Pastry Dough

Name: Pastry Dough
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 13 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1¼ cups all-purpose flour; 1 stick cold unsalted butter; ¼ teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons ice water

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

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

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

Cooking Instructions

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