Flaky Tart Shell
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) butter, chilled
- 1 1/2-inch tart pan, fluted or straight-sided, with a removable bottom
- Make the dough:
- In a stainless-steel mixing bowl, toss together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut the cold butter into 1\-inch cubes and add it to the sugar and flour mixture.
- Using two knives or a pastry cutter, chop and toss the butter until pea-sized and coated with flour.
- Add 4 to 5 tablespoons of ice water and toss the mixture lightly with a fork.
- The dough will not come together at this point.
- It should still seem dry with a few moist clumps.
- Empty the contents of the bowl onto a counter and, using the heel of your hand, smear the butter with the dry ingredients to marble the butter into the dough (this technique produces a very flaky, light crust).
- You might need to repeat this smearing and scraping process one or two times before the dough comes together.
- Once the dough is moist enough to form a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and press down to form a flattened disk of dough.
- Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Roll out the dough (see "Rolling tart dough" in Notes, below):
- On a cool, dry counter surface, roll the dough into a 14-inch circle, 1/16 inch thick.
- Line the tart pan with the dough and freeze while you prepare the filling.
flour, sugar, salt, butter, tart pan
Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/flaky-tart-shell (may not work)