Versatile Pastry Dough
This versatile pastry dough combines a yeast-enriched dough with cold butter pieces for a flaky pastry base. Chill it before shaping, then use it for filled pastries or other applications; an egg wash is optional, and the finished pastry recipe should determine the final bake.
Dough
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
| Warm water (105–110°F) | 1/4 | Cup |
| Active dry yeast | 2 1/4 | Teaspoons |
| Oat milk | 1/2 | Cup |
| Egg, room temperature | 1 | – |
| Granulated sugar | 2 | Tablespoons |
| Kosher salt | 1 | Teaspoon |
| Unsalted plant-based butter*, cold and cubed | 14 | Tablespoons |
| All-purpose flour | 2 1/2 | Cups |
Optional Egg Wash
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
| Egg | 1 | – |
| Oat milk | 1 | Tablespoon |
Instructions
- Combine the warm water and active dry yeast and let it stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oat milk, egg, granulated sugar, and kosher salt.
- Stir the yeast mixture into the oat milk mixture.
- Add the all-purpose flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Add the cold butter cubes and gently fold and press the dough just enough to distribute them, keeping visible pieces of butter throughout.
- Lightly knead the dough only until it holds together. Do not work the butter fully into the dough.
- Shape the dough into a disk or rectangle, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Roll, shape, and fill the chilled dough according to the finished pastry recipe you are making.
- If using an egg wash, whisk the egg with 1 Tablespoon oat milk and brush a thin layer over the exposed pastry before baking.
- Bake according to the finished pastry recipe. When no temperature is otherwise specified, 375°F is a practical starting point; bake until the pastry is puffed and evenly golden rather than relying on one universal time.
Notes & Tweaks
*I use unsalted plant-based butter when developing this recipe. Unsalted dairy butter can be used instead if preferred, unless otherwise noted.
This is a base dough. Shaping, filling, proofing or resting details, and final bake time may vary with the pastry that uses it; follow the finished pastry recipe when it provides more specific directions.
