2000s Recipes + Menus
Pastry Dough
Makesenough dough for 1 (9-inch) round tart
- Active time:15 min
- Start to finish:1 1/4 hr
November 2003
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
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Special equipment:
a pastry or bench scraper
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Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until most of the mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
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Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork, or pastry will be tough.)
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Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
Cooks’ note: Dough can be chilled up to 1 day.
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