Recipe Manuscript

Puff Past

Name: Puff Past
Prep time: PTPT40M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 16
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1.3 kg all-purpose/plain flour; 450 g unsalted butter, cold; 400-500 ml whole milk (or enough to form dough); 3 large eggs (optional, for richer dough); Pinch of salt

1674

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Susanna Packe

Written by Susanna Packe

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert Snack Other

Original Recipe • 1674

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Puff Past

"Take a gallon of flower one pound= of Butter & Breake it in amongst you flower. Then take as much new melk= as will make it into a liue past then= Roole it out & lay one the other pou= nd till it be all on Then Roole it out= the 3 time & lay on the 3 pound. the next time Roole it out & lay it on your dish or what you deseighn it for -- The Rule is 3 pinte of flower 1 pound= of Butter 3 eggs & Roole it out 4 tims you may add eggs to the former But my appearance it is the Best Aproued Sr."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written using loose, practical instructions, typical of manuscript cookery from the period. Spellings reflect the orthographic instability of 17th-century English, e.g., 'past' for 'paste' (pastry), 'flower' for 'flour,' and 'liue' likely for 'live' (meaning moist, fresh). Measurements were approximate, with the expectation that the cook would judge consistency by eye and hand. Recommendations, such as adding eggs for richer dough, reveal a flexible approach to recipe writing—cooks were encouraged to use personal experience ("my appearance it is the Best") to guide them.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of Susanna Packe - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of Susanna Packe (1674)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Susanna Packe

Era

1674

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful culinary treasure from the 17th century, this book offers a charming glimpse into the flavors and techniques that graced English kitchens in Susanna Packe's time, promising a feast of history and taste for any food enthusiast.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe originates from 'Packe, Susanna, fl. 1674,' manuscript V.a.215, dating to 1674. In Restoration England, cookery manuscripts were mainly kept by households to record and share culinary knowledge. Puff pastry, or 'Puff Past,' was a luxury item, prepared by those with the means and leisure, and such recipes show the evolution of lamination techniques long before modern pastry chefs codified them. The recipe displays both the creativity and improvisational nature of 17th-century cookery, relying on the cook’s familiarity with dough handling and their capacity to translate ratio-based guidelines into consistent results. Butter was a prized ingredient, used lavishly in this celebratory pastry.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Seventeenth-century cooks would have used a large wooden bowl or trough for mixing the dough, a rolling pin (often just a carved wooden cylinder), and a wide, flat board or table for rolling. Knives were used to cut and manage the butter, and the finished pastry would be placed in ceramic or metal pie dishes, or directly on a baking stone or in the hearth oven. No refrigeration: dough would be kept cool as best as possible by working quickly.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

2 lb 14 oz all-purpose/plain flour
1 lb unsalted butter, cold
1 3/4 to 2 cups whole milk (or enough to form dough)
3 large eggs (optional, for richer dough)
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Begin by weighing out 2 lb 14 oz of plain flour and 1 lb of chilled unsalted butter.
Rub or cut half the butter into the flour.
Gradually add whole milk, a bit at a time, until a soft but not sticky dough forms—this will likely be about 1 3/4 to 2 cups.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle, dot or layer a third of the remaining butter over two-thirds of the dough, then fold like a leter.
Repeat rolling out and buttering for a total of four turns, using all the butter in thirds at each stage.
If desried, beat in 3 eggs with the milk to enrich the dough.
After the fourth roll and fold, the pastry can be used to line a dish and is ready to bake according to your chosen filling or dish.
Let the dough rest in the fridge between turns for best results.
This puff pastry builds layers by folding and incorporating butter multiple times, a technique seen in traditional and modern puff pastry recipes.

Estimated Calories

450 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 40 minutes to prepare the ingredients and make the pastry dough, plus time to chill between folds. Baking time depends on the recipe you use the pastry for. Each serving has an estimated 450 calories, and this recipe makes 16 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.