Pasteitje, the Dutch vol-au-vent, doesn't have to com from a box of store-bought pastry shells, homemade, it's on your table in about 25 minutes. With a shatter-crisp, golden shell no supermarket version comes close to,
This one goes back to my own childhood, pasteitjes were a special-occasion food in our house, the kind of thing that showed up at Christmas and Easter and nowhere in between.
The puff pastry shells is filled with a ragout of shrimp, beef, sometimes mushroom, whatever the occasion called for, and I loved all of it. I hadn't made one in years until I found some shrimp in the fridge and realized there wasn't a single puff pastry shell in the house to put the ragout in. So I made my own and now I don't wait for a holiday to do it again.
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Ingredients homemade Dutch pasteibakjes
A full list (yes, 2 ingredients 😉 with ingredients can be found at the end of this blog.
- Puff pastry - This recipe uses slices of butter puff pastry. If you want to make it really easy, use a roll of fresh puff pastry from the refrigerator (then you don't have to put the slices together anymore,
- Egg - Use a beaten egg to "stick" the puff pastry together. In addition, an egg wash gives the trays a nice shine.
Why this works
Puff pastry works because it's build of dozens of paper thin layers of dough separated by cold butter. In the oven, the water in that butter turns to steam and pushes the layers apart, that's the lift you're seeing. The egg wash does two jobs here: it acts as a glue that bonds the stacked rings together so they rise as one tall shell instead of sliding apart, and the protein in the egg browns and sets into that glossy, golden crust. The holes you poke in the base matter more than they look like they should. Without them, steam trapped underneath the bottom layer has nowhere to go, and it pushes the base up into a dome instead of staying flat.
How do you make puff pastry bowls?
A recipe that you can easily print can be found at the bottom of the blog.
- Take 4 sheets of puff pastry and place them against each other. Press the seams slightly.
- With a roller, roll the seams flat and the dough a little thinner, so that the total size of the dough is 12 x 12 inches (30 x 30 cm).
- Cut out 10 circles with a 3 inch (7 cm) diameter cutter. Place two circles on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Now take a 2 inch (4 cm) cutter and cut a circle in the middle of the 8 remaining circles and remove the puff pastry in the middle. You now get 8 rings of puff pastry. Place 2 circles of 2 inches (4 cm) apart on the baking tray next to the two circles.
- Brush the puff pastry on the baking tray with beaten egg. Place a ring on each of the 3 inches (7 cm) circles. Brush it with the egg wash and then place another ring on top (stacking). Repeat until you have a total of 5 layers of puff pastry. Brush the top with the egg as well.
- Poke holes in the bottom of the circle (in the container) with a fork. This way the bottom will not bulge during baking. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes (in a preheated oven at 350 °F (180°C). Remove them from the oven and fill them immediately. And serve with a delicious homemade ragout!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make the shells ahead of time? Yes, bake them up to a day ahead and store at room temperature in an airtight container. Warm them for 5 minutes at 320°F (160°C) before filling, so they crisp back up.
- Can I freeze pasteitje shells? Yes, up to 1 month, unfilled. Thaw in the fridge, then warm for 5 minutes at 320 °F (160 °C) before filling, don't freeze them already filled with ragout, the pastry goes soggy.
- What's the difference between a pasteitje and a vol-au-vent? They're the same pastry shell filled with a creamy filling, a pasteitje is just the Dutch name for it. In France it's called vol-au-vent; in the Netherlands, it almost always shows up filled with a chicken or shrimp ragout.
- Can I use a different size cutter? Yes, just keep the same ratio between your two rings so the shell holds its shape, and adjust baking time slightly for a bigger or smaller shell.
📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 sheets puff pastry, 4 x 4 inch (10 x 10 cm), thawed
- 1 egg, size M, beaten
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (conventional oven) or 320 °F (convection / air-fan oven).
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Remove the plastic from the puff pastry and place it in a square. Join the seams and press slightly.4 sheets puff pastry
- Take a rolling pin and roll out the puff pastry to a piece of 12 x 12 inches (30 x 30 cm) (the seams are closed).
- Cut 10 circles out of the dough with a 3 inches (7 cm) baking ring. Place 2 circles on the baking sheet.
- Press a circle in the center of the remaining circles with a second baking ring of 2 inches (4 cm). Remove the small circle from the large circle. You now have 8 rings left. Place two 2 inches (4 cm) circles on the baking tray, next to the large circles (these will be the tops of the bowls).
- Brush the circles on the baking sheet with the beaten egg.1 egg
- Take two rings and place them on circles of 3 inches (7 cm) in diameter. Brush them with the egg wash as well.
- Now place two more rings on the circles, brush with egg and repeat until all rings are used. The puff pastry trays are now 5 puff pastry layers thick.
- Brush the top with egg.
- Poke holes in the bottom of the container with a fork.
- Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the pie shells are golden brown and cooked through.
- Fill with a ragout of your choice and serve.
Notes
- Make in advance - You can prepare the pie shells well by forming the packets of the puff pastry, making it in the morning, and keeping it in the fridge. Then all you have to do is bake them.
- Room Temperature - Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Before serving, bake them for 5 minutes at 320 °F (160°C) (preheated oven).
- Freezer - Store the pie shells in an airtight container in the freezer. This way they stay good for up to 1 month. Let them thaw in the refrigerator. Before serving, bake them for 5 minutes at 320 °F (160°C) (preheated oven).
Nutrition
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