If there were ever an award for "best food transformation," I'd back puff pastry 100%. There's nothing quite like watching a pale, beige slab of soft, raw dough rise into a crisp, flaky tower. Delicate as an Elizabethan ruff, yet with the full-flavored force of butter, puff pastry is a bit of a contradiction. How can something be so light yet so rich? Forced apart by steam, the shattering layers of golden dough are separated by long, airy corridors that bring lightness—and visual drama—to all that butter. Whether it's destined for sausage rolls, mille-feuille, or galette des rois, the quality of your puff pastry can take your bake from good to great. Homemade puff pastry is not only deeply flavorful and satisfying to make, but it also lets you avoid the stabilizers and alternative fats often found in mass-produced versions. And despite its reputation, making your own is more approachable than you might think.…