Make the butter block: Measure out the flour into a bowl.  Scoop out 1/3 cup of this flour into a mixer bowl.  Beat the flour with 3 butter sticks until you have a smooth paste.  Line an 8 x 8 pan with plastic wrap.  Spread the butter into a square over the plastic wrap and then wrap it in the plastic. Chill the butter block until firm.

Make the dough: Mix the remaining flour with the last stick of butter and salt. Break up the butter so that it’s coated in the flour and makes crumbs. Pour in the milk and mix just until the dough comes together.  Depending on the weather and the humidity, you may or may not need the last couple tablespoons of milk.  The dough should come together easily but not be dry or sticky.  Pat the dough into a square just slightly larger than the butter block. Wrap it and chill for several hours. 

Roll out the dough: Set out the butter block for about 15 minutes. While the butter is warming up slightly, roll out the dough into a square on a lightly floured surface that’s large enough to enclose the butter block. You’ll want to place the butter at an angle so that you close it up like an envelope. You should see 4 triangles that come together in the center. You can measure to make this precise, but it’s easier to periodically place the plastic wrapped butter in the middle to see how close you are.  Think of it like dry fitting a wood working project!

Enclose the butter: Place the butter block in the middle of the dough at an angle and bring the 4 triangle flaps together in the center. Seal up the dough edges with your hands.

1st rolling: Press firmly and without smashing to distribute the butter in between the layers of dough. Think of denting the butter by tap tap tapping the pin along the length and sides of the dough package. Keep pressing until the dough is about 12″x18″. Fold down the top third of the dough over the middle and then the bottom third up over the middle, like a letter.

1st turn: Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll it out again to a 12″x18″ rectangle. Note that you’ll be rolling ACROSS the folds you just made and not in the same direction.  You can see how I did just that in the pictures.  You should also notice that the dough will be already easier to roll (it will get easier with more turns). Fold it up again like a letter. Wrap up the folded dough and chill for 30 minutes.

More turns: Repeat the rolling, folding and turning, chilling 15-30 minutes after every time you roll out the dough. If your kitchen is warmer, you may be able to roll the dough quickly enough to do 2 turns before chilling.  If the dough starts to resist rolling, chill it.  It’s not a bad idea to keep track of how many turns you’ve made on a post-it note with tally marks that you stash on your sheet tray.

Total turns: You’ll want to roll and fold the dough 6-8 times for the best results.

How to use the dough: This recipe makes about 3 pounds of dough.  Divide the dough into 3.  Notice all the beautiful layers of dough and butter along the cuts you made!  You can either bake the dough immediately or rewrap the portions in plastic wrap and then place the plastic wrapped dough in a plastic bag for the freezer for up to 3 months.  Thaw the dough in the fridge overnight before using frozen dough.