Soyer's Recipe for Puff-Paste

Ingredients

• To every lb. of flour
• the yolk of 1 egg
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 saltspoonful salt
• cold water
• 1 lb fresh butter

Instructions

1. Put the flour on to the paste-board; make a hole in the centre, into which put the yolk of the egg, the lemon-juice, and salt;
2. mix the whole with cold water (this should be iced in summer, if convenient) into a soft flexible paste, with the right hand, and handle it as little as possible;
3. then squeeze all the buttermilk from the butter, wring it in a cloth, and roll out the paste;
4. place the butter on this, and fold the edges of the paste over, so as to hide it;
5. roll it out again to the thickness of 1/4 inch; fold over one third, over which again pass the rolling-pin;
6. then fold over the other third, thus forming a square;
7. place it with the ends, top, and bottom before you, shaking a little flour both under and over, and repeat the rolls and turns twice again, as before.
8. Flour a baking-sheet, put the paste on this, and let it remain on ice or in some cool place for 1/2 hour;
9. then roll twice more, turning it as before;
10. place it again upon the ice for 1/4 hour, give it 2 more rolls, making 7 in all, and it is ready for use when required.