4. Mold (okay, here’s the serious one)
Now. If the dots:
Weren’t there before baking
Look fuzzy or slightly raised
Are clustered in patches
Have a greenish, gray, or bluish tint
Smell even a little “off”
Then we might be talking mold. Puff pastry dough, especially store-bought, can grow mold if it’s expired or wasn’t stored cold enough.
Mold on dough often starts as tiny black or dark specks before spreading.
And here’s the rule your grandmother would approve of:
If you’re not 100% sure, don’t eat it.
A Quick Reality Check
Ask yourself:
Was the pastry within its expiration date?
Was it refrigerated the whole time?
Did the dots appear before or after baking?
Does it smell normal — buttery and slightly sweet?
Your nose is wildly underrated. If it smells wrong, it probably is.
The Plot Twist
Sometimes… it’s just seeds.
If you topped your pastry with poppy seeds, black sesame, cracked pepper, or everything seasoning, congratulations — you made dots on purpose.
So What Does It Mean?
Most of the time? Nothing dramatic. Just natural ingredients, browning, or texture from the flour.
But if the dots feel suspicious — fuzzy, growing, or weirdly patterned — that’s your cue to let it go. Puff pastry is replaceable. Your stomach lining is not.
