Two blocks - dough and oil.
Pierre Hermé's method differs from others in that the flour block is packed into an oil block and for perfect layering, only two double rounds and one single round are enough. This dough turns out to be unusually airy and tender, with the thinnest layers.
Ingredients:
Flour block:
●185gr. cold water
●2 tsp. salt (I used less)
●1/4 tsp vinegar
●420gr. flour (preferably all-purpose)
●115gr. unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
Preparation:
Add flour + butter, stir (you will get crumbs), + water with salt and vinegar. I didn’t knead for a long time, I rolled it into a rectangle with sides about 10 by 15 cm. In film and in the refrigerator for 1.5 hours. I also sent a rolling pin and a rug there.
Oil block:
●400 grams of unsalted butter room temperature 82% fat, no less
●175grams of flour
Using a mixer at low speed (no need to beat, just combine), first work through the butter (smooth cream state), then + flour.
I shaped it into a small rectangle and also wrapped it in film and put it in the refrigerator for 1.5 hours.
After an hour and a half, I took out the butter block, rolled it out on a well-floured chilled mat into a rectangle, put the dough block in the center, covered it, sealed the edges well and rolled it out into a rectangle of about 50 by 17 cm. It was important for me here to capture the condition of the butter block. and not work with it immediately after taking it out of the refrigerator, but give it the opportunity to become a little elastic, warm up a little, otherwise it will break. the holding time depends on the temperature in the kitchen, the warmer the faster, but also the faster dough begins to melt during the rolling process. And be sure to sprinkle the mat with flour. If the room is warm and the butter begins to melt, then after packing the dough in it, I put the dough in the refrigerator before turing.
In principle, the size is not very important, just the length should be 3 times greater than the width, and the thickness of the dough should be about 1 cm. Folded it into a book (double round). Wrap it in film and put it in the refrigerator for 1.5 hours. I didn't forget the rolling pin and mat either.
I repeated it an hour and a half later. Wrap it in film and leave it to mature in the refrigerator overnight. (Erme writes that no less than 3 hours, but 48 is possible)
In the morning I rolled it out, folded it in a letter (simple round), put it in the refrigerator for an hour
rolled out a rectangle approximately 60 by 40 cm. to a thickness of approx. 3mm, cut the edges with a pizza knife and cut into 6 squares 20 by 20 cm. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour and bake, after pricking each one with a fork in several places.
baked each cake at 220 C for about 20 minutes. Here it became important for me to ensure that the cake bakes evenly until golden brown. it is important to ensure that the bottom and top do not burn while the cake is baking inside, but this is already individual characteristics each oven.
Cream
●10 yolks
●2 tbsp. tablespoons corn starch
●200gr. Sahara
●1 liter of milk
●2 vanilla pods
●180 gr. sl. butter (a pack of Vologda)
●1 can of condensed milk (whole condensed milk)
●a pinch of salt.
Preparation:
I bring the milk to a boil, to which I add vanilla, and at this time I combine the yolks with sugar and starch, beat with a whisk, then into the yolk mass, whisking constantly, pour in half the milk in a thin stream and pour this mixture into a saucepan with milk, continuing to whisk, bring bring this mixture to a boil over very low heat. Then + pack good oil and a can of good condensed milk. Added a pinch of salt)
Each layer of baked dough was cut (more likely taken apart by hand, since the layers move away from each other very easily) into 2 parts in height. and layered with cream. Left it at room temperature for several hours to soak, then a small weight on top (a flat plate on top in the center liter bottle milk or kg. a pack of salt and in the refrigerator. Before using, I bring it to room temperature (it tastes much better at room temperature).
It's incredibly delicious!)
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Russian sources insist that our most popular “Napoleon” was invented by Moscow confectioners in 1912, on the occasion of the centenary of the expulsion of Bonaparte’s army from Russia. Moreover, this culinary and historical event probably should have happened exactly at Christmas, since it was December 25, according to the old style, under Alexander I that became “the day of thanksgiving celebration... the memory of deliverance... of the Russian Powers from the invasion of the Gauls...”.
