After making this recipe many, many times, I can attest that the long bake time (about 45 minutes) works well in my kitchen every single time. I’ve also heard from hundreds of readers who have said that the bake times in the recipe work out for them as well.
But, every once in a while, someone will write to tell me that it took them much less time to cook their puff pastry to a rich golden brown.
This issue has perplexed me for years, but I think one reader might have solved the mystery. It has to do with how thawed your puff pastry is. Here’s what she said:
“Yesterday I made a batch of pastry in the oven after ‘defrosting’ the puff pastry on the counter for 1 hour from frozen – this then took 50 min to cook to golden brown in the oven at the temp you suggested. Today I had one sheet of puff pastry left that was in the fridge. This took 20 to bake to perfection. So I believe the cooking time is varying for folks so much as it depends on the stage at which the frozen puff pastry has defrosted.”
Regardless of whether or not this is the cause of the bake time discrepency, to prevent overcooking, peek under the top baking sheet and check the pastry after 15 minutes of baking. If it’s already getting brown, go ahead and remove the top baking sheet and bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown. The goal is to end up with puff pastry that is only slightly puffed, golden brown, and flaky.
To make the Napoleons easier to slice:
Place them in the freezer for 30-60 minutes before serving. If the napoleon has been in the refrigerator for several hours, this is not necissary. However, if the napoleon is freshly made, and you want to serve it within the next hour, placing it in the freezer will make it easier to slice.
To slice: Hold on to the sides of each pastry layer with one hand as you slice through the Napoleon gently with your other hand. A serrated knife works best. Use a gentle side to side motion to saw through the puff pastry, allowing the knife to do the work of cutting through the fragile layers of pastry without pressing down too hard.
