Mille-feuille (thousand sheets)

Preparation of the flaky pastry

Mix the flour with the salt. Add enough cold water to bring the flour to a soft dough. Leave aside for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough to make a rectangle 12.5cm x 25cm.
Place butter over two-thirds of the rectangle. Fold the third without any butter on it over the middle third of the pastry. Bring the other third on top. Seal the edges with a rolling pin and turn the dough 90 degrees. Roll out again into the same size rectangle as the one you started with.

A mille-feuille is made of 3 layers of flaky pastry and 2 layers of custard.

Fold the top and bottom of the rectangle into the centre, folding the pastry into thirds.
It's the first turn. We now have 3 sheets. Repeat the rolling and place in the fridge to cool for 20 minutes.

Repeat the folding, it's the second turn. We now have 3² sheets. Rest the pastry in the fridge for 20 minutes.

The pastry should have been turned, rolled and folded six times. Rest the pastry in the fridge for 20 minutes between each turning.

The flaky pastry has thus sheets and the mille-feuille has sheets.