Pate Brisee

Directions

1. 1
   Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor (or whisk together by hand in a bowl).
2. 2
   Add butter, and pulse (or quickly cut in with a pastry blender or your fingertips) until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some larger pieces remaining.
3. 3
   Drizzle 1/4 cup water over mixture.
4. 4
   Pulse (or mix with a fork) until mixture just begins to hold together.
5. 5
   If dough is too dry, add 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse (or mix with a fork).
6. 6
   Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap.
7. 7
   Gather into two balls, wrap loosely in plastic, and press each into a disk using a rolling pin.
8. 8
   Refrigerate until firm, well wrapped in plastic, 1 hour or up to 1 day.
9. 9
   (Dough can be frozen up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator before using.)
10. 10
    Replace 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter with 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces.
11. 11
    Replace 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter with 1/2 cup cold lard.
12. 12
    For the best quality, its worth seeking out leaf lard.
13. 13
    You can buy rendered leaf lard from online vendors, or from artisanal butcher shops.
14. 14
    Replace 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal.
15. 15
    Reduce butter to 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) and add 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar to the flour mixture along with the butter.
16. 16
    Increase sugar to 1 tablespoon.