Mille-feuille

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Mix 300 g all-purpose flour with 6 g salt, add 140 g cold water and 30 g melted butter and knead quickly into a ball, then cut a deep cross into the top. The détrempe (the base dough before the butter is laminated in) needs only a brief knead so it doesn't become too elastic. The dough is ready when it's fairly smooth and holds the cross-shaped cut.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for about an hour. Resting relaxes the gluten so the dough won't shrink back when rolled. It's ready when it's evenly cold and the cuts have opened up slightly.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Place 200 g cold unsalted butter between two sheets of parchment paper, then pound and roll it into an evenly thick square about 15 cm across. A pliable, flat butter block spreads evenly between the layers of dough. The butter is ready when it bends slightly without cracking and still feels cold.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Open out the four flaps of the cross-shaped cut and roll them into a four-pointed star, leaving the center thicker, then set the butter block in the middle and fold each flap over to enclose it completely. A thicker center keeps the butter from poking through when you fold the flaps over. This step is done when the butter is sealed inside like a neat, sturdy square parcel.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Roll the parcel into a strip about 60 cm long, fold it in thirds, turn it ninety degrees, then roll and fold it in thirds once more; press two fingertip marks into the top to keep track and chill for one hour. Two turns in a row build the foundation of the layers while the butter is still cold enough. The dough is ready when the edges are square and no butter is breaking through the dough.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Place the dough with the folded edge on your left, roll and fold it in thirds twice as before, mark it with four fingertip marks and chill for one hour. Marking the number of turns keeps you from losing count over several hours of work. The dough is ready when it rolls out smooth and even in color.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Make the last two turns, wrap the dough tightly and chill for one more hour. After six turns, the dough has more than seven hundred alternating layers of butter that puff into a thousand leaves. It's ready when it's firm and cold and no longer springs back when pressed.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Heat 600 g whole milk with the seeds and pod of 4 g vanilla bean. Whisk 110 g egg yolks with 130 g granulated sugar and 50 g cornstarch, pour in the hot milk, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the cream boils, cook for one more minute, then turn off the heat, fish out the vanilla pod and stir in 50 g unsalted butter. The cream needs to be thicker than usual so the layers stand up straight. It's ready when it's very thick and glossy and holds its shape when scooped.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Spread the cream on a tray, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for about two hours. Only thoroughly chilled cream is firm enough to pipe into even rows. It's ready when it's evenly cold and turns smooth and pliable when whisked again.

   Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Roll the dough into a rectangle about 32 by 42 cm and three millimeters thick, set it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, prick it all over with a fork and refrigerate for twenty minutes. Pricking helps the pastry rise evenly into thin layers instead of puffing up high. The sheet is ready when it's flat, cold and doesn't shrink at the corners.

    Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Preheat the oven to 190°C and have another sheet of parchment paper and a second baking sheet of about the same size ready. The second sheet goes on top of the pastry so it bakes evenly flat. The oven is ready when the temperature is steady.

    Mark step 11 as done

12. Step 12

    Lay parchment paper over the pastry, set the second baking sheet on top and bake at 190°C for about 25 to 30 minutes. The weight of the sheet keeps the layers thin and compact, creating the signature shatteringly crisp texture. This step is done when you lift the sheet and the pastry is evenly golden brown and dry.

    Bake at 190°C for about 25 to 30 minutes.

    Mark step 12 as done

13. Step 13

    Remove the top baking sheet, sift 30 g powdered sugar evenly over the pastry, raise the oven to 230°C and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, watching it minute by minute. The sugar melts into a thin layer of caramel that protects the pastry from moisture and adds flavor. The pastry is ready when the top is glossy and amber with no burnt black patches.

    Bake at 230°C for about 3 to 5 minutes.

    Mark step 13 as done

14. Step 14

    Let the pastry cool completely, then use a serrated knife to cut it into three equal strips, each about 10 cm wide, trimming the edges neatly. Three equal strips let you stack the layers in a straight line. This step is done when you have three straight-edged strips with no breaks.

    Mark step 14 as done

15. Step 15

    Spoon the cream into a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe rows of cream dots side by side to cover the first strip of pastry, lay the second strip on top, pipe another layer of cream, then top with the third strip, flattest side up. Piping dots keeps the cream layer evenly thick and makes the sides look beautiful. The pastry is ready when the layers stand straight and the cream shows evenly on both sides.

    Mark step 15 as done

16. Step 16

    Melt 30 g dark chocolate and spoon it into a small piping bag. Stir 160 g powdered sugar with 25 g water into a thick, smooth icing, spread it over the top of the pastry, then immediately pipe parallel lines of chocolate across it and drag a toothpick through them in alternating directions. You have to work quickly while the icing is still wet so the chocolate feathers beautifully. The top is ready when it's covered in smooth white icing with a crisp chevron pattern.

    Mark step 16 as done

17. Step 17

    Refrigerate the pastry for about an hour, then cut it into eight pieces with a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion instead of pressing down hard. Chilling firms up the cream so it doesn't squish out when sliced. Each piece is ready when its three layers of pastry and two layers of cream stay neatly stacked.

    Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

    Mark step 17 as done