Apple turnovers

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Mix 250 g all-purpose flour with 4 g salt, add 200 g very cold unsalted butter cut into two-centimeter cubes and toss so the flour coats every piece without squashing the butter. The large, intact chunks of butter will be rolled into thin sheets that make the pastry puff. The mixture is ready when every cube of butter is coated in white flour and still holds its shape.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Drizzle in 120 g ice water and toss gently with a pastry cutter or fork until the dough gathers into a lumpy mass. It is normal for the dough to look rough at this point, because the rolling and folding to come will gradually smooth it out. The dough is ready when it holds together in a shaggy mass with large lumps of butter clearly visible.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Press the dough into a flat rectangle, wrap it well and refrigerate for about thirty minutes. The dough needs time to hydrate evenly, and the butter must firm up before the first roll. It is ready when it feels evenly cold and no longer sticks to your hands.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   On a floured surface, roll the dough into a long strip about three times as long as it is wide, fold it in thirds like a letter, turn it ninety degrees and repeat once more. Each roll and fold stretches the butter into thin sheets sandwiched between layers of dough. The dough is ready when it starts to look smoother and long streaks of butter run along the surface.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Wrap the dough again and refrigerate for another thirty minutes. Resting between folds keeps the butter from melting and stops the gluten from making the dough shrink. It is ready when it has firmed up and is cold all the way through.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Roll and fold in thirds two more times as before, remembering to turn the dough after each fold, for a total of four letter folds. Four folds create hundreds of buttery layers, enough for the pastry to rise tall and stay shatteringly crisp. The dough is ready when it is evenly smooth with square edges and only a few thin streaks of butter left.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Wrap the dough tightly and chill it for thirty more minutes before rolling it out to shape. Well-rested dough will not shrink after cutting and keeps its neat shape. It is ready when a corner you roll out as a test does not spring back.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Peel 500 g apples and cut them into one-centimeter cubes, sauté them with 20 g unsalted butter over medium heat for about five minutes, add 60 g brown sugar and 2 g ground cinnamon, then stir in 8 g cornstarch mixed with 10 g lemon juice and cook for one more minute. Precooking draws moisture out of the apples so the pastry does not turn soggy and the filling does not make the turnovers collapse. The filling is ready when the apples are tender but still hold their shape and the juices have thickened around them.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Spread the apple filling on a wide plate and let it cool completely, about thirty minutes. Hot filling would melt the butter in the pastry and make the layers stick together. The filling is ready when it feels cool at room temperature.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Puff pastry needs a very hot oven so the water in the butter turns to steam and pushes the layers apart. The oven is ready when the heating light goes off.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Roll the dough into a rectangle about three millimeters thick and cut it into eight squares about 12 cm on each side, then place a heaping spoonful of apple filling toward one corner of each square. Placing the filling off center makes it easy to fold the square diagonally without the filling spilling to the edges. Each square is ready when the filling sits neatly on one triangular half with about one centimeter of clear border.

    Mark step 11 as done

12. Step 12

    Brush a little water around the edges, fold each square diagonally into a triangle, press the edges firmly with a fork, cut two or three small slits in the top and arrange the turnovers on the tray, chilling them for ten minutes if the dough has softened. Firmly sealed edges keep the filling inside, and the slits let steam escape. They are ready when the edges are sealed tight with clear fork marks and the turnovers are still cold and firm.

    Mark step 12 as done

13. Step 13

    Brush 50 g beaten eggs over the tops, keeping it from dripping down the cut edges, then sprinkle with 15 g granulated sugar. The egg gives a glossy golden color and the sugar adds a crisp, sparkly top. The tops are ready when they are evenly glossy and speckled with sugar.

    Mark step 13 as done

14. Step 14

    Bake at 200°C for 20 to 25 minutes, until the turnovers have puffed up high and turned deep golden. Baking long enough dries and crisps the inner layers too, not just the outside. They are done when you can see distinct layers from the side, they feel light when lifted and the bottoms are brown.

    Bake at 200°C for about 20 to 25 minutes.

    Mark step 14 as done

15. Step 15

    Move the turnovers to a rack and let them cool for about fifteen minutes before eating. The apple filling inside is very hot and needs a little time to thicken. They are ready when the pastry is fully crisp and the filling no longer burns your mouth.

    Suggested time: about 15 minutes.

    Mark step 15 as done