!

Or any other delicious recipes on my site? If so, please leave a ★★★★★ star rating below and a 📝 comment sharing your thoughts!

To ensure you’re not missing a thing. Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along below!

Small, white plate with folded Puff Pastry Dough.

4.96 from 24 votes