However, the version of the invention of the dish with the name of the sworn enemy “on occasion” raises doubts. (Is it the case, for example, Guryev porridge, which the Minister of Finance, Count Guryev, allegedly came up with in honor of the victory over Napoleon: they say, whoever comes to us with a sword will perish in our Russian abyss, like semolina. Also a story, but at least a patriotic one!) “Napoleonic cake”, however, not flaky and with almonds, was mentioned in the book Molokhovets of 1861.
Yes, and abroad they have their own “Napoleons” and “Napoleons”: in Denmark - Napoleonsterte, in Germany - Napoleonschnitte, in Norway - Napoleonskake, in Sweden - Napoleonbakelse...The French are famous for their cake Napoleon, layered with almond paste. The same French, back in the 18th century, were in full swing preparing “millefeuille” (“a thousand petals”) - a multi-layer pie with custard, whipped cream or strawberry jam, the obvious progenitor of our hero. In general, this is still a question of whether “Napoleon” grew up on Russian soil...
Well built
The basis of the controversial cake is puff pastry (which, by the way, many nations also claim the right to invent). In public catering, it was classically made from unleavened puff pastry, which only an experienced pastry chef could masterfully prepare. It's too labor-intensive a process. Judge for yourself.
To begin with, the dough is rolled out into a small rectangle, butter is placed on top, and the edges of the dough are wrapped in an envelope. Then it is slowly and smoothly rolled out, folded in four and left for 20 minutes. It is rolled out again, folded in four again, left for half an hour, rolled out, folded in three and cooled. Rolls out into last time and folds in three.
Next, the dough is divided in half, each part is rolled out into a layer 4-6 mm thick and baked. Ready-made cakes cool, apply cream to one, cover with another cake layer (smooth side up), press, cover with a thin layer of cream and sprinkle with puff crumbs (dough scraps are specially baked for them). Cut and sprinkle with powdered sugar. By the way, once upon a time the cake was cut into triangular pieces, which were associated with Napoleonic cocked hat.
It is clear that no one at home messed with such a capricious recipe. Our grandmothers and mothers cooked up some kind of “classics”, achieving the effect of lamination of the dough big amount thin elongated cakes. The most advanced tried to diversify it:
■ using milk instead of water;
■ replacing part of the liquid with cognac or other strong alcohol- then the dough has an additional aroma;
■ adding cocoa to flour and baking “chocolate” cakes.
Layering is a delicate matter
The cream, again in catering, was prepared from butter, condensed milk (to improve the texture), cognac, sugar and vanilla powder. In home “Napoleon-making” the layer was a creative subject - from the field of family traditions. Some used it purely butter cream, others lightened it with condensed milk, others recognized it only as custard, and still others smeared some of the cakes with sour jam or marmalade.
And we, naturally, got used to my mother’s version and considered it much tastier than the “classic” one. For example, I like it with custard and nuts, and even “wet”. But during our childhood, Napoleon was not made with unsweetened layers. Maybe in vain. Puff pastry is already fatty, and in addition the cream is a terrible blow to the waist and other parts of our body, which is prone to obesity. It’s not a bad idea to soften the calorie content of the dough with pureed spinach (or other leafy greens), soaked cheese, fruit and berry purees. Or make the cake savory by blue cheese with pears or even mincemeat.
But that is another story. Classic homemade Napoleon, like a true delicacy, is supposed to be fatty and sweet. For example, the wonderful chef Kamo Tatevosyan, who feeds the St. Petersburg Zenit, once admitted that he often, together with his pastry chef Inna, prepares “Napoleon” for the player of the Russian football team, Alexander Anyukov, who has a terrible sweet tooth. Judging by Sasha's performance, the cake is not only tasty, but also nutritious.
Classic dough for Napoleon
To get approximately 1.2 kg of dough, you will need:
500 g flour
1 egg
400 g butter
1 tsp. lemon juice
a pinch of salt.
Pour the scrambled egg into a glass, add water to the top, and pour into a bowl. Add salt, lemon juice and another half glass of water. Pour this mixture into the flour. Knead into a homogeneous dough.
Knead the dough with your hands until completely elastic. Roll into a ball, cover with a towel and leave for 20 minutes. Then roll out into a layer (the edges should be thinner than the middle), sprinkle with flour, cover again, leave for 10 minutes.
