Classic Puff Pastry

Method

1. Prepare the butter block: chop 500 g of very cold butter (place in freezer for 5-6 minutes) and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Beat the butter with a rolling pin to flatten and make it pliable, then quickly chop it into small pieces and transfer to a stand mixer.
2. Add 150 g of 00 flour to the butter in the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes until the butter and flour form a compact, cold mixture. The mixture should remain cold.
3. Place the butter mixture between two sheets of parchment paper, flatten it into a rectangle about 1 cm thick, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Prepare the dough (parte magra): in the stand mixer bowl, combine 250 g of 00 flour, 100 g of Manitoba flour (or use 350 g of 00 flour if unavailable), 10 g of salt, and 5 g of sugar.
5. Add 220 g of ice-cold water (place water in freezer for at least 10 minutes) little by little, mixing with the paddle attachment until a homogenous dough forms (about 5 minutes). The dough should be slightly sticky.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead it briefly to develop the gluten, then shape it into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
7. After 1 hour, remove the butter block from the fridge. Break it into pieces, return to the stand mixer and mix for 1-2 minutes to regain elasticity. The butter should be cold, soft, and pliable. Flatten it between parchment paper into a rectangle, then refrigerate for at least 15-30 minutes.
8. Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle about twice the length of the butter block (the dough should be double the size of the butter block).
9. Place the chilled butter block in the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the butter to enclose it completely, sealing the edges. There should be openings at the front and back to allow air to escape.
10. Roll out the dough into a long rectangle. Perform a four-fold (fold both ends toward the center, then fold in half like a book). This is the first fold.
11. Turn the dough 90 degrees, roll it out again, then perform a three-fold (fold one third over the center, then the other third on top). This is the second fold.
12. If the dough feels warm or the butter starts to soften, wrap it and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes before continuing.
13. Repeat the rolling and folding (four-fold and three-fold) once more, refrigerating between folds as needed. After the final fold, wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
14. The puff pastry is now ready to be rolled out and used for your desired recipe (e.g., strudel, sfogliatelle).