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!
Looks great!
Everything you make looks perfect and really yummy!
Nice looking pastry!
Puff pastry looks easy to do when you make it! Maybe I can work up the courage to try it…..
The site looks fabulous. You’ve got me convinced to try making my own puff pastry next time.
Making puff pastry is my favorite pastry dough! Using good butter, there is no bought version that can touch the well done homemade. Great pot pies. So cute with those pans. Congrats on the new macbook. Todd.
These ramekins are very, very nice. Thanks for the lesson on puff pastry…
Mmmmmm, the pot pie sounds divine!
i have a couple of Le Creuset pots and pan that are used on a regular basis. This covered dish would have good company. I would use it in honor of my mom who no longer resides with us on earth.
Wow – those are incredibly cute and Le Creuset makes the very best !
Thank you for the wonderful puff pastry tutorial! I grew up with puff pastry from the freezer- Mom would use it for guests by filling sheets with spiced ground beef or sauteed apples and baking till browned. People would then cut off their own rectangles for serving.
Now that she lives on her own, I think she would love to make her own little pot pie. Thanks for the giveaway! (even if I don’t win 🙂
I can’t wait to try this. This is exactly what I’m looking for to feed my little ones and yet a perfect stand alone for my wife and I. My little Vivi will absolutely love the bake ware too. Enjoy!
Those pictures are mouthwatering! Good choice on the Macbook – and the little heart cookware is calling my name…!
CUTEST bakeware EVER.
that pot pie looks soooo good
Yum Yum!! Great directions and photos. I may just give this a try when I have a spare Saturday. How cute in that little heart dish.
I love pot pie, and how fun would it be to bake it in that ramekin!
Great tutorial on how to make puff pastry! I used to love doing that. It’s a little more challenging when you live in Florida, but I really have to try it.
Love the le Creuset heart dishes – adorable.
I sooo love Le Creuset and my mom would love this piece. She used to have a few Le Creuset pieces but they were destroyed after one particular move. And the heart shape would really be perfect to give to her for Mother’s Day…it would show that deep down in my heart, I’m always her little girl!
I love Le Creuset and those heart ramekins are adorable. I would love to make my husband something with them.
Hi! I am a working mom that rarely gets time to cook a good wholesome meal. I found your site today and it’s got me really wanting to spend more time in he kitchen. I do make desserts and simple things with my 9yo daughter. I’m sure she would love making pot pies in the cute heart-shaped creuset with my hubby for me on Mother’s Day. She loves doing little things like that!
I just got my first Le Creuset cookware and love it. I’ve been telling my mom how amazing it is so being able to give her one for her to use would be fabulous!
That Le Creuset ramekin is the cutest thing EVER. My husband’s mum loves Le Creuset – this would make the perfect mother’s day gift either for her, or for my own mum with her teeny tiny oven – perfect!
Chicken Pot Pie is a big favorite in our household.
Got my fingers crossed on a lucky draw for the cute Le Creuset ramekins!
LOVE the bakeware and I promise I will try this recipe if I win, lol. It looks delicious, but then everything you make does. :>)
That puff pastry looks amazing and I do love those little heart ramekins!