Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (55 page)

2)
Preparing the butter—after dough has rested 40 minutes

12 ounces (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter

The ½ cup flour reserved from Step 1

A pastry scraper or stiff metal spatula

Beat the butter with a rolling pin to soften it, smear it out with the heel, not the palm, of your hand
, or a pastry scraper or spatula. When partially softened, work in the flour. Butter must be absolutely smooth and supple, yet still cold. Form into a 5-inch square, place at the corner of your working surface, and proceed to the next step.

3)
The dough package

4)
Turns 1 and 2

You now have a package with a layer of dough on the top and the bottom, and a layer of butter in between. Your object is to roll the package out into a rectangle, extending the butter the whole length and width of the rectangle between the 2 layers of dough: beat the package lightly but firmly its length and width with your rolling pin to get the butter moving, dust flour on the bottom and top of the dough, and rapidly roll it out into a rectangle 16 inches long and 8 inches wide. It is now to be folded in three, as though folding a business letter.