Homemade Sourdough Puff Pastry

Buttery, flaky layers made from scratch—and way easier than you’d think.

The first time I made this, it was just a simple lunch for my toddlers—and they devoured it. I honestly thought I was going to have to run to the grocery store for puff pastry, but then I realized how simple it is to make at home.

With just a few basic ingredients, you can create buttery, flaky layers that are even better than store-bought. And yes, you could absolutely buy the pre-made stuff at the store, but I was pleasantly surprised how easy this is to do homemade. Once you try it, you might not go back! My recipe doesn’t use traditional laminating with butter (which is a pain). Instead your food processor is going to do most of the work. There is some folding involved but I find it much easier than working with a sheet of cold butter.

Let’s get started!

What You Need

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Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (219g)
• 1 teaspoon salt (6g)
• 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed (142g)
• ¼ cup cold water (60g)
• ½ cup active sourdough starter (100g)

Equipment:

• Food processor
• Rolling pin
• Plastic wrap or beeswax wrap
• Measuring cups and spoons

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the dough

In your food processor, pulse together the flour and salt until combined.

Add about half of your cold, cubed butter. Pulse a few times. Then add the rest of the butter and pulse again. You want to see pea-sized chunks of butter throughout—don’t overwork it. You don’t want the food processor to heat up and melt that butter.

Drizzle in the cold water and add your active sourdough starter. Pulse just a few more times until it starts to come together. It’ll look really crumbly at first, but trust the process—it does form into a dough.

Pro tip: I fill up a cup with ice water and let the ice melt down a little, then use that water. The colder, the better!

Step 2: Bring the dough together

Transfer the crumbly mixture to a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, knead the dough just a tiny bit. Try not to do too much because the heat from your hands will work against you.

Form it into a rough dough ball. It’ll look really crumbly at first but keep working it gently and it will come together.

Gather the dough into a rough rectangle shape, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill for 20–30 minutes. This resting time helps the gluten relax and keeps the butter cold.

Note: You can try to skip this chill, but your dough might be a little sticky. Even a few minutes in the freezer can help if you’re short on time.

Step 3: Laminate the dough (create the layers)

This is where the magic happens! Laminating is what creates all those beautiful, flaky layers.

Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the chilled dough into a rectangle about 16 x 10 inches (this is a rough estimate, just a large rectangle is what you are going for). Don’t worry about perfection here, mines obviously far from perfect.

Fold the rectangle into thirds, like a business letter: fold one short side toward the center, then fold the other side over it.

Rotate the dough 90°. Now fold into thirds again, making a rough square.

Wrap the dough and chill for at least 1–2 hours. You can chill longer, overnight is totally fine.

Optional: Long Ferment for Extra Sourdough Benefits

If you want all the gut-friendly benefits of sourdough, I recommend doing a long ferment. This means chilling your dough overnight for at least 12–24 hours. It gives the sourdough time to work its magic and develops a deeper flavor too.

Storage Tips

Refrigerator:

Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, your puff pastry dough will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer:

This dough freezes beautifully! Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag. It will keep for up to 3 months.

To use from frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out.

What Can You Make with Puff Pastry?

Once your dough is ready, the possibilities are kind of endless! Here are some ideas:

Sweet:

• Apple turnovers
• Chocolate croissants
• Cinnamon sugar twists
• Fruit tarts or galettes
• Danish pastries
• Palmiers (elephant ears)
• Pop tarts
• Berry hand pies
• Nutella puffs
• Cream horns

Savory:

• Sausage rolls
• Cheese straws
• Spinach and feta triangles
• Chicken pot pie with puff pastry top
• Ham and cheese pinwheels
• Pizza puffs
• Brie en croûte (baked brie)
• Bacon and egg breakfast pastries
• Empanadas
• Soup toppers (bake a round on top of your soup bowl!)

Kid Favorites:

• Pizza pockets
• Pigs in a blanket
• Mini quiches
• Pinwheels (any filling)

Final Thoughts

I never thought I’d be making my own puff pastry, but here we are! It’s honestly so much easier than I expected, and the results are incredible. Those buttery, flaky layers are worth every bit of effort—and my toddlers agree.

Whether you use it for a quick savory lunch or a fancy dessert, this sourdough puff pastry is a game changer. Make a batch, keep it in the freezer, and you’ll always have homemade pastry ready to go.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you make with it! I’d love to see your creations.

This recipe has honestly inspired me so much. I can’t stop thinking about all the things I want to make with it. So stay tuned because I’m going to be sharing a lot more puff pastry recipes to show you all the different ways you can use it. From quick weeknight dinners to fancy weekend treats, we’re going to have some fun with this one!

Buttery, flaky, and made with love—this homemade sourdough puff pastry will make you wonder why you ever bought the store-bought stuff.