Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Makes about 2 1/2 cups
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, preferably unbleached (scooped and leveled)
1/2 cup plain bleached cake flour
1 teaspoon salt (or, for dessert tarts, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons sugar)
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) chilled, unsalted butter, quartered lengthwise and diced
2 ounces (1/4 cup) chilled vegetable shortening
1/2 cup ice water
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Directions: |
Directions:1. Have all ingredients measured out and ready to use.
2. Put the flour, salt (or salt and sugar) and diced butter in the container of a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times to break the butter up roughly.
3. Add the shortening, turn on the machine, and immediately pour in a little of the ice water, then pulse 2 or 3 times, adding ice water, a little at time, while continuing to pulse. Remove the cover and feel the dough; it should be crumbly and will just hold together in a mass when you press a handful together. It's important not to over-mix; the dough should not mass on the blade of the machine. If too dry, pulse in droplets of more water. From now on work rapidly to keep the dough cold and manageable. You may place the dough in the freezer to chill it, before proceeding, as you don't want the lumps of butter in the dough to melt.
4. Turn the dough onto your work surface and press it into a rough mass. For the final blending, rapidly and roughly, with the heel (not the palm) of your hand, push egg-sized clumps of dough out in front of you, in a 6 inch smear.
5. Form the dough into a cake--it should be fairly smooth and pliable. Wrap the dough in plastic, place in a plastic ziplock bag and refrigerate. Freshly made dough should chill for at least two hours, which allows the flour particles to absorb the liquid, as well as to firm the butter and relax the gluten.
The dough will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, before the unbleached flour will start turning gray, but it may be frozen for several months. |
This recipe for Pâte Brisée (Sweet Butter Dough for Pastries and Pie Crusts) is from