House Feuillete Recipe

Make rough dough

In a large bowl, combine flour and 1 tsp salt. Add the cold cubed butter and toss to coat. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse peas with some larger butter pieces remaining (pea- to almond-sized).

Add ice water

Drizzle the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the flour-butter mixture and gently mix with a fork until the dough just comes together in a rough, shaggy mass. You may not need all the water; stop when pieces cling together but are not fully smooth.

Turn out and fold (laminate by hand)

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press into a rough rectangle. Fold the rectangle into thirds like a letter. Rotate 90 degrees, press again into a rectangle, then fold into thirds. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes to relax and firm up the butter.

Roll and fold, repeat

After chilling, roll the dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds as before, rotate, and roll again to 12x8. Repeat this roll-and-fold sequence 2 more times (total 3 series). Chill wrapped for at least 1 hour or overnight. This creates a laminated feuilleté-style pastry.

Final roll

When ready to assemble, roll chilled dough to about 1/8-inch (3 mm) thickness on a lightly floured surface to a roughly 12x12-inch square. Trim edges to make a neat square if desired.

Roast garlic

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the top 1/4 off each garlic head to expose the cloves. Place heads on foil, drizzle with the 4 tsp olive oil, wrap loosely, and roast 35–45 minutes until very soft and golden. Cool slightly.

Extract and purée

Squeeze the roasted cloves from their skins into a small bowl. Transfer roasted garlic to a blender or use a hand blender; add 2 tbs unsalted butter and 1 tbs heavy cream. Purée until smooth. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, tasting and adjusting. If mixture is too thick, add up to 1 tsp water or cream to reach a spreadable consistency.

Warm gently (optional)

If you prefer a warmer spread, gently warm the purée in a small saucepan over low heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring; do not boil.

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment. Beat the egg with 1 tsp cold water to make an egg wash and set aside.

Spread garlic purée

Place the rolled pastry square on the prepared sheet. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread an even layer of roasted garlic purée over the pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.

Seal edges

Lightly brush the 1/2-inch border with egg wash. Fold the border up slightly over the edge of the garlic layer and press gently to seal a rim so the filling stays in place while baking. Optionally, use a fork to lightly score a decorative ridge around the perimeter (do not pierce pastry through).

Egg wash and scoring

Brush the entire surface of the pastry (including the border) with egg wash. Using a sharp knife, very lightly score a shallow diamond or crosshatch pattern on the central pastry (again, do not cut all the way through). This helps puff and looks decorative.

Bake

Brush melted butter lightly over the rim. Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack for 18–22 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden and puffed; watch carefully so garlic purée doesn't burn at the edges.

Finish and season

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the center with the smoked Maldon sea salt. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Sprinkle the snipped fresh chives evenly across the top.

Serve

Cut into squares or rectangles. Serve warm or at room temperature as an appetizer or accompaniment. Leftover pastry can be reheated briefly in a 325°F (160°C) oven to refresh the crispness.