Rough Puff Pastry

Ingredients

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 lb chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chilled lard or vegetable shortening, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 4-6 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. 1

   Sift fry ingredients together into a large, chilled mixing bowl. Add cold butter and lard pieces, and working quickly, rub flour and fat together until the texture of coarse meal. If you prefer, you can use a pastry blender or knives. You may also use a mixer or food processor, but take great care not to overmix or overprocess.

2. 2

   Add 4 Tbsp icy cold water and quickly blend into flour mixture.

3. 3

   Gather all the dough and crumbs up into a ball. If it is too crumbly and will not hold together, add up to 2 Tbsp more icy cold water, 1 tsp at a time, until it holds together.

4. 4

   Lightly dust pastry with flour, wrap in wax paper, and chill for 30 minutes.

5. 5

   Place pastry on lightly floured board and gently press into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Dust flour underneath and on top of pastry. Roll out into a rectangle about 21x6 inches. Fold into thirds to form a three-layer rectangle about x6 inches.

6. 6

   Turn pastry 1/4 turn, dusting underneath with flour if needed. Roll out again into a 21x6 inch rectangle, and again fold into thirds.

7. 7

   Repeat two more times, turning a quarter turn before rolling out each time and ending with the pastry folded into a 7x6 inch packet.

8. 8

   Wrap tightly in wax paper, foil, or a freezer bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3-4 days.