Pastry Dough Gourmet | September 2004
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 to 7 tablespoons ice water
- Special equipment: a pastry or bench scraper
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 5 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.
Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
Turn mixture out onto a work 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 scraper and press into 2 balls, then flatten each into a 5-inch disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
Cooks' note: Dough can be chilled up to 1 day.
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