PUFF PASTRY

Wash the butter in cold water and squeeze it in a floured towel into a flat cake. Sift the flour into an earthenware basin, rub two heaping tablespoonfuls of the butter finely into it. Beat up the yolk of the egg with the lemon juice and a little cold water, add them gradually to the flour and butter, making them into a firm paste. Roll out the paste into a long strip, lay the butter on one end of it, wet the edge slightly, and fold the paste over. Fasten the edges well together, turn round, press with the rolling pin, and roll out lengthways; have the paste so that the two open edges are parallel with yourself after folding it in three. Roll from you and never from side to side, using gentle pressure. Then fold in three. Now put the paste to cool for twenty minutes—the friction will have heated it somewhat. Then arrange the paste with the open ends in front of you and again roll out lengthways and fold in three as before. This completes the second rolling.

Repeat for the third and fourth time, then put to cool for another twenty minutes. After this, in like manner, give the fifth, sixth, and seventh rollings, and again cool for twenty minutes. The paste is now ready for the final rolling out.

Before giving the last two rollings sprinkle over it a few drops of lemon juice; each time when rolling the pastry keep all the edges as square as possible.