Mash the softened butter in a bowl until no lumps remain. Sprinkle 3 tsp. flour and mix thoroughly. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Take out, cut into thin slices and place them on a layer of dough: leave 1.5-2 cm on the long sides to the edges, and wrap the short edges over the butter and fasten together. Pinch the open sides of the resulting rectangle. Visually divide the rectangle into 4 vertical stripes, fold it in four along these “folds”. The result will be a workpiece in 4 layers.
Place the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, then take it out and roll it out on a floured surface into a 1cm thick rectangle. Repeat the same process of folding it in four to make 16 layers. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. and repeat the same operation (roll out - fold - cool) 2 more times. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Napoleonic secrets
■ Flour must certainly be wheat, the highest grade (with high content gluten - 35-40%). It definitely needs to be sifted.
■ Don’t forget about salt and acid (lemon juice, vinegar) - they promote flakiness.
■ The butter for the dough (82.5% fat content) must be thoroughly kneaded and mixed with flour, being careful not to form lumps: the resulting butter should be dry and plastic.
■ The dough should be rolled out at a temperature of 15-17 °C. If it is lower, the layers of butter in the dough harden and crumble when rolled out - the crumbs can tear thin dough, and the oil in the oven will leak. If the temperature is higher, the oil spreads, saturates the dough - goodbye elasticity!
■ The finished cakes are pierced in several places so that they do not swell during baking, they are allowed to “rest” for 10-15 minutes, after which they are baked in an oven preheated to 210-230 °C. Then be sure to cool.
■ If you coat the cakes with cream just before serving, the “Napoleon” will turn out crispy. And if the finished cake is kept for several hours in the refrigerator, and preferably under pressure, it will be “wet”.
Every housewife can make a Napoleon cake from ready-made puff pastry. This one is amazing delicious pastries originally from childhood is not often present on home kitchen, perhaps only on holidays. It's all about the dough, which takes a lot of time and effort, and it doesn't always have the perfect structure. However, now the task of preparing a cake has been made easier by manufacturers of puff pastry - ready-made, ideal density, from which you can make the Napoleon dessert with different creams and taste.
Classic recipe
Puff pastry for classic Napoleon can be yeast or yeast-free. It's all a matter of taste: from dough with yeast, the cakes will turn out fluffy, soft and tender, and from the usual one - dryish, crispy. The taste and texture will largely depend on the cream chosen and soaking time.
Test preparation
To prepare the cake, you need 1 kg of dough (1 large or 2 small packages). The dough is initially sold frozen, so first you need to defrost it by removing it from the package and leaving it for 15-20 minutes.
While the store-bought dough is being prepared, you should turn on the oven to warm up, selecting a temperature of 20 degrees (depending on the oven, the temperature may differ up or down by several degrees). Afterwards, remove the butter from the refrigerator so that it melts slightly at room temperature - it is needed for the cream.
The melted dough must be cut into several equal rectangular parts and moistened with cold water.
To prevent it from becoming covered with bubbles during baking, it is recommended to pierce it with a toothpick over the entire surface during processing.
Each layer should be baked in the oven, setting the time to 12-18 minutes (depending on the power of the household appliance). The finished cakes should have a browned surface and a characteristic aroma. If used yeast dough, the cake will become fluffier and larger in volume as a result of baking.
The finished cakes can be cut into several more pieces to create more layers. While they are cooling, it’s time to prepare a delicious and fluffy classic cream.
DIY cake cream
The dessert cream is prepared from:
- milk – 500 ml;
- eggs – 2 pcs.;
- flour – 1.5 tbsp;
- butter – 20 g;
- granulated sugar – 150 g;
- cream with a high percentage of fat content - 150 ml;
- vanilla sugar - 0.5 packs.
Pour the milk into a suitable container, heat it and pour it out. required quantity Sahara. Cook the milk over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Separately, in a deep bowl, mix sugar with flour and pour in 0.5 tbsp. hot (not boiling water) milk with sugar, then pour into the mixture into the mixture being prepared on the fire.
Cook until completely thickened, stirring constantly so that the mixture is homogeneous and without lumps. The finished mass is removed from the stove and introduced into it butter.
