There are very few things that say comfort food like a chicken pot pie. I go for the classic combination with chicken, peas, carrots and a parsnip for flare, in a rich creamy white sauce that is made with fresh thyme and parsley. The whole thing is draped in a crust of homemade puff pastry. It is this last detail that transforms this bastion of Americana into something utterly sublime. The mille feuilles (thousand leaves) of pastry are baked as a golden brown crown that adds the flaky contrast to the creamy stew below. Seriously folks, it got me mother of the year status in my house! 😉
Puff pastry is the ultimate dough in any home or professional kitchen. One that is not at all difficult to make, but it requires some of your time and a bit of your patience. The store bought version may be convenient but it will leave you feeling lackluster, while the homemade dough will make you weep. In order to get the flaky puff that gives this dough its name, you must diligently “laminate” layers of dough with layers of butter, about one thousand in all. It is the butter that create steam as the dough bakes, which causes all the layers to separate into a flaky crust. Once you work with and taste the pastry you will understand why it is worth every moment that goes into its preparation. I make a batch that will easily prepare pot pie for dinner, a napoleon for dessert and flaky caramelized palmier to dip into my morning coffee. Or, the dough can be frozen for a month.
Do you have pie questions or need to troubleshoot your recipe? Check out my guide on how to make pie crust.
I’ve made several pot pie recipes and this time I tried one from Christopher Kimball’s latest kitchen tome The Cook’s Country Cookbook. It is a very simple and fast recipe that makes a chicken pot pie worthy of my puff pastry. I baked it in these fabulous individual red Le Creuset Stoneware Heart Ramekin with Cover.
Puff Pastry by Zoë
Dough layer:
2 ounces (1/2 stick) soft unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups (11 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (3 3/4 ounces) cake flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup cold water
Butter layer:
1 pound (4 sticks) soft unsalted butter – not so soft that the stick can’t old its shape when picked up.
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1. Make the dough by putting the 2 ounces of butter, flours, salt and water into your Stand Mixer
with the Dough Hook
2. Press the dough out onto a sheet of parchment or a Silpat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. While the dough is chilling prepare the butter layer. Mix together the 1 pound of butter, 2 tablespoons of flour, and salt until very smooth. there should be no hard lumps of butter.
4. Once the dough is chilled Roll it out into a large rectangle that is 1/8-inch thick, about 12×18-inches. Spread the butter over 2/3 of the dough with an Offset Spatula. Be sure to leave about 1/2-inch border around the butter.
5. Now you need to “lock in” the butter, so that it won’t leak out of your dough while you are working with it. Fold the 1/3 of dough that has no butter over the middle 1/3.
6. Fold the last 1/3 of the dough over the middle again. Press the edges shut, to lock in the butter.
7. Place the dough back onto the tray and cover with plastic wrap. refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. You should check after 20 minutes to make sure the butter is not getting too hard.
8. Take the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to the 12×18-inch rectangle again on a lightly floured surface. Be sure that you are careful not to squeeze the butter out of the ends of the dough. In fact, you want to avoid the edges as much as possible as you are rolling.
9. Before you begin folding the dough brush the excess flour off of the dough with a Pastry Brush.
10. You are going to fold the dough in thirds again, like a letter. Start with one end and fold it over the middle section. Brush off the excess flour. Fold over the other side.
11. Gently roll the dough out a little bit so that the layers will chill faster when you stick it back into the refrigerator. Sometimes you can roll it quite a bit and others the butter is too soft or hard or the dough is resisting. If the dough is resisting, give up and cover it with plastic.
12. Now you have completed your first “turn” of the dough and you need to mark it as such. It is traditional to make an indentation in the dough, either with your finger or the blunt backside of a knife. If you are using parchment paper you can mark the turns right on the paper.
You need to repeat steps 7-12 a total of 5 more times, you will have 6 full turns by the end. As the layers of butter get thinner and thinner the time needed between turns in the refrigerator gets shorter. By the final turn you will only need to let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. If your dough is behaving well, you may even get 2 turns in one go. Don’t rush the dough, it is best to keep the dough chilled.
