Pastry Dough

A classic buttery pastry dough recipe perfect for pies and tarts. Made with all-purpose flour, cold butter, and ice water for a flaky, tender result.

4 servings
1 hr 13 min

Ingredients

  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 stick cold unsalted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons ice water

Cooking Instructions

  1. 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 roughly pea-size butter lumps.

    5 min

  2. 2.

    Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.

    3 min

  3. 3.

    Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.

    5 min

  4. 4.

    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 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

    60 min

Recommended to use Recipe Notes to manage your recipes