Daunted by pastry? Don’t be. It’s really easy to make basic pastry dough, especially using a food processor. See this post for more about how to make pastry, including tips and details about the steps pictured above.
Makes pastry for one 11-inch tart or 9-inch pie
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms a coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse until moist clumps form when the dough is pinched (add more water as needed).
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape it into a 3/4-inch-thick disk, and cover it in plastic wrap. Set aside in the refrigerator at least an hour. (You can make the dough in advance, storing it in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to several months. If frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator before proceeding.)
