Three sheets of caramelised puff, vanilla bean crème pâtissière, fondant top with chocolate feathering. Pressure-baking between trays is what gives the flat, shattering layers. Yield: 12 slices at 11 × 4 cm. Assemble as close to service as possible — the pastry starts absorbing moisture from the cream immediately; 4-hour display maximum.
Yield: 12 portions · Prep 120 min · Bake 45 min
Ingredients
500 g plain flour (rough puff)
400 g unsalted butter (rough puff)
210 ml water (rough puff)
10 g fine sea salt
1000 ml full cream milk (crème pâtissière)
2 each vanilla beans, split and scraped
160 g egg yolk (crème pâtissière)
200 g caster sugar (crème pâtissière)
90 g cornflour
50 g unsalted butter (crème pâtissière)
40 g icing sugar (caramelising)
300 g pastry fondant (glaçage)
30 g dark chocolate 55% (feathering)
Method
Rough puff Make rough puff per the foundation recipe (5 single turns with rests). Sheet to 2 mm, dock thoroughly, and cut three 36 × 26 cm sheets. Rest 30 minutes cold before baking to kill shrinkage.
Pressure bake Bake each sheet between two flat trays with a silicone mat above and below at 180°C fan for 35-40 minutes until evenly deep gold edge to edge. The weight stops uncontrolled lift and gives dense, crisp lamination.
Caramelise Uncover, dust with icing sugar, and flash at 220°C for 2-3 minutes until the surface caramelises to a glass finish. The caramel layer is the moisture barrier that keeps the pastry crisp against the cream. Watch it constantly — it burns in seconds.
Vanilla crème pâtissière Make crème pâtissière per the foundation recipe, infusing the milk with the split vanilla beans 15 minutes before straining. Full 90-second boil, butter finish, blast-chill in a thin layer.
Assembly Whisk the cream smooth and pipe parallel 12 mm ropes across the first sheet; second sheet, repeat; cap with the third, flattest sheet, caramel side up, pressing with a tray for 30 seconds to level.
Glaçage and cut Warm fondant to 37°C, coat the top thinly, pipe chocolate lines at 1.5 cm spacing, and draw a knife tip alternately across for the feathered chevron. Set 10 minutes, then portion with a serrated knife in long strokes — never press down.