Adapted from Cecilia Tolone.This recipe is a wonderful base for all your tarts and pies. It makes for a great dough that's easy to work with, and a crisp and flaky pastry crust that is very versatile. Perfect for both sweet and savoury fillings!
Author: Fanny Zanotti
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Total Time4 hourshrs25 minutesmins
Makes 1.2kg dough, enough for 3x25cm pies
Ingredients
600gplain flour
400gcold salted butter
1/2tspsea salt
200gice-cold water
butterextra to butter your tart pan
Instructions
Start by grating the butter onto a piece of baking paper. it is easier to do so if the butter is really cold. Set aside in the fridge - or better yet, in the freezer - while you get on with the rest.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together.
Add the grated butter to the flour mixture, and quickly mix it together using your hands. The mixture should be very coarse.
Add in the water, and mix until the dough just comes together. It should feel dry and lumpy.
Form the dough into a ball - sometimes, I will give the dough a single turn before it even comes together, read note above.And wrap in clingfilm. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour, or even better, overnight.
Once the dough is cold, generously butter your tart/pie pan and set aside. Lightly flour your work bench, and roll the dough out to the desired thickness. Line your prepared pan.
Chill in the freezer while you pre-heat your oven. This dough bakes beautifully at 200°C/fan 180°C.
Notes
As mentioned above, I almost always give the dough a single turn - when it isn't quite a dough yet, more like a lumpy, floury mess -, as I find that it helps the dough come together and creates the flakiest pastry, not unlike a rough puff pastry.