Butter Pastry Dough (Gourmet Magazine) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
6 -7 tablespoons ice water

Preparation

In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt and with a pastry blender or fingertips blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork to incorporate, until mixture begins to form a dough.
On a work surface smear dough in 3 or 4 forward motions with heel of hand to slightly develop gluten in flour and make dough easier to work with. Form dough into a ball and flatten to form a disk.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. Pastry dough may be made 1 week ahead and chilled.