Day 33

I learned to make Blitz Puff today.  It's made up a lot like flaky pie dough, cutting the butter into the flour before adding the liquids and all, but then you turn it like other laminated doughs.  I wish I had taken pictures of the dough before I did my first turn, it doesn't look like something that's going to turn into...anything.  The chunks of butter are 1" cubes and it just looks like a big, lumpy mess.  

While the normal puff dough takes a couple of days to make properly, blitz puff can be made in about an hour and a half.  It doesn't get the height or the fine quality of the other puff but it's great in an "OMG, I'M OUT OF PUFF DOUGH" pinch.
We mainly made two things with the blitz.  The first is an upside-down tart called a Tarte Tatin.  First, you make a caramel....

Looks yummy, right?  Like the dough, it's hard to believe this will become anything

Then it gets even nastier looking

Until, finally, the sugar melts and it comes together

Halved apples are added to the caramel

The apples get covered in a puff dough circle and it all gets baked just like this (this is already baked, obviously)

Then you turn it out into another pan and this is the finished product

Chef says these are usually served as an individual thing with half an apple, which would be much easier to eat.

I also made Pithivier (pi-ti-vee-ay) which was VERY tasty!

It starts with a well-docked (fork-poked) round of puff

Then that gets covered in frangipane (almond paste mixture) and topped with another round of puff dough

The edges get scalloped and a design is made on the top (mine is a little rough, I went a bit deep on the top lines)

and it bakes into this beautiful, fluffy thing.  It's really light and airy and would be great with fruit!

That, sadly, is it for laminated doughs.  Tomorrow, though, we start Pate A Choux (pot-a-shoo)!!