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!
Zoe~
I am new to your site and you too. But, I am SO enjoying it all. You make everything so easy to follow. Loving your program!
Karla
I would love the heart shape pan. I have recently become a stay at home mom thanks to my amazing husband and try to make things from scratch as often as possible.
I have never been on this website before…it wont be my last….I cook at a assisted living for 11 women…They will love the individual pot pies I am going to make them….the heart shape pan would be wonderful to make a pot pie for my hubby…..
Perfect!! I was just looking for a recipe for these exact heart ramekins. So cute! Valentine’s Day, here I come!
This le creuset pot would bring a tear to my mother’s eye. She loves to cook for me. The recipe sounds so good , I may make her a pot pie.
Wow!
Roses are red
Violets are blue
le creuset she said (french accent)
pot pie I love you
Love this recipe! The heart dish is beautiful and I could use it to cook a pot pie for my grandchildren on Mothers day!Thank you for the how to photos!
those heart-shaped ramekins are awesome! i would love to have one!! and thanks for the step-by-step tutorial on how to make homemade puff pastry! i agree, it does not compare to store-bought.
Wow! I’ve always been afraid of making my own puff pastry but this gives me hope 🙂 And those heart shaped pots are truly a nice little touch.
Thanks for your yummy posts. I would indeed love to try your home made pot pie recipe!! My mother is my best friend and truly an angel in my life! I would love nothing more than to serve her dinner in one of your beautiful stonewear hearts! It would be totally unexpected, in lieu of the traditional sweets! You are amazing and I love your site. Sometimes I think you ‘hold’ my marriage together! :)BTW, I made the candied grapefruits – FANTASTIC recipe!
Those look so delicious! and I was just thinking of making chicken pot pie soon too :]
Hey, Zoe, all looks good! Wonderful recipe for the dough, will be trying that for sure. Beautiful Le Crueset-never seen those before! Looking forward to many more recipes!
That pot pie looks mouthwatering! I would love a heart-shaped Le Crueset.
mmmm. potpie is my favorite. We love to make a cheesy ham pot pie as well as chicken. I never thought to make small individual ones.
Zoe, you inspire me! The pot pie photos make my mouth water.
Great tutorial, thanks! I live in Guatemala where we can`t get pre-made foods for most things, so homemade recipes are awesome. I used your fondant recipe for my son`s pirate cake in December and I`ll definitely be making puff pastry in the near future.
I make chicken pot pie all the time. It’s one of the favorites of my kids and the people at work, but I’ve never given homemade puff pastry a try. After your tutorial, I’m going to give it a shot. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi Zoe,
I’m writing this on my iTouch while I’m waiting for my son . You’ll love the MacBook. Graphics & photos are great with it.
I,d love to try the puff pastry although it looks intimidating
Cheer
Marvyl
Hi Barbara,
I just picked the winner for this week. But, I’m doing 4 more giveaways so please try again! You can sign up here: http://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/?p=1904
Thanks, Zoë
I hope I’m not too late. Have always enjoyed pot pies. Now that I am lactose intolerant I have come up with non-dairy substitutes that taste great! I’d love to try out that dish. Thanks for hosting the Give Away.
i love this dish, hearts…love them.
cindy
That heart shaped dish is ridiculously cute! And I NEED potatoes in my Chicken Pot Pie but I have never tried using parsnips…