Makes enough for 1 single-crust 9- or 91/2-inch tart or pie1 single-crust 9- or 91/2-inch tart or pie
- Active time:10 min
- Start to finish:1 1/4 hr
September 2009
An all-butter pastry dough is easy to handle. It’s a little less flaky than a dough made with a blend of butter and shortening, but you’ll love the end result—it tastes marvelous.
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1 1/4
cups
all-purpose flour
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1
stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
-
1/4
teaspoon
salt
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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 most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.
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Drizzle 3 Tbsp ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
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Squeeze a small handful: If it doesnt hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 Tbsp at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture or pastry will be tough.)
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Turn out dough 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 a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
cooks’ note: Dough can be chilled up to 3 days.
