What’s the Best Store-Bought Puff Pastry? Explained

Last Updated on September 19, 2024 by Lori Walker

Rushing through life? **Looking for the top-notch store-bought puff pastry?** This handy guide is exactly what you’re after!

While different ready-made doughs are in the market, it’s hard to find the right puff pastry dough to use. 

But to lessen your stress, we compared two of the most popular puff pastries today. Find out which is the better choice for your baking needs. 

What’s The Top Store-Bought Puff Pastry Dough? 

The best store-bought puff pastry doughs are Dufour and Pepperidge Farms. These two are the main rivals when it comes to pasty dough. 

Both are widely available in the US. However, Dufour is more expensive at specialty stores. 

Dufour, made with all butter, has a slightly better texture and flavor than Pepperidge Farm, made with shortening. 

Although DuFour is better, Pepperidge Farm is more practical as it’s affordable with the same good quality. But what’s the best store-bought lemon cookies?

The Rivals 

Dufour 

Average Price: approx. $14/14oz 

Ingredients: 

• USDA-Grade A Butter (cream, natural flavorings)
• Unbleached unbromated flour
• Water
• Salt
• Lemon juice

Product Description: Dufour is one of the finest puff pastry dough that’s USDA-grade. It gives a rich and creamy texture, versatile enough for making various desserts, such as chicken pot pies and vanilla slices. 

Each 14oz package of pastry dough comes with one sheet. You can form it into different shapes and expect buttery, flaky, and crispy pastry dishes. 

Pros:

• Expands 8x its original height
• Gluten-free and kosher-certified
• True butter-based puff pastry
• Easy to work with
• Made from top ingredients 

Cons:  

• Pricey

Pepperidge Farms

Average Price: approx. $6.69/17.3oz 

Ingredients: 

• Enriched Wheat Flour (Unbleached) containing Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Folic Acid,  Vitamin B1, and Riboflavin [or Vitamin B2]
• Water
• Vegetable Oils (containing Soybean, Palm, and Hydrogenated Cottonseed)
• Contains ~2% of High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soy Lecithin, Annatto Extracts For Color, Mono And Diglycerides, Salt, Malted Barley Flour, and Turmeric

Product Description: Using Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry, it’s possible to create various savory and sweet dishes. It’s made with a basic recipe – folded several times to create a variety of layers. 

You can prepare this pastry ahead of time and enjoy it as it is ready to bake. Besides, you can make various shapes for a fun treat. 

Mainly, Pepperidge Farms uses the finest ingredients in this recipe.

Pros:

• Much cheaper than Dufour 
• Restuarant-quality results 
• Suitable for pies and pizzas
• Great value for money

Cons:

• Hard to find
• Not so buttery 

How We Rated Them

Puffiness Level

An excellent puff pastry is one that should puff. The water in the dough will then evaporate into steam, separating the layers into flaky, buttery pastry sheets. 

We pick the one with the right puffiness level with a good texture. 

“Nothing could be more French than pastry.”

– Rachel Khoo, British Cook, Broadcaster, & Author

Flavor

Of course, we can’t forget the flavor (it’s the main, big thing!). We like something buttery and not oily. If you’re like us, we prefer the sweeter one. But we make sure it doesn’t taste artificial.

Texture

A good puff pastry [1] must have an enticing brown color once baked. It should also be flaky, with a light texture that separates into individual layers.

Bake Tried

For better judgment, we tried both products in two ways: 

Plain

First, we tried to bake them both plain – straight from the packaging, to find out which has the best texture and look when baked raw. 

Tarts

Second, we tried making tarts out of these puff pastries. To make the tarts, we first trimmed the dough and rolled them out to create equal dimensions. 

Then, we topped them with goat cheese and caramelized onions and drained, salted, sliced grape tomatoes. 

Appearance 

Of course, we’re also after the look of the pastries after they have been baked. We opt for the one with a golden brown color that looks crisp and flaky.  

Availability

Both are available online and at grocery stores. We like the brand that’s easily accessible at any grocery store – big and small. 

Price Point

Another primary consideration is the price of the puff pastry. The cost of the puff pastry should be well worth it’s quality. 

Final Score 

Dufour 

Rating: 5/5 

Would We Buy It Again? Yes, we would repurchase Dufour. It’s quality-, flavor-, and texture-wise. 

Though it’s a little pricey, the final results justified the worth of this puff pastry. The decision all boils down to its natural buttery flavor and more pleasant flaky texture. 

Pepperidge Farms

Rating: 4/5

Would We Buy It Again? Yes, we’ll repurchase Pepperidge Farms. This is also a good puff pastry (almost the same as Dufour), but the texture is dull and lacks butter flavors. 

Still, this is a good buy, perfect for pizza and pies [2]. It’s not as widely available as Dufour, but it’s cheaper. 

Also Read: 15 Store-Bought Oatmeal Cookies To Try

FAQs 

Final Winner

We hail Dufour as the better store-bough puff pastry over Pepperidge Farms. We like the quality, texture, flavor, appearance, availability, and level of puffiness. It’s pricey but reasonable. 

But that doesn’t mean Pepperidge is no good. It lacks good texture and flavor, but it’s still a good puff pastry for those on a budget. It’s cheaper compared to Dufour. 

So, all things considered – Dufour is the overall winner. If the price doesn’t matter and you’re a fan of butter, Dufour is all worth the try.  

References:

1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/puff-pastry 
2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/pie