4 cups (1 lb.) whole wheat flour 1 egg yolk

1 small lemon Iced water

2 cups (1 lb.) butter or butter substitute

Make a bay in center of flour, add egg, mixed with strained lemon juice; mix with the hand to a flexible paste, using a little water. Knead lightly until the paste is smooth and elastic and set it in a cold place. Roll out this paste until it forms an oblong about twice the size of the butter. Squeeze all moisture out of butter by wringing it in a clean cloth; bring it to the same consistency as pastry, upon which place it upon one end. Fold pastry over so as to hide butter, roll out till one fourth inch thick and about two feet long. Fold the pastry in three, press edges together, and lay pastry in a cool place fifteen minutes. This is called giving the pastry one "turn", and seven of these is the number usually required for puff pastry. The next time the pastry is rolled, place it with the open ends towards you. Now give it two "turns" and place it in the refrigerator fifteen minutes. Repeat this until the pastry has had seven rolls in all, one turn the first time, and after that, two each time with an interval between. The idea in puff pastry is to have the shortening and the paste separate, so that the pastry will form a kind of sandwich, in which very thin, light layers of paste shall be separated from each other by layers of fat, and the lighter and thinner these layers can be made, the better the puff paste is. It is for the purpose of keeping the pastry films perfect and separate that the pastry is cooled between the "turns." If the paste were to be sticky and the butter hot, the films could not be kept distinct; therefore, between the rollings or turns, puff paste is put in the ice box or in a cool place that the layers may become firm and not mix together in a mass.

Each time the pastry is folded over, a small amount of air is inclosed and retained, if the edges are evenly folded and placed together. These bubbles of air may be seen when the paste is rolled out, and care must be taken not to break the blisters thus formed. The more air inclosed, the lighter and puffier the pastry will be, as the air expands with the heat and sends up the layers. When rolling, keep the pressure of the two hands as equal as possible. After the pastry has received its last roll, it should be placed in the refrigerator for two or three hours before using it, then rolled to the thickness required. This pastry will keep for several days in cold weather, if wrapped in a piece of cheesecloth or a piece of waxed paper.

If very salt butter has to be used, wash it first by kneading it in ice water.

A very hot oven is required for puff pastry. If too slow, the fat will ooze out, and the pastry spread; if too hot, it will burn before it has risen.