Name: Shortcut Puff Pastry
Yield: Makes 26 oz.
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. sugar; 1½ tsp. kosher salt; 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface; 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter

A cherrywood rolling pin and a young woman's hands rolling out a folded length of pastry.

Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

To get an incredibly flakey, multi-layered puff pastry that's better than the store-bought stuff, but not as labor- or time-intensive as the real deal, try our cheater's version: You don't need to a beurrage (a.k.a. big butter block) or a laminator—just a box grater and some self restraint. (There's no need to smash the butter to smithereens—it’s those large pieces that make for a flaky pastry!)

Recipe notes

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