Pastry Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into
1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 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) just until
most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size)
butter lumps.
Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture 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,
1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated, then
test again. (If you overwork mixture, pastry will be tough.)
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, wrapped in
plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
Makes enough dough for 1 single-crust 9-inch pie or 1 (9- to 11-inch) [censored]
Gourmet
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