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!
That looks fabulous and super cute in the heart shaped dish.
That looks super yummy. You definitely earned mom of the year with that one. I’ll definitely have to try it for some special occasion or other.
What a cute pot pie! I love the step-by-step photos.
Thanks so much for the chance to win that cutie pie ramekin.
I’d like to try the puff pastry . . . if only to experience/taste the homemade ONCE! Thank you for the tutorial and the encouragement. And congratulations on the new Macbook.
yum, i love chicken pot pie .. that heart dish is sooo cute.
Wow – that looks amazing. Puff pastry is still one of those things that’s in the “I’ll let someone else make it” category, but I love the little heart ramekin dish. Thanks for posting this!
I heart the heart shaped baking dish
Beautiful puff–I’ve not made it that way–I do the wrap the puck o’butter in the envelope o’ dough. Just went through a primer over at my place too. The Hinternet is full of serendipity! Lovely pot pies; like the heart shape 🙂
I have always wanted to make my own puff pastry — thank you for pointing the way!! I would love to win this for myself — as my mother doesn’t love to cook, I would love to cook in it for her, what a treat!
Love the heart shaped pot and love love love chicken pot pie!
The step-by-step instructions make me want to try making a pastry dough.
Your puff pastry looks amazing. I have always wanted to make puff pastry, but I was always too intimidated too. You made it look so easy. I am definitely going to try to make it!
Of course my mom and/or I would both love a Le Creuset cookware. The puff pastry looks yummy too!
Oh this looks so good and so easy to make!!! The heart shaped bowls make it look even better..
Hi Zoe! The pot-pies look lovely, and I know my mum would love a heart-shaped dish. 🙂 I can’t wait to try the puff pastry, though it might have to wait until summer holiday. I love my job but it doesn’t leave a lot of time for playing in the kitchen. 🙂
I think if I won this, I’d keep it for myself as these days my mom tends to enjoy letting me cook dinner now 🙂 Plus my love for all things Le Crueset is much deeper than hers, which is ok…I’ll find something great for her mother’s day gift!
The little heart shaped pot is darling. I love chicken pot pie and am excited to try my hand at the puff pastry. Steph
Oh My! I’m pregnant and have been craving a good chicken pot pie for weeks, especially today and now I just found this on food gawker… if only I had the energy to make it! Looks delicious!
So cute! And the pot pie looks killer, too! I would particularly like a ramekin as I *used* to have some great red le Creuset ramekins (not heart-shaped though) until SOMEONE (ok, my ex) “accidentally” took them with him after we broke up… and I have not yet been able to secure replacements.
OMG!! That Le Crueset is beautiful!!! I’d never seen that one! My mom and I would love it in our kitchen. We had to save a lot of money to buy our big orange one!
Congratulations on your blog. I love comming here and reading your posts and recipes!
That is the cutest ramekin ever! I am way too intimidated to try the puff pastry though. Yours looks perfect. Maybe someday I will attempt it; thanks for such detailed instructions.
Just made pot pie last night, but yours looks so much better with the puff pastry!
I have tried puff pastry a few times and am not 100% satisfied with the results. I know it will take practice and am not opposed to trying again and again until I get it right. I am going to try following your directions to see if it works out better for me. I would also LOVE to be a winner of the little Le Crueset pot. I will keep my fingers crossed!!!
I always thought puff pastry was so hard to make. The pot pie looks delish.
OOhhh La la…I love it. The heart shape is adorable and the Pot Pie is the Cats Meow!! Great Giveaway. I loove your Blog. I found it on Foodgawker.