Flaky Pastry

mixing bowl

200g Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
pinch of salt
125g butter, chilled
8 tbsp cold water
flour, for dusting

Flaky Pastry

1. Put the flour into a bowl, add the salt and stir to combine. 
2. Cut the chilled butter into very thin slices and lay these out on a plate.
3. Take about a third of the butter and add it to the mixing bowl.
4. Using a fork or pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Avoid using your fingers for this.
5. Add the water and stir until the pastry starts to hold together.
6. Gather the mixture into a ball of soft dough. If the dough seems dry add another teaspoon of water or if it is excessively wet, cover and rest for 5 minutes.
7. Dust the work surface with flour, place the dough in the middle and dust it with flour.
8. Gently roll the dough into a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12″ rectangle. 
9. Lay a second third of butter slices across the middle of the dough in lines which just touch. 
10. Run a damp finger all around the outside of the pastry rectangle.
11. Gently lift the left side of the pastry over and onto the middle of the butter.
12. Now lift the right side of the pastry, folding it over so the butter is covered.
13. Press around the edges and pinch together any cracks. 
14. Gently fold the pastry in half, pinching any cracks to make sure no butter is exposed.
15. Dust the pastry with flour, turn it over and dust the other side.
16. For the second time, roll the dough into a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12″ rectangle.
17. Arrange the remaining slices of butter in lines covering the middle of the pastry and finishing 1cm/⅜” from the sides. 
18. Run a damp finger all around the outside of the pastry rectangle.
19. Once again, carefully lift the left and right sides of the pastry over the butter to meet in the middle.
20. Press around the edges, pinching any cracks to make sure no butter is exposed 
21. Gently fold the pastry in half for a final time.
22. Dust the folded pastry with flour and chill for at least 10 minutes or up to 4 hours.
23. Use as per your recipe, making sure flaky pastry bake, is chilled for at least 20 minutes before it goes into a pre-heated oven.