To quickly cool the finished cream, you can put it in cold water.
When it has cooled completely, combine it with pre-whipped cream.
We grease all the cakes one by one with the resulting cream, except for the last one - it is used as a topping. Don't forget to coat the sides. Ready cake sent to a cold place for impregnation (preferably for 24 hours).
With custard
Ingredients for custard They take almost the same as for the classic one, only with the exception of some products.
The dessert is prepared from:
- vanillin – 1 tsp;
- cow's milk – 800 ml;
- sugar – 200 g;
- eggs – 3 pcs.;
- good butter – 30 g;
- ready dough;
- sifted flour - 60 g.
The prepared dough should be cut into equal parts and rolled out with a rolling pin until thin cakes are obtained. They should be baked on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 185 degrees. While the cakes are baking, heat the milk and sugar in an enamel container on the stove and add the egg-flour mixture into it. Cook, stirring constantly until bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the thick mass. After removing from heat, add the recommended portion of butter and vanilla, beat. The custard should be applied to the cakes when cooled.
Place the first cake layer on a large flat plate and brush it thoroughly with cream. Do the same with the rest of the blanks. Turn the last cake into crumbs and decorate the entire surface of the cake, including the sides.
With butter cream
To prepare the cream you will need the following products:
- heavy cream – 200 ml;
- condensed milk – 350 ml;
- packaging of butter.
Preparation of the finished dough is the same as in classic version. The prepared dough should be cut into 8 equal parts, then use a round mold to turn the layers from square to round. Some of the remaining scraps can be used to make another crust, and some are set aside (baked and used for crumbs). The dough is baked at 200 degrees until ready.
Beat condensed milk and softened butter with a mixer until homogeneous consistency. The cream is whipped to a dense foam, after which it is mixed with condensed milk and butter. The cakes are coated with buttercream, sprinkled with crumbs and left to soak for 10 hours.
With butter and sour cream
Square layers of puff pastry are baked in the oven on a greased baking sheet.
To prepare the cream, you should take:
- butter – 200 g;
- full-fat sour cream – 1 tbsp.;
- condensed milk – 1 jar;
- granulated sugar – 180 g.
It is better to bake a cake according to this recipe from ready-made dough, cut into even squares. You need to bake it at a temperature of 195 degrees, for 15 minutes each cut. To ensure that the cakes are even, they should be pierced with a fork or toothpick before baking.
While dessert is preparing, let's start cooking. delicate cream. To do this, sour cream and sugar are whipped into homogeneous mass. A mixture of condensed milk and butter is prepared separately. All components are eventually combined and sent to the cold.
The cooled cakes are coated with cream and set aside for soaking. The longer the cake sits, the more it will become saturated with cream and become juicier and more tender. You can decorate the top with chocolate chips or coconut flakes.
Lazy Napoleon with strawberries
Quick to prepare, lazy Napoleon made from ready-made puff pastry will be a real find if you suddenly need to quickly come up with a dessert for tea or something stronger. To prepare it, you should stock up on puff pastry - 500 g and strawberries in the same quantity.
To prepare the cream use:
- powdered sugar– 5 tbsp. with a slide;
- homemade cream – 400-500 ml.
The previously defrosted and cut into squares layers of dough are baked one by one in an oven preheated to 190 degrees. It is better to place the dough on parchment; if there is none, the bottom of the baking sheet should be greased with oil and sprinkled with breadcrumbs.
Separately, in a container, beat 2 tbsp. cream, adding powdered sugar little by little.
It is forbidden to add all the powder at once, otherwise it will be impossible to whip the cream into a thick foam.
The strawberries are washed separately, cleared of leaves and stems, and then cut into beautiful slices.
The finished cooled cake is laid out on a dish, spread with cream and covered with strawberries. The same is done with the rest of the cakes. The top is decorated with cream and crumbs from the last cake layer.
With mascarpone and cherries
A delicious original cream for the classic Napoleon is prepared from:
- powdered sugar – 200 g;
- granulated sugar – 160 g;
- real mascarpone cheese – 450 g;
- sour cream – 400 ml;
- cherry - 250 g.
