Khari, puff pastry from Scratch

Khari, a tea time snack is quite popular in India. My grandmother, my mother all would stock khari as it was a must have for the 4pm tea. 🙂 I wasn’t a tea connoisseur in my younger days, however when tea was served with khari for breakfast or evening tea I was the first to jump on chai-khari!

Khari is puff pastry rolled and cut into different shapes. I have been scared of trying out puff pastry, but all my fears seem futile now as I thoroughly enjoyed the process of making this rich, flaky, crunchy pastry that just melts in your mouth.

This recipe has been adapted from Michel Roux’s Pastry. It has now become my go to recipe for making puff pastry having tried it more than twice now.

Makes 1.2 kg dough
Ingredients: I have used half this recipe
500 g flour
400 g butter, very cold
12 g salt
350 ml cold water
24 ml vinegar
50 g butter melted

Instructions:
1. Freeze the butter for about 2 hours or overnight.

2.Put the flour in a mound on a cool work surface and make a well in the middle. Put the salt, wine vinegar, water and melted butter into the well.

Mix the ingredients together with the fingertips of one hand, gradually drawing in the flour with your other hand. Work the mixture with your fingertips to make a dough.

Push with the palm of your hand 5 or 6 times until it is homogeneous. Roll into a ball, cling wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3.Take the cold butter, grate it. Sprinkle some flour and shape into a rectangle and chill for 2 hours.

4.Lightly flour the surface, Make a criss cross on the face of the pastry dough with the help of a knife.
Roll the 4 corners out to make 4 large flaps.

5. Place the butter in the centre of the pastry. Fold the flaps over the butter to enclose it.

I found it easier to work with the dough after chilling it for 2 hours after this step.

Courtesy : Internet

SHAPING THE DOUGH:
6.Lightly flour the work surface again. Roll the pastry away from you to make a rectangle. Fold the ends over the middle to make 3 layers. This is the FIRST TURN.

Image Courtesy:Internest

7.Once more roll the pastry away from you and make a rectangle. Fold into 3 layers again. This is the SECOND TURN.

Cling wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 20 minutes.

8.Roll out the dough to make a rectangle. Make a book fold. This is the THIRD TURN.

9.Roll into a rectangle again and make a book fold. This is the FOURTH TURN. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 20 minutes.

Image Courtesy:Internest

10. Roll out the dough to make a rectangle. Make a book fold. This is the FIFTH TURN.
11. Roll into a rectangle again and make a book fold. This is the SIXTH TURN. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 20 minutes. Dough is ready to use.

Take half portion of the dough and roll into a rectangle. Cut into desired shapes. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 210°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or sprinkle some flour directly over the tray.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden. Reduce the temperature to 100°C and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove and allow to come to room temperature.


Serve with tea!

Bon Apetit!

NOTE: If you intend to freeze the pastry, it is best to do only 4 turns before freezing, and make the final 2 turns after thawing, about 1 hour before using the pastry.