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Original post published April 14th, 2020. Last updated on December 5th, 2023.
I originally posted this pithiver recipe in the spring of 2020, with Covid-19 lockdowns in full effect and grocery store shelves devoid of many baking staples.
Thanks to the great flour shortage of 2020, I had to find creative ways to keep up my baking despite the lack of common pantry ingredients. I spent several months making flourless cookies, flourless cakes, flourless brownies, flourless everything I could think of.
Though I couldn’t get my hands on a bag of flour during that time, I had no problem securing plenty of store-bought puff pastry. Thus, the creation of this savory pithivier with mushrooms, leeks, and potatoes.
Puff pastry is not difficult to make from scratch, but it does require a bit of a time commitment. And for most recipes the commercially-made stuff works just as well as homemade. In fact, I remember one of the chefs at Le Cordon Bleu telling us that most bakeries and restaurants purchase puff pastry from a supplier, rather than making their own in-house.
What is a Pithivier?
A pithivier is a large, dome-shaped pastry, generally featuring scalloped edges and a pretty scored top. A pithivier pastry can contain sweet or savory fillings.
In pastry school, we made a dessert pithivier with poached cherries and an almond and pistachio cream. At home I usually prefer to make a main dish version, filling it with an assortment of vegetables, cheeses, and herbs.
This savory pithivier recipe features mushrooms, leeks, potatoes, garlic, herbs, and spices, as well as Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses, all gently wrapped inside two sheets of puff pastry and baked until flaky and golden brown.
Once baked, I like to slice the pithivier (pie or pizza-style) into individual portions, then serve while the pastry is still warm. This recipe makes a nice lunch or a light dinner, especially when accompanied by a salad or a bowl of soup.
Puff Pastry Pithivier Ingredients
I used white mushrooms, fresh leeks, white potatoes, Gruyère, and Parmesan cheeses, but feel free to be creative with your ingredients. You can substitute a different variety of mushrooms, swap the Gruyère for blue cheese or cheddar, or replace the leeks with caramelized onions. If desired, add chopped walnuts or a handful of chopped fresh herbs to the filling mixture.
Shortcuts and Make-Ahead Suggestions
If you are feeling adventurous, you can make this recipe using homemade puff pastry. However, the store-bought kind is much faster and will work just as well. If using frozen (rather than refrigerated) puff pastry, just make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for thawing, so the pastry is ready when you want to use it.
Pithivier Tips and Tricks
When rolling out the puff pastry, I like to use a standard-size dinner plate (about 9 – 9 1/2 inches) as a guide for measuring the size of my finished pithivier.
Leeks tend to be somewhat dirty. To make sure they’re completely clean, I suggest washing and slicing, then soaking the slices in a large bowl of water to remove any last traces of dirt. Otherwise, your pithivier may have a gritty texture, which, while not dangerous, will not be very appealing to eat.
When applying the egg wash, try to avoid the bottom edge of the pastry (where the top and bottom pieces meet). Egg washing the edge will cause the egg to act as a “glue,” and will prevent the puff pastry from “puffing.”
If you have leftover puff pastry, don’t throw away the trimmings! Puff pastry scraps are perfect for making easy snacks like cheese straws or palmiers. In fact, I used my pithivier scraps to develop this puff pastry twists recipe
Grate your cheeses on a standard box grater. The cheese will melt into the vegetable mixture anyway, so no need for the fine precision of a microplane.
Other puff pastry recipes you might enjoy:
Puff Pastry Hearts with Strawberry, Mascarpone and Thyme
Easy Puff Pastry Appetizers
Brown Sugar Palmiers
If you make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Pithivier with Mushrooms, Leeks, and Potatoes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
A pithivier pastry filled with mushrooms, potatoes, leeks, and two kinds of cheese, then baked until flaky and golden brown.
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, cubed (about 500 grams, or 4 cups cubed potatoes)
2 leeks, sliced (white and pale green parts only; about 300 grams or 4 cups sliced leeks)
225 grams mushrooms, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1–2 tablespoons olive oil, for sautéeing
1 cube vegetable bouillon
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed according to package directions if frozen
85 grams gruyere cheese, grated (about 3 ounces, or 1 cup grated cheese)
85 grams parmesan cheese, grated (about 3 ounces, or 1 cup grated cheese)
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
Red gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180° C / 350° F. Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment.
With a knife, dice the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add diced potatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until fork tender.
Drain potatoes and set aside.
Meanwhile, slice the leeks (white and pale green parts only) into thin rings.
Slice the mushrooms.
Add the olive oil to a large frying pan. Add the garlic and sautée for 1-2 minutes.
Add the sliced leeks to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and sautée until mushrooms release their juices, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the vegetable bouillon, water, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Sautée 2-3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer vegetable mixture to a fine mesh strainer and strain to remove excess liquid.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Toss in cooked potatoes and set aside to cool whiile you prepare the pastry.
On a silicone rolling mat or lightly floured countertop, unroll one sheet of puff pastry. Use a rolling pin to roll pastry until it is big enough to cut a disc no smaller than 9 inches in diameter (roughly the size of a dinner plate). Just measure for now—do not cut the pastry!
Transfer pastry to prepared baking sheet.
Add the shredded cheeses to the vegetable mixture and toss to combine.
Scoop vegetable mixture into a round mound in the center of the pastry, allowing 1 – 1 1/2 inches of space space around the edges. (Depending on the size and shape of your puff pastry sheet, you might have a few extra inches of pastry on both sides.*)
With a pastry brush, apply a thin strip of beaten egg around the vegetable mound.
Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry and place it atop the vegetable mixture.
Use your fingertips to seal the pastry around the vegetable mound. When finished, it should look something like this:
With a paring knife, cut the pastry into a circle shape. (I like to use a 9-inch pastry ring or bowl as a guide, but you can freehand it, too!). Be sure to allow a 1-inch border between the vegetable mound and where you cut the pastry—if you cut too close to the filling, you won’t be able to properly seal the pithivier and it will leak while baking.
With a pastry brush, apply a layer of egg wash to the pastry.
Use a knife to scallop the edges, or crimp with a fork.
If desired, tint the remaining egg wash with red gel food coloring.
Once first coat of egg wash is completely dry (it should have a matte appearance) use a pastry brush to apply a second layer of egg wash.
With a skewer or toothpick, poke a small hole in the center of the pastry, creating a place for air to escape.
Use the back of a paring knife to score the pastry as desired.
Bake in preheated oven for about 40 – 45 minutes, or until pastry is flaky and deeply golden brown. Slice and serve immediately.
Pithivier is best enjoyed on the day it is made. Wrap leftovers in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator overnight. Enjoy leftovers at room temperature, or place on a parchment-lined tray and gently rewarm in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350°F. Leftovers can also be frozen.
Notes
*Save the scraps to make palmiers, cheese twists, or other puff pastry snacks.
- Prep Time: 90 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Savory
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: French
I have a question re vegetable bouillon cube. When you add it to the vegetables, is it added as a cube or dissolved onto an actual bouillon? I assume it is added dry. Thank you!
You can just add the whole cube. (It’s hard to spot, but if you look at the photo below the step where the bouillon is added, you’ll see the yellowish cube near the bottom left side.) It will dissolve in the warm juices from the mushrooms, and the small amount of additional water added to the pan.
This is a nice recipe. I made it with only one change. Rather than packaged pastry, I made my own puff pastry. It was delicious. Thank you for sharing this