Frozen-Butter Pastry Dough

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Sift together flour, sugar, and salt into a chilled large metal bowl. Set a grater in flour mixture and coarsely grate in frozen butter, gently lifting flour and tossing to coat butter.

   Step 2

   Drizzle 9 tablespoons ice water evenly over flour mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.

   Step 3

   Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture, it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated and testing again. (If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)

   Step 4

   Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and with floured heel of your hand smear dough twice with a forward motion to help distribute fat.

   Step 5

   Gather mixture together to form a dough. (Dough will not be smooth.) Form one third of dough into a disk, then form remaining dough into a larger disk.

   Step 6

   Chill dough, disks wrapped separately in plastic wrap, 1 hour.