Home cooks struggle to make puff pastry shells that don't collapse or cook unevenly

Home cooks attempting to make puff pastry shells face consistent failures with structural collapse, uneven browning, and soggy bottoms, leading to wasted ingredients and failed dinner preparations. Existing recipes and tutorials don't adequately address the specific techniques needed for shell formation and blind-baking. This is particularly painful because puff pastry is expensive, time-consuming, and failures are demoralizing when entertaining guests.