Even Mary Berry Approves Of This Store-Bought Baking Shortcut

If you are a big fan of "The Great British Bake Off" — particularly the older seasons — then the name "Mary Berry" will surely ring a bell. The dame of baking, who trained at The Cordon Bleu in Paris and has written countless cookbooks, is known for her attention to detail, baking prowess, and admiration of high-quality ingredients, which is why you may be surprised to learn that there is an item she almost always buys rather than makes herself: puff pastry. 

In an interview with BBC Radio 2 shared on its Facebook page, Berry coyly asks, "Who would make puff pastry?" Not only does she admit to buying puff pastry, but phyllo pastry as well. "I mean, I don't want to spend hours doing it, and they make it better than I do," she says. And she's not the only "GBBO" star who swears by this store-bought staple; former host Prue Leith has no problem using it either. 

Why would an advocate for homemade baked goods, like Mary Berry, buy pre-made pastry? Well, in short, making puff pastry is about as mentally taxing as it is physically taxing. This type of pastry is made by, very annoyingly, layering butter into dough, rotating, folding, and repeating. You have to keep the butter quite cold so that it doesn't ooze out when it hits the oven (meaning, you can kiss your beef Wellington dreams goodbye if it's a hot day), and not overwork it. In short, it's not worth the time, energy, and heartache. 

Luckily, there are plenty of high-quality store-bought brands to choose from (we recommend buying one that's made with all butter). You should let your pastry thaw first before you even think about using it; otherwise, you'll risk unsightly cracks. But once your puff pastry has come up to temperature, you can get creative with how you use it. Create pinwheels or wrap asparagus for a simple appetizer, or use it in place of biscuit dough or pie crust in your favorite chicken pot pie recipe.