Breakfast Puff Pastry Cups with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese (2024)

FAQs

Do you brush Puff Pastry with egg or butter? ›

You can brush an egg-wash glaze (1 egg plus 1 tsp. water) over the Puff Pastry to create a rich, golden sheen when baked. Use an egg wash to help seal filled pastries and connect Puff Pastry pieces: mix 1 egg plus 1 tsp. water, brush between layers, then pinch or press together.

Bake the pastries until the puff pastry is a golden brown. This should take about 15 minutes, but keep your eyes on the baking process. When the pastries are golden brown, remove from the oven, and allow them to cool on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes, then serve warm.

Puff Pastry works best when cold. Your hands should be cold, too, when handling it. Run them under cold water or squeeze a plastic zipper-top bag full of ice to cool them off. Try to keep Puff Pastry from becoming too warm when working with it by only using your fingertips—the coolest part of your hands.

Before blind-baking, brush the base with beaten egg or egg white. This causes proteins to form a water resistant layer.

Heat is the enemy of Puff Pastry—it handles best when cold. So avoid working with it on hot, humid days, in a stifling hot kitchen or next to your oven.

You can bake Puff Pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. For a more even rise, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of your pastry as well. How to tell if Puff Pastry is done baking? Take a sharp knife and nick off a teensy piece to test for crispness and flakiness.

When making a pie with a pastry top or lid, choose a dish with a rim and allow the filling to get cold before topping with pastry. Roll out pastry large enough to cover dish and with some spare.

Always bake Puff Pastry Shells in a preheated 425° F oven. Bake Puff Pastry Cups in a preheated 400° F oven for 20 minutes. Do not bake either Shells or Cups in a microwave or toaster oven. See our Tips & Techniques page for more baking tips for Puff Pastry Sheets, Shells and Cups.

Problem: Your Pastry is Hard and Tough

You've added too much water to the flour but not enough fat. It is important to keep the pastry cool during rolling and the oven needs to be hot.

Do you need to flip puff pastry? ›

If bubbles appear on the surface while baking Puff Pastry, prick with a fork to deflate them. Always flip and place the cut side of the Puff Pastry down on the baking sheet.

The trick is to work large pieces of cold butter into dry ingredients and hydrate it all with ice cold water (as if you were making pie crust). Sometimes bakers grate butter into the mix or use a food processor. There's lots of ways to make rough puff pastry.

Bake the pastries at 425°F until puffed: Bake just until you see them puff up and just start to brown, roughly 10 minutes. Baking time will vary based on the size of your pastries and their filling, so keep an eye on them.

Egg wash is a mixture of beaten egg and liquid (usually water or milk) that is brushed onto baked goods like pastries before baking. It adds shine and color and helps to seal up edges. When recipes or cooking directions call for egg wash, knowing why and how to use it will help you get the best results.

An egg white mixed with water is best used for baked goods that would benefit from a nice gloss and just some light golden color. An egg yolk mixed with water will yield a deep golden color (much like a whole beaten egg without any liquid). Using milk or cream will further enhance the color and gloss.

Egg wash is the most reliable but it can be very thick and sticky. Milk wash will go on more evenly but it can soak into pastry and make it weaker. Melted butter works nicely after the crust has set but it can make the crust greasy and weaker.

Follow this tip: Mind the time when working with puff pastry. Also plan to work with small pieces of dough at a time, leaving the rest covered in the refrigerator until you're ready for them. If the pastry you're working with gets too soft, pop it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up.