Basic is best when it comes to piecrust. There's no need to fiddle with this multipurpose flaky pastry.
Ā· If you're making two desserts that call for this pastry dough, you can make a double batch. Ā· Pastry dough can be chilled up to 2 days or frozen, wrapped well, up to 3 months.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 1/4 hr
Yield
Makes enough for 1 (9-inch) single-crust pie or 1 (9- to 11-inch) tart shell
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
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.
Step 2
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.
Step 3
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.
Step 4
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
