How To Reheat Puff Pastry So It Stays Flaky And Crispy

There is an abundance of recipes to make with puff pastry, from savory cheesy caramelized onion tarts and puff pastry pizza to sweet berry turnovers. Whether you make it at home or seek out the best store-bought puff pastry brands, it's quite possible you'll have some leftover puff pastry when all is said and done. To reheat treats like puff pastry pie crust without it getting soggy or losing its distinct laminated dough layers, though, it's key to reheat them in kitchen appliances that distribute heat evenly — specifically the oven or air fryer.

To reheat leftover puff pastry back to its flaky and crisp state, you can pop it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes. Then, let the pastry rest so it can cool slightly to further develop a crisp outside. You can reheat puff pastry treats on a parchment-lined baking sheet or wrap them in aluminum foil to generate steam. Like baking a pie with a flaky crust and cooked center, foil can help fully reheat pastries with ample filling, like apple or cheese. Just remove the foil for the last few minutes in the oven so the pastry exterior can crisp.

If you don't feel like turning on the oven, you can also pop leftover puff pastry tartlets in the air fryer. Just like french fries, puff pastries are among the foods that can be reheated to perfection by placing them in the air fryer at 320 degrees Fahrenheit for around six to eight minutes.

Even though it may seem like a good idea, baking or reheating pastries in your toaster oven is a major mistake because most toaster ovens don't distribute heat as evenly as other appliances like a convection oven or air fryer, which both circulate heat via fans. For this reason, you should also avoid the microwave at all costs when reheating your puff pastry, since it can be very inconsistent and make the pastry soggy or dense.

The oven or air fryer will reheat puff pastry thoroughly and evenly, but timing matters, too. You can certainly store leftover puff pastry in the fridge overnight or for a few days before reheating it in the oven. But if you're not going to eat it pretty soon, it's best to store leftover puff pastry in the freezer for optimal freshness. Both raw and baked pastry dough keep well in the freezer to retain those nice, airy baked layers. 

Just make sure to wrap leftover flaky treats like puff pastry pizza bites tightly in a couple layers of Saran Wrap. Or store them in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn, which can cause moisture loss. When freezing raw puff pastry, skip the egg wash and freeze formed pastries (just avoid stacking, or they will stick together) in an airtight container until you're ready to bake them off and enjoy at a later time.