If the cake is small, the cream is prepared in smaller quantities. Puff pastry, previously divided into cake layers, is baked in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees. In parallel with baking, the cream is prepared. To do this, use a blender to chop ripe cherries, previously washed and pitted.
Separately combine cheese, sour cream and powdered sugar. Using a mixer, beat it all to a thick, creamy consistency. The bottom cake and all subsequent ones are coated with cream and a layer of cherries. The top and sides of the cake are coated with cream and decorated with blush crumbs.
With cheese cream
Delicate light cream is prepared from:
- coconut flakes – 120 g;
- milk – 1100 ml;
- vanilla sugar – 1.5 sachets;
- eggs – 3-4 pcs.;
- salt;
- white chocolate – 550 g;
- flour – 100 g;
- Mascarpone cheese – 450 g.
While the store-bought dough cakes are baking, milk should be heated in a special container on the stove. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sprinkled with a little salt (literally on the tip of a knife). Then flour is added to the egg mixture and everything is whisked until smooth. 1 tbsp is also added here. heated milk, everything is mixed and combined with the main part of the cow product being cooked on the stove.
When the liquid begins to boil, you need to remove it from the heat and add vanilla sugar with chocolate. Mix everything thoroughly and combine with the cheese, beating everything thoroughly until smooth. All cakes, starting from the bottom, are coated with cream. The top is decorated with crumbs and coconut shavings (you can choose a colored one, creating an interesting pattern on the surface of the baked goods).
With semolina custard
Cake cream with the addition of semolina turns out to be tasty and nutritious.
To prepare it, you should stock up on:
- sugar – 0.5 tbsp;
- milk – 2 tbsp.;
- condensed milk – 250 ml;
- semolina – 80 g;
- butter – 160 g;
- lemon.
While the round puff pastry cakes are baking, let's start preparing the cream. To do this, heat the milk in a saucepan and pour in semolina(in a thin stream so that there are no lumps). Stirring constantly, the mixture is cooked for 4 minutes, after which it is removed from the heat and combined with lemon juice and zest.
When rubbing the zest, you need to be careful not to get the white part of the peel, which gives an unpleasant bitterness.
Beat sugar and butter separately and gradually add condensed milk and semolina mixture. Ready cream the cake layers are coated and the cake is formed.
With condensed milk
There are quite a few recipes for cream with condensed milk for Napoleon cake. They all differ in the method of preparation and the presence of additional components.
To prepare a simple cream with condensed milk you will need:
- butter – 200 g;
- condensed milk good quality– 1 bank;
- package of vanilla sugar;
- a handful of peeled nuts (about 200 g).
Using a mixer, beat the butter, gradually adding condensed milk to it. Afterwards the mixture must be placed on slow fire and cook, stirring constantly. Add nuts and vanilla crushed in a mortar to the prepared and slightly cooled mixture. After complete cooling, the cream is used to spread the cakes.
With whipped cream
To prepare airy buttercream, you will need:
- milk – 600 ml;
- sugar – 220 g;
- heavy cream – 1 tbsp;
- chicken eggs – 2 pcs.;
- starch – 30 g;
- vanilla sugar – 12 g.
In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil (do not boil), then add pre-mixed sugar, starch, eggs and a small amount of milk taken from a container. Cook the cream until it becomes thick, then remove and leave to cool.
When the dough cakes are ready, whip the cream, combine it with the cream and coat the cake. The baked goods will be ready to eat after 3-4 hours.
Almost every family loves Napoleon cake. And how can you not love him? Incredibly tasty, with delicate custard, sprinkled with crispy crumbs - simply delicious! Of course, it takes a lot of time to prepare it, so it is baked, as a rule, on special occasions. To save time, I suggest baking Napoleon cake made from ready-made puff pastry, and make him gentle airy cream from condensed milk, butter and cream.
- 2 packages of ready-made yeast-free puff pastry, rolled into a roll (500 g package)
- 400 g condensed milk (1 can)
- 1 pack of softened butter (180-200 g) 82.5%
- 250 ml cream 33% fat (half the package shown in the photo)
The cake can also be made from one package of puff pastry (from personal experience my reader Gulnara), if possible, roll out thinly and bake 4 cakes. Accordingly, make half as much cream. This cake turns out to be normal in height, but the taste does not suffer.
