This is less rich than puff pastry, and does not take quite so long to make.

Like puff, it is suitable for meat pies, fruit tarts, and various fancy tartlets.

Required: One pound of flour.

Three-quarters of a pound of butter or lard and butter A level teaspoonful of salt. Two teaspoonfuls of lemon juice. Cold water.

Sieve the flour and salt into a basin. Make a well in the centre, strain in the lemon-juice, add a little water, mix these in with a knife, adding more water until the whole is mixed to a stiff dough.

Knead it lightly on a floured board, then roll it out into an oblong piece about a quarter of an inch thick. Put the pat of butter in the centre, fold half of the pastry over it, then the second half over that.

Press the edges together, turn the side having no rough edges to your right hand, roll it out lightly. Fold it again in three, and again roll out. Repeat this folding and rolling until it has been rolled four times. It is then ready.

Between each two rolls, put the pastry in a cold place for a quarter of an hour.