Weekend Pastry Basics: The Three Doughs Worth Learning

Two and a half cups of flour, one teaspoon salt, two sticks (225 g) cold butter cut into cubes, six to eight tablespoons ice water. Cut the butter into the flour until you have a mix of pea-sized and crumb-sized pieces, then add water tablespoon by tablespoon until the dough just comes together.

The pea-sized butter pieces are what create flakiness — they melt into pockets of steam during baking. Don't overwork the dough or you'll lose them.

Chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling. Cold dough rolls cleanly; warm dough tears and shrinks back. If the dough cracks at the edges as you roll, it's too cold — let it warm up for ten minutes.

Roll from the center outward, rotating the dough a quarter turn after every roll. This keeps the shape even and prevents the dough from sticking to one spot.

One and a half cups flour, half cup powdered sugar, pinch of salt, one stick (115 g) cold butter, one egg yolk, two tablespoons cold water. This is the dough for tarts — sweet, crisp, and sturdy enough to hold custard, fruit, or chocolate ganache.

Press it directly into the tart pan instead of rolling it out — it's much more forgiving that way. Patch any tears with extra dough.

Two cups flour, half teaspoon salt, two sticks (225 g) very cold butter cut into half-inch cubes, two thirds cup cold water. Mix briefly, then perform a series of folds (turn, fold in thirds, turn, fold again) over the course of about an hour with chilling in between.

It is not real puff pastry, but it is shockingly close — the layers of butter create dozens of flaky layers when baked.

Cold ingredients, cold tools, cold hands. The faster you can work without the butter melting, the better your pastry will be.

Don't skip the chill. Every chilling step exists for a reason — usually to firm up butter or relax gluten. Rushing always produces a tougher, shrunken result.