Butter Loss in Laminated Pastry

Paul Hollywood noted Abdul's vol-au-vents had butter leaked—the first time he'd seen this failure in the competition. Butter leaking from laminated pastry during baking is catastrophic: it leaves behind dry, cake-like pastry rather than crisp, flaky layers. This happens when butter isn't cold enough going into the oven, when dough is rolled too thin, or when there are tears in the dough layers. To minimize butter loss, ensure pastry is very cold before baking—even frozen for 15 minutes. Use high initial oven temperature (400°F/200°C) to set layers quickly before butter can escape. Don't roll pastry too thin, as this compromises layer integrity. Adequate resting between steps allows gluten to relax and keeps butter solid. Despite best efforts, some butter loss is normal, but excessive leaking indicates technique needs adjustment. The result of butter loss is exactly what Paul described: bone dry pastry with no flakiness.