Makesenough for 1 (9-inch) single-crust pie or 1 (9- to 11-inch) tart shell
- Active time:10 min
- Start to finish:1 1/4 hr
November 2007
Basic is best when it comes to piecrust. There’s no need to fiddle with this multipurpose flaky pastry.
-
1 1/4
cups
all-purpose flour
-
1 stick
(1/2 cup) unsalted butter
-
1/4
teaspoon
salt
-
3 to 5
tablespoons
ice water
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Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
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Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
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Turn out dough onto a work surface. Divide dough into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together with pastry scraper. Press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk.
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Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
Cooks’ notes: - If you’re making two desserts that call for this pastry dough, you can make a double batch.
- Pastry dough can be chilled up to 2 days or frozen, wrapped well, up to 3 months.
