Puff pastry

Mix together the flour and sufficient water to form a soft dough. Cover and chill for 20-30 minutes. Cut the butter into 2mm/⅛” thick slices, spread them out on a plate and refrigerate.

Dust the work surface with flour and roll the dough into 30x35cm/12x14" rectangle. Place half the chilled butter slices, in lines just touching each other, in the middle of the dough. Return the remainder of the butter to the fridge. Fold the left and right sides of the dough over the butter to meet in the middle third and press around the edges to enclose all of the butter. Cover and chill the dough for 20-30 minutes.

For the second time, dust the work surface with flour and roll the dough into 30x35cm/12x14" rectangle. Lay the remaining chilled butter slices in the middle of the dough, so they are almost touching each other. Fold over the dough from either side of the butter to meet in the middle third and press around the edges to ensure the butter is enclosed. Gently flatten the top of the dough with the palm of your hand if it looks lumpy, fold it in half, cover and chill for 20-30 minutes.

For the third time, dust the work surface with flour and roll the dough into 30x35cm/12x14" rectangle. Fold the dough from each side to meet in the middle third making sure that no butter is exposed. Fold the dough in half, cover and chill it for 20-30 minutes.

For the fourth time, dust the work surface with flour and roll the dough into 30x35cm/12x14" rectangle. Fold the dough from each side to meet in the middle third making sure that no butter is exposed. Fold the dough in half, cover, and chill until required.