Butter Pastry Dough

Name: Butter Pastry Dough
Yield: Makes enough dough for a single-crust 9-inch tart
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits; 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

August 20, 2004

Recipe information

Yield
Makes enough dough for a single-crust 9-inch tart

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Preparation

In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt and with a pastry blender or your fingertips blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork to incorporate, until mixture begins to form a dough. On a floured work surface smear dough in 3 or 4 forward motions with heel of hand to slightly develop gluten in flour and make dough easier to work with. Form dough into a ball and flatten to form a disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in 1 hour. Dough may be made 1 week ahead and chilled.