Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter (salted, cold and diced)
- 3/4 cup ice water
Instructions
- Combine flour and salt: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour and salt to evenly distribute the salt throughout the flour.
- Cut in butter until crumbly: Add the cold, diced butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining, which help create flakiness.
- Add water gradually until dough forms: Slowly pour in the ice water a little at a time, mixing gently with a fork or your hands until the dough just begins to come together. Be careful not to overwork it to keep the crust tender.
- Form into a ball: Gather the dough loosely with your hands and form it into a single ball.
- Divide the dough: Cut the dough ball in half using a knife or bench scraper to create two equal portions.
- Shape into disks: Shape each half into a flat disk about 1 inch thick. This helps the dough chill evenly and makes it easier to roll out later.
- Wrap and refrigerate: Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying out. Place them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using, allowing the gluten to relax and the fat to firm up for optimal texture.
Notes
- Use cold butter and ice water to keep the crust flaky.
- Do not overwork the dough to avoid a tough crust.
- Refrigerating the dough is crucial for easier rolling and better texture.
- You can freeze the dough disks for up to 1 month wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
- If the dough cracks when rolling, let it warm up slightly before continuing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