Now your dough is ready to use or freeze.
To make and bake the Pot Pie:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Use the pot pie recipe of your choice.
Cut the puff pastry dough in half. Roll out one half until it is 1/8-inch thick. Wrap and refrigerate or freeze the other piece of dough. It will last in the refrigerator or about 3-5 days, frozen it will last for a month.
If you are using the heart shaped baking dishes you can measure the outside of the lid and that will give you the right size dough. For any dish without a lid you need to measure the dish and make sure the dough measures about a 1/4-inch wider than the dish on all sides. As the dough bakes it will rise quite a bit and shrink in width. BTW-you will not use the lids for baking this!
Fill the baking dish with your filling, nearly to the top, but not quite.
Top with the dough. Tuck it into the pot so that it isn’t hanging over the edges.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the pastry is a golden brown.
Enjoy!
The tutorial is fantastic! Puff pastry’s been on my list for quite a while (I finally made the ricotta last week after reading about it here ohh a year ago or so? ha!). Thanks for the great step-by-step!
Ooh I haven’t had chicken pot pie in more than 5 years!! The pictures make my stomach growl 😛 I never knew what a Le Creuset pan was, but now I am curious. It would be great to bake a chicken pot pie for my mother for Mother’s Day 😉
That pot pie looks delicious! I’m actually craving some right now,but have run out of bits and pieces to make it with 🙁
Still, here’s to comfort food!
Homemade puff pastry…I’m impressed! 🙂 Of course, when you have an adorable little pot like yours, I can see why you’d want to go the extra mile.
Looks delicious…Those heart shaped ramekins look absolutely lovely. I too have made some individul pot pies but not in heart shaped ramekins…Too cute!
So lovely! I have a chicken pot pie up on my blog too — the last bit of winter comfort food 🙂 But you WAY outdid me with homemade puff pastry!
Oh that chicken pot pie looks yummy! That Le Creuset is so cute as well. I’d love to have it!
Looks fantastic. Cooks Illustrated is such a good publication!
That looks amazing! You can almost smell it through the computer screen! My mom would LOVE one of these for mothers day.
Yum! Perfect in the little red heart.
Absolutely love your blog – many days it feels like a quick taste of Cordon Bleu School!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Cutest EVER!
Wow! Thanks for the puff pastry how to guide – I think I’ll give it a try soon.
wow – i have been looking for a homemade puff pastry recipe, this is perfect! thx so much 🙂
My mom has always wanted a Le Crueset pan, but has never been able to afford one. It would be wonderful to be able to give her this sweet little pan for mother’s day!!!!
YUMMY! Going to have to try this one, certainly seems easy enough. The ramekins are very cute, what fun it would be to win! Thanks for sharing your talents with us in Cyberland.
Super adorable! Great comfort food made with love
Oh my, It’s not that I want this, I NEED it, oh my. Too cute!
I make pot pies often here in rainy Oregon. Shepard’s pie would be good baked in one of these cute ramekins as well. I’d love to win, wish me luck.
wow! gorgeous…we love pot pies in this house, but these are much more beautiful that mine 😉
followed a link over from tastespotting to check out your recipe, but while I am here sure I would love a chance to nab one of those le creusets. whose wife WOULDN’T love it? I know mine would.
keep up the nice work!
I just came across your blog and that pot pie looks AMAZING!
I need those ramekins in my life. They make my heart melt.
I’ve always wanted to make my own puff pastry but with the weather here (heat and humidity) I’ve always been nervous to try! Maybe I should rethink 🙂
Love this pot pie!
i’d love to give this to my mom!
this is so glam.
i love the candy-apple red of the ramekin (:
just another reason to start baking again like i used to!
The red heart ramekin is awesome!!! I never would have thought of making a pot pie in one! Love it!
those are the sweetest pot pies/ramekins i’ve ever seen!