It’s not often that we at the FFB single-out a manufacturer-developed recipe for the spotlight. But the one we’re sharing today really does deserve special mention. And it’s King Arthur Flour’s 2026 Recipe of the Year…
King Arthur’s Flaky Puff Crust Pizza: Built on their amazing updated streamlined puff pastry…
A nod to ‘newstalgia’
Flaky Puff Crust is described as, “shatteringly flaky [and] pastry-like…”
The recipe’s preamble explains: “The distinct layers are made by incorporating grated frozen butter into the dough as it’s rolled out, folded up, and rolled again to create sheets of butter that puff up as the butter steams. This is the same sort of ‘lamination’ used to make croissants, but in a streamlined, less exacting form.”
This Puff recipe definitely qualifies as a newstagic update – using frozen butter and an accelerated prep process.
The ingredients list doesn’t sound unusual at all. It’s how you handle them that makes a big, big difference.
A ‘secret’ process…
Instead of refrigerating the dough for hours between multiple rolling and folding sessions, this recipe calls for a total of only about 2 hours prep time, and ‘no waiting’. That alone is enough to recommend it! But the result is, “a crust that’s rich yet light and crispy […] and like no pizza you’ve tasted before.”
The main difference with this nouveau puff is that you don’t pause to let it rest in the fridge at all. You simply raise and knead dough and roll it out as directed, in a rough 13 in / 32 cm x 18 in. / 45 cm rectangle before laminating-in the butter. Sprinkle about half of the grated frozen butter onto the sheet and start to fold. (You’ll sprinkle on the rest, later, after another roll-out.) From there, it’s all folding and rolling according to the detailed King Arthur’s Test Kitchen instructions.
My take
If you haven’t started thinking outside the box, by now… May I suggest that one could use this innov-ative Puff for any number of other recipes? Desserts that feature puff, especially, could be enhanced greatly by the light, flaky texture.
I can clearly envision a version of classic Napoleons made with this new Puff. And I’m dieing to try it with my Apple Strudel, Beef Wellington, and strudel-form Tourtière (French Canadian Meat Pie)…
How about some truly-newstalgised tacos, burritos, quesadillas and chimichangas?
Let your imagination loose and find other applications for this great crust / flatbread recipe!
~ Maggie J.