Laminated Dough 101

The process of laminating dough can feel intimidating so let’s start with the basics! In Laminated Dough 101, you will learn what laminated dough is, the process of how to make it, the different types of laminated doughs, and tips for working with it.

Overview

When I first started baking, I would shy away from recipes calling for a laminated dough. At the time, the process felt overly complicated and intimidating. As with most new techniques in baking and pastry, it took me jumping in and getting my hands dirty— quite literally— for that intimidation to fall away.

My goal has always been to make baking feel more approachable for people who may find it daunting, especially when it comes to complicated baking concepts. My way of doing that is by not only breaking down the process with step-by-step recipe instructions, but also by fully explaining the “what is” and “why”.

For laminated doughs, it’s best to start with the basics. So, let’s talk about what exactly laminated dough is.

The process for making all laminated doughs is basically the same. It starts with a very simple dough made of flour, water or milk, and salt. Depending on the type of laminated dough being made, sometimes yeast, eggs, and a small amount of sugar are added.

The dough is rolled out flat, then a block of malleable fat (usually butter- also known as a butter block or book) is set on top of the dough. The dough is then wrapped around the butter completely encasing it. It is rolled out again and then folded over itself multiple times. Each cycle of rolling out and folding the dough is called a “turn”.

Simplified processes for making laminated dough exist. In my Beginner Croissants recipe, I call for grating frozen butter over the dough instead of using a butter block. In my Quick Puff Pastry recipe, I call for cutting the cold butter directly into the dough.

These recipes make a slightly less flaky product but still equally impressive and delicious.

The number of “turns” a laminated dough goes through depends on the desired end result. For instance, when making traditional puff pastry you might go through a series of 6 “turns” to create 729 layers within the dough. Or it could go through 7 “turns” to end up with 2,187 layers!

It may seem counter-intuitive to roll out a flaky pastry dough many times over. In the pastry world it is often preached that flaky doughs need to be handled as little as possible. This is to prevent over-developing the gluten which may cause it to be tough. The opposite is true of laminated doughs.

The process of rolling the dough out many times helps the gluten develop which is necessary to create structure in the dough where the layers of steam can be trapped. 

What is the purpose of layering fat throughout dough?

When the cold fat hits the hot oven, the water in the fat starts to evaporate quickly and in return creates steam. The steam is actually the key to the air pockets, flakiness, and rise. As each of the many layers of fat begins to release steam, the pastry begins to rise and the iconic flakiness is created.

Types of Laminated Doughs

These common pastry doughs require lamination and are very similar but with slight differences.

Croissant Dough: Croissants are a French classic! You may be familiar with butter croissants, chocolate croissants (pain au chocolat), and kouign amann. They all use the same laminated dough with different shaping methods.

Croissant dough and puff pastry dough are similar with the exception that croissant dough contains yeast and milk, making it more bread-like.

While puff pastry may go through a series of 6 or 7 turns to laminate the dough, croissant dough typically only goes through a series of 3 turns which creates larger and more distinct layers.

Puff Pastry (also known as classic or traditional puff pastry): Unlike croissant dough, it does not contain yeast or milk. This pastry gets its impressive rise only from the lamination in the dough. A “butter block” (also known as a butter book) is rolled out, inserted into the dough, and then repeatedly rolled and folded.

This dough can be used as a pie crust, for turnovers, or for breakfast pastries.

Quick Puff Pastry (also known as rough puff, easy puff, or blitz puff): A simplified version of classic puff pastry. In order to speed up the process of creating the dough, chunks of butter are cut into the dough (like a pie crust but with larger pieces). The dough is then rolled and folded multiple times.

The results are slightly less flaky than the traditional version, however it is still quite an impressive and delicious pastry.

Danish Dough: Much like croissant dough, danish dough is leavened both by yeast as well as lamination of fat throughout the dough. The main difference between croissant dough and danish dough is the addition of eggs which creates a chewier product.

Danish dough also typically goes through one less turn than croissant dough, creating less puff and slightly larger and more defined layers.

Tips for working with laminated dough

Keep everything cold

The key feature of laminated dough is the defined separation of layers between the dough and fat. If the dough becomes too warm, the dough and fat will start to work together to become one cohesive dough. For laminated doughs, this is not ideal!

To see lots of layers, flakiness, and rise out of the bakes, the dough and fat needs to stay very cold. It’s best to work quickly and use the freezer and refrigerator as a tool.

Don’t skip the resting time

One of the most frustrating parts in making laminated dough is the resting time required between the steps. In some recipes, you must wait several hours between each turn or you may need to let it rest overnight before the dough can be used. This is crucial. If the recipe instructs the dough to rest, it must rest.

Resting the dough allows time for the glutens to relax. It also helps the dough to roll out more easily as well as reduces shrinkage once baked. The chilling time in the refrigerator or freezer is essential in keeping the dough and fat layers cold.

Bake in a hot oven

Make sure that the oven is properly preheated before the dough hits the oven. If it’s not hot enough the butter will slowly melt and seep out instead of causing it to rise and trap the steam within the layers. Most laminated doughs are baked between 375°F/ 190°C – 425°F/ 220°C.

RECIPES USING LAMINATED DOUGH

• Beginner Croissants
• Cream Cheese Breakfast Danish
• Puff Pastry Pop Tarts

Resources

If you want to learn more about laminated dough, here are a few of my favorite pastry books to give you a better understanding of the technique!

• The Baker’s Manual by Joseph Amendola & Nicole Rees
• The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg
• On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee