Those specks can mean a few different things, and not all of them are dramatic.
1. Vanilla or spice flecks (the innocent explanation)
If your puff pastry was part of a sweet recipe — especially something with vanilla — those dots might just be real vanilla bean seeds. They look like tiny black grains and are completely normal (and honestly kind of fancy). Some brands even leave in natural spice particles that show up as specks.
If the dots are evenly distributed and look like pepper dust? Probably harmless.
2. Bran or flour impurities
Not all flour is perfectly snow-white. Some pastry doughs — especially artisanal or organic ones — may contain tiny bits of grain husk. These can bake up darker and look like tiny speckles in the dough.
Totally safe. Just rustic vibes.
3. Burn spots from high heat
Puff pastry has a lot of butter. When butter bubbles and browns, it can create tiny darker spots, especially on the surface. If the dots are only on the outside and smell toasty, that’s just caramelization doing its thing.
Translation: flavor, not danger.
4. Mold (okay, here’s the serious one)
Now. If the dots:
Please Head On keep on Reading (>) (◕‿◕)