And today we are preparing a tall Napoleon cake from two packages of dough.
Preparation:
Thaw the puff pastry at room temperature. Carefully unroll the dough roll and cut it into 3-4 equal parts. Using four parts, the cakes will be thinner, which is better for soaking, and the cake, of course, will be tastier. This time I baked 3 cakes from one package of dough.
We select a plate according to the shape of which we will cut out the cake layers, and carefully roll out each piece of dough to a size slightly larger than the plate (I took a plate with a diameter of 22 cm). As practice has shown, it is better to make cakes with an even larger diameter, 24-26 cm. Then, when baking, the cakes will not be so fluffy, and they will be better soaked in cream. Lightly grease the surface on which we roll out the dough and the rolling pin. vegetable oil. Then we transfer the rolled out dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, use a plate to cut out a circle and prick it with a fork as often as possible. Without crushing them, put the puff pastry scraps aside and cover them with some kind of bowl. They will be useful to us.
Place the baking sheet in the oven, heated to 200 degrees, and bake the cake for 15 minutes until light golden brown. In this way we bake 6 cakes. The seventh time I baked all the scraps to shred them and make the topping. Do not cut parchment for each cake, use two at a time. If you have 2 baking sheets, just great, the baking process will workmuch faster, one baking sheet cools down, the other is already in the oven. These are the cakes I got:
A little fluffy, of course 🙂, but after soaking in the cream the cake will settle a little.
Now we will prepare the cream for the Napoleon cake. First, use a mixer to mix condensed milk and butter, softened at room temperature. Turn on the mixer at low speed. Our goal is not to beat, but simply to mix the condensed milk and butter evenly.
In a separate bowl, whip well-chilled cream. If you have them at room temperature, you can put them in the freezer for 40 minutes, preferably not on the bottom of the freezer, but on a stand, on a saucer, for example. In general, it is enough if the cream just stood in the refrigerator for a long time.
Whip the cream until it holds its shape, that is, if you turn the cup over, it won’t spill or fall out. At the same time, be careful not to overbeat the mixture until it becomes buttery.
Then carefully transfer the cream to the mixture of condensed milk and butter and carefully mix with a spatula until smooth.
The cream turned out excellent, soft and airy:
Now we will assemble the cake. Place the cakes on top of each other, generously brushing each cake with cream. We also grease the top and sides of our cake. Don't skimp on the cream, this amount is more than enough.
Chop the baked scraps and sprinkle over the top and sides of the cake. It is convenient to sprinkle it on the side with a silicone spatula, lifting the crumbs from the dish and, as it were, gluing them to the side surface of the cake.
This is the Napoleon cake we made from ready-made puff pastry. Now put it in the refrigerator for 12 hours to soak properly. It would be nice to cover it with something so it doesn’t absorb extra odors. I used a pan that was the right size. 🙂 It is advisable to cut such a cake with a large serrated knife (for fresh white bread). You can also use a long, thin and sharp knife for fish.
I would like to note that Napoleon cake made from ready-made puff pastry is not as soaked as if we baked it according to classic recipe and used custard. But such a goal was not set here, the main thing is that the cake turns out very tasty and cooks much faster than an ordinary Napoleon.
I suggest you look at the recipe for another cake that is very loved in our family - this one with boiled condensed milk. Delicious, just lick your fingers!
That's all for today. Good luck and good mood!
Always have fun cooking!
Smile! 🙂
3.5 cups flour;
400 g butter (not margarine, not spread, but high-quality, real butter);
¾ glass of water;
2 eggs;
5-6 drops of vinegar or citric acid;
1/3 teaspoon salt.
Sift 3 cups of flour onto the table (or better yet onto confectionery parchment)
The book says only 3 cups of flour, sift 2.5 - but then it turned out that the dough was sticky, so I added an additional half cup. It turned out, you need 3.5 in total, sift through 3.
Add salt, vinegar, eggs to the flour, pour in water and knead the dough. Before starting kneading, I poured everything from the parchment into a bowl. It seemed to me more convenient than washing the table later.
