Puff Pastry

Method

1. Sift together the flour and the salt and rub in the lard. Stir in enough of the water to make a soft dough, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes.

2. Put the butter between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper and flatten out with a rolling pin until it is a rectangle 10 x 7.5cm/4 x 3in.

3. Roll out the dough to another rectangle that measures 12.5 x 25cm/5 x 10in.

4. Take the butter out of the paper and put on the dough rectangle. Bring the corners of the dough together to make an envelope. Chill for 10 minutes.

5. Roll out the envelope on a floured surface to make a rectangle that is 3 times longer than it is wide. Fold one third into the middle and then the other third on top. Seal the edges lightly with a rolling pin and turn the pastry 90 degrees.

6. Repeat stage 5 and chill for 30 minutes.

7. Repeat this rolling and folding twice more and then chill for another 30 minutes and then do two more - the pastry will have been rolled and folded six times altogether.

8. Now roll out and use as required.

9. It is important that the pastry is well chilled otherwise the pastry will become greasy and tough when baked. Also the butter might come through the surface, if this happens, dab on a little flour.