Whole Wheat Puff Pastry

[chickenlady]

We are catering a wedding this weekend and are considering doing a summer vegetable strudel-type dish using puff pastry as our vegetarian entree. However, the bride has requested whole grain and organic products only. We can get a pass on the organic requirement, but we'll need to rethink the dish unless we can get whole wheat puff pastry. Does it exist? Not that I have the time or space or inclination, but can it be made or are whole grains too heavy?

Thanks for any help!

[JasonTrue]

I have seen whole wheat puff pastry in Germany, but I'm not sure if many companies are producing it for foodservice applications in the U.S.

With yeasted laminated dough it's also possible to make whole wheat croissants, which I used to indulge in as a student in Germany even at the supermarket bakery. For your planned dish, I think you'd be in ok shape either with puff pastry or laminated dough.

You may have a hard time finding it "off-the-shelf", though, and I'm still not patient enough to make puff pastry myself; in spite of a willingness to take on far more elaborate projects, I've never been very successful making puff pastry.

Whole wheat pastry flour is very helpful for pie recipes, so I imagine it would be good to use that rather than bread flour.

[chiantiglace]

whole wheat flour and whole grains are different. If you were putting whole red wheat berries in your puff pastry it wouldnt work because you wouldnt be able to roll it consistently. The grains would cut into the dough leaving scours, it would probably just be a mess. On the other hand whole wheat FLOUR (meaning milled) could do fine. You can also find organic white flourim sure at a "organic" or probably a vegetarian market.

Another thought, if by chance you find yourself making it, laminated yeast doughs as mentioned are probably a we bit simpler. ANd BLITZ puff pastry is a great deal easier for use in operations not needing a great deal of uniform.

[Pam R]

I don't know about puff pastry, but I do know that you can get whole wheat filo dough. We are also catering a wedding this weekend - the guests are getting salmon in filo - the vegetarians are getting our vegetable strudel in filo - works well.

Good luck!

[fiftydollars]

I looked around long and hard when I needed it and ended up having to make it.

Arrowhead Mills sells a whole wheat pastry flour that is widely available in my part of California. I got great results despite using the whole wheat flour and going at it the old-fashioned, large rolling pin way.

Edited August 31, 2005 by fiftydollars (log)

[CanadianBakin']

Another thought, if by chance you find yourself making it, laminated yeast doughs as mentioned are probably a we bit simpler.  ANd BLITZ puff pastry is a great deal easier for use in operations not needing a great deal of uniform.

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I was just looking through Sweet Miniatures by Flo Braker and she suggests using some whole wheat flour in her Blitz puff pastry. Her recipe calls for:

1 pound unsalted butter, chilled

1 pound (3-1/4 cups) unsifted AP flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup ice water

**Her notes say, "It's easy to make Blitz puff pastry with whole wheat pastry flour: substitute 2 cups unsifted whole-wheat pastry flour for 2 cups (280 grams) of the unsifted AP flour."

Hope this helps.

[chickenlady]

Thanks for the help! Although my notes do say "whole grain", my impression,based upon conversations with the bride, is that her intention is to avoid heavily refined white flours and sugars. It looks like whole wheat puff is not going to happen--thanks for the suggestion re: whole wheat pastry flour (which I can get easily at the food co-op next door), but I've never made puff pastry or laminated doughs, so I don't want my first try to be for this wedding. Definitely something I'm planning on playing with... eventually...

The whole wheat filo is a great suggestion--anyone know who makes it? I'm also considering adapting the dough I make for a fruit braid. I guess I've got some "playing" to do today!

Thanks again!!

[Pam R]

The whole wheat filo is a great suggestion--anyone know who makes it?  I'm also considering adapting the dough I make for a fruit braid.  I guess I've got some "playing" to do today!

The stuff I can get is made by Fillo Factory.

My product list also tells me they make spelt fillo... and at least some of their stuff is organic.

[JasonTrue]

I understood your quest as "whole grain .... products", as in , the flour containing the whole grain. Anyone who is attempting to "use more whole grains" isn't asking for boiled wheatberries.