The Type Of Dough Alton Brown Always Keeps In His Kitchen
Alton Brown is a culinary mastermind who is able to break down the science of cooking and ingredients in a relatable way. On his show, Good Eats: Reloaded, Brown takes a second look at some of his recipes to see how he can tweak or change them to make them even better. Brown often offers unique ways of doing things, whether it's his unconventional way of using a panini press or his trick to making meatballs in a muffin tin.
Brown even started a Youtube series, dubbed Quarantine Quitchen, where he and his wife cook up recipes while sharing his genius culinary insights. According to Cheat Sheet, the series began streaming in April 2020 as a way to interact with fans during the Covid-19 pandemic. Brown and his wife would raid their pantry and show viewers how to cook up some impressive meals with limited ingredients. Brown continues to film his QQ show with his wife and currently has 43 episodes. In his most recent video, he and his wife prepared a tomato tart and cocktail brine while discussing the one dough he recommends always having in the house.
Homemade is not always better
During Alton Brown's Youtube live video, he and his wife, Elizabeth Ingram, are making a tomato tart. Instead of using homemade tart dough, Brown reaches for store-bought frozen puff pastry dough. During the video, he says, "If you're going to keep one dough around, let it be puff pastry." He says that he also likes phyllo dough but that it can be a "pain in the a**." Many home cooks use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry that is available in a tri-fold sheet, but Brown prefers using frozen French puff pastry. The French version is not split into a trifold, making it a bit easier to roll. Brown also says the French kind does not require as much rolling as the American version.
The flakey pastry makes an excellent base for tarts because of its fluffy and butter crust. Store-bought frozen pastry takes about 10 minutes to cook in the oven, making it a quicker alternative to homemade pie dough (per The Kitchn). If using frozen puff pastry, it will need time to thaw. The best practice is to thaw the box in the fridge the night before it is needed. If you're not in the mood for tarts, puff pastry is great as a crust for pot pie, savory palmiers, and monkey bread (per Bon Appetit).