Name: Custard Filled Puff Pastry Vol au Vents Recipe
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 170g unsalted butter (chilled and chopped); 100g bread flour; 100g cake flour; 200g all-purpose flour; 25g sugar; 3g salt; 80g cold water; 2 egg yolks; 34g sugar; 16g cake flour; 160g warm milk (heat in the microwave for 1 minute); A pinch of vanilla extract; 14g unsalted butter; 2 egg yolks (for brushing)

Directions

1. Step

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Sift in the cake flour and mix well. Gradually add the warm milk while stirring continuously. Strain the mixture into a saucepan and add a pinch of vanilla extract. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and reaches a boil. Turn off the heat and mix in the unsalted butter until fully incorporated. Transfer the custard to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and let it cool.

2. Step

In a mixing bowl, sift the bread flour. Add sugar and salt, then mix well. Add the chopped butter and mix until the texture becomes crumbly. Make a well in the center and pour in the cold water. Mix until a dough forms. Transfer the dough into a plastic bag and roll it out gently to form a flat square. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Step

Lightly flour a surface and roll out the chilled dough. Fold the dough into thirds (like folding a letter) and roll it out again. Repeat the rolling and folding process several times to create layers. Roll the dough to about 4mm thickness. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

4. Step

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into round shapes using a cookie cutter. Cut smaller circles from half of the rounds to create a ring shape. Stack the ring-shaped dough on top of the whole rounds to create a raised border. Brush the tops with beaten egg yolk. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed up.

5. Step

Let the baked vol-au-vents cool slightly. Transfer the custard cream into a piping bag. Pipe the custard into the center of each pastry. Serve and enjoy!