Puff pastry question

Bleah on the blitz method. I don't know what you mean by "french" method, but if that's the method where you roll the butter in, fold, fold, fold. then that's the way to go. It's time consuming (not so much if you have a sheeter). As long as your butter is cool, but pliable, and your refrigerate in between each fold (for 30 minutes at least), you are guaranteed a puff that will rise. The only way to tell if your batch of puff will rise is to put a tiny bit of it in the oven after you're done folding, and see what it does.

The difference between French Method and the English Method for making Puff hinges mainly on the lamination shape.

I use the blitz or rough puff for pies, sausage rolls and tart bases for which it is very good.

Lamination shape? Please explain. Why would you want to laminate the dough in any other shape than a rectangle? It the most efficient shape to work with.

I agree that blitz puff would work well with pie crusts, tarts, and sausage rolls, but basically isn't that the same thing as a short crust?

The way I was taught to make rough puff was, simply to freeze the butter then grate it into the flour,  bring together with your liquid quickly..You then roll when the butter chips are still hard.

This is the best I could do for the lamination shapes.

http://www.bakeinfo.co.nz/Facts/Pastry/Puff-pastry

...which is basically the cut method. great for scones, short crust, etc.

but if you want real layers you need some kind of lamination where the gluten is developing separately as a network in between the fat, and the gluten needs to relax properly in between each major shaping or funky things happen (thus the need for 30 min chill or other means).

the rectangle shape can be achieved many ways, but it's just about even distribution of fat and dough, and the much more critical component in achieving that is the temperature of both, they need to be similarly maluble. the fat needs to be soft enough, and the dough needs to be hard enough so that when you roll it out it all spreads evenly.

>> (http://player.vimeo.com/video/44391897)

because flour is always different, hydration is a matter of achieveing the right consistency. you should add liquid at the end, and only until the desired consistency is achieved (you can't take liquid out once its been added). but i'm sure given the right (processed) products there is a formula that works everytime. it should be light, airy but still come together as a dough (but ideally, only just). when i make scones/biscuits my biggest concern is to handle it the least possible - fold the mass maybe twice or three times maximum before shaping, the more you work it, the more the separation between fat and gluten network separates and thus the less your product will rise/layer/etc.