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Epicurious
Gourmet

Pastry Dough

3.8

(1)

This classic pastry dough works well for both savory and sweet pies.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 1/4 hr

  • Yield

    Makes enough dough for a 9- to 10-inch round shell

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, preferably trans-fat-free
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Special Equipment

a pastry or bench scraper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Sift together flour and salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter and shortening 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 3 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.

    Step 2

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

    Step 3

    Turn out mixture 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 scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

TagsDoughPastriesDessertNut FreeVegetarianEasy5 Ingredients or FewerNo-CookFood ProcessorGourmet
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