The dough turned out soft, it still slightly stuck to my hands, but I didn’t add more flour - and so, compared to the recipe, it turned out to be half a cup too much. And if you dust the table with flour while rolling, the dough does not stick and generally behaves perfectly. After kneading the dough, cover it with a clean towel and leave for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, knead another half a glass of flour with butter.
Sprinkle the table with flour and roll out the dough into a layer 1 cm thick. The dough turned out very nice, tender, soft!
Distribute the butter in the middle of the rolled out dough.
And roll the dough into an “envelope”. First, fold the two sides towards the middle and pinch the edges.
Then we fold the top and bottom edges towards the middle and also pinch them.
To make it more clear, here is a photo from the book of how this is done. You can fold the dough into thirds and repeat rolling and folding 4 times, or you can fold it into quarters and repeat the procedure 3 times.
Carefully, so as not to tear, roll out the envelope evenly into a strip 1 cm thick and 25 cm wide.
Fold the strip 4 times: first the right and left edges to the middle, then both edges to the middle, according to the principle of a book.
Fold the dough in half again, making 4 layers in total.
Place the dough on a floured board and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes. When I prepared the dough for the first time, it was winter, and it was on the balcony, but now it is in the refrigerator.
Then roll out the chilled dough again, fold it again and put it in the cold. And so only 3 times
Repeat the rolling and folding procedure a total of three times.
Homemade puff pastry ready. You can roll it out and form puff pastries, cake layers, bows, tongues, and so on. And it turns out tastier and more flaky than store-bought!
If you roll out the dough to a thickness of 2-3 mm, the cakes will bake for 15-20 minutes. Increase the baking temperature. The book indicates a baking temperature of 240-260C for a 1.5 cm thick cake. For a thin crust, I think 220-230C is enough.
Another nuance: the dough is tender, and it is better to roll out the cakes thinly not on the table, but on a sheet of parchment dusted with flour, and then immediately transfer the cake together with the parchment to a baking sheet.
What can you bake from home? puff pastry?
Oh, a lot of delicious things! :) First of all - real cake Napoleon and cakes of the same name, various puff pastry- for example, with raisins or seeds; puff tongues, corners and bows! And you and I will slowly try all this! :)
Napoleon cake
A simple cream with condensed milk and butter does not fit here, just like butter cream no eggs. Eat special recipe custard for Napoleon cake, which I will tell you now.
Preparation of cream for Napoleon cake:
Ingredients:
The ingredients given are based on two cake layers; if you are baking a full portion (4 cake layers), then double the ingredients for the cream accordingly.
250 ml milk;
1 ¼ cups sugar;
2 yolks;
¾ tablespoons starch;
1 tablespoon flour;
50 g butter.
I leave the recipe in the original, but I added cream to the milk 50/50! This makes the cream creamier
Add vanilla sugar to the milk, which will give the cream a pleasant aroma, and heat in a saucepan or ladle.
Grind the yolks, sugar, starch and flour with a spoon.
Pour the heated milk into the mashed mixture, mix and pour into the ladle again. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
When the cream thickens, let it simmer a little and remove from heat.
When the cream has cooled to the temperature of fresh milk, add the softened butter cut into pieces and beat with a mixer.
The cream for homemade Napoleon is ready, and much more tasty and aromatic than in a store-bought cake.
You can experiment by adding to the cream chocolate chips, nuts or fresh berries(raspberries, strawberries) - or just coat the cakes and let them soak.
In the meantime, all the cakes are ready. Hooray! You can start assembling the cake. Grease each layer of dough with cream and assemble the cake.
We trim the cakes evenly along the edges; the crumbs will be useful for sprinkling.
P.S I’ll add on my own that I cut the dough at the stage of rolling out on parchment and then baked it with them
This is how great homemade puff pastry turns out!
Grind the crumbs by hand.
It is more convenient to assemble the cake on a table covered with parchment, and then move it to a plate.
Spread the cakes one by one with cream, cover with the next cake.
We also grease the top cake and sides of the cake with cream and sprinkle with crumbs.
Now you need to give the cake a couple of hours to soak, or better yet overnight, although I can’t wait to try it!
