Ingredients:
Homemade Flaky Rough Puff Pastry
125 grams Butter (divided: 25g and 100g) Grated and frozen
175 grams All-Purpose/Cake Flour
75 ml Cold/Ice Water
¼ tsp Lemon/Lime Juice or white vinegar
Toppings
125 grams Brie
80 grams Prosciutto
4 – 5 Fresh cling peaches Sliced
Honey for drizzling
1 Egg for eggwash
Method
Note: If using pre-made puff pastry, skip to the Assembly section
Homemade Flaky Rough Puff Pastry
Place your block of butter in the freezer 15 – 30 minutes before you start
Add the flour and salt to a large bowl, then grate 25g of the cold butter into the flour. Grate the remainder of the butter (100g) into a separate bowl and place it back into the freezer to chill for use later
With your fingers or a pastry cutter, rub or cut the butter into the flour
Measure out the water, add the lemon juice, then add the liquid to the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, while mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula to bring the dough together. Add enough water to form a firm dough that is not tacky or too wet
Knead the dough on a floured surface for about a minute, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 5 minutes to rest
Roll the dough out into a long rectangle (approx. 20cm x 35cm), then evenly distribute half the grated cold butter onto ⅔ of the rectangle (leaving ⅓ without). Fold the portion without butter towards the middle, covering half the butter. Then fold that same section towards the end, covering the rest of the butter (the same way you would fold a letter in 3)
Turn the dough 90° and roll it out to form another long rectangle, around the same size as before, then repeat the above step with the remainder of the grated butter (you have now incorporated all the butter in two folds)
Next, repeat the folding step another 2 – 3 times to create super flaky pastry. I.e. turn the dough 90°, roll into a rectangle, fold in 3 (letter fold)
Note: Speed is more important than precision as you do not want the butter to melt. On warm/hot days, place the dough in the fridge for a few minutes between folds
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until needed
Note: The dough can be made in advance. It will store in the fridge for a few days, just ensure it is wrapped air tight as not to dry out. Or feel free to freeze for longer storage. Defrost in the fridge overnight when needed
Assembly
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Slice the brie into approx. ½cm thick slices, removing the rind if you wish (set aside. Then halve your peaches, removing the stone, then slicing each half into four slices. Set aside
On a lightly floured surface, roll your pastry out to a roughly 20 x 32 cm rectangle, then transfer the rectangle to a piece of baking paper
Using a knife and a ruler, score a border around the rectangle, approx, 1½cm from the edge. Take care not to cut all the way through. Then use a fork to dock the centre of the pastry. Transfer the pastry on the baking paper onto a large baking sheet
Evenly space the brie on the centre of the pastry. The pieces do not need to touch or fill the whole are as it will melt. Then, using your fingers, shred the pieces of prosciutto into smaller bits and distribute between the cheese. Top with the peach slices
Whisk the egg with a dash of milk then using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on the outer border of the pastry
Finally, drizzle the peaches with some honey
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the pastry is golden and the border is puffed up and flaky
Remove from the oven, drizzle with more honey and serve
Recipe by Vanessa Vermaak @ My homemade Kitchen