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Pastry: All-Butter Pastry Dough

Source of Recipe


From "The Gourmet Cookbook"






List of Ingredients



• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tsp sugar
  
• 3/4 tsp salt
  
• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  
• 1/2 cup plus 1 to 4 Tbsp ice water
  






Instructions



1. Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in a bowl (or pulse together in a food processor). Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) just until most of the mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-sized) lumps of butter. Drizzle 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
   
   
2. Squeeze a small handful of dough: 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 mixture, or pastry will be tough.
   
   
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 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. Flatten into a 6-inch disk if making a galette, or divide in half and shape into 2 disks if using for a pie. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
   
   Makes enough for a 12-inch galette,
   or a double-crust 9-inch pie.
   
   






Final Comments


The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling out.