The Pastry

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Blend in butter with pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, until mixture is crumbly. Add 4 tablespoons water and the lemon juice, and mix until just blended. Gather the dough into a loose ball, and turn onto cool floured surface. Push dough away with heel of hand 1/4 cup at a time. Repeat until all dough has been smeared. Gather into ball and add more ice water if necessary, just to make dough that barely holds together. Roll out dough to form 14x7 inch rectangle. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up with edges touching in the center—your dough is now 14x3 1/2 inches. Fold in half for a 7x3 1/2 inch rectangle and lightly seal the fold. Turn the pastry so the folded edges are on your right, and roll out again to form 14x7 inch rectangle. Fold top third down and bottom third up, again, fold in half (you now have a 7x3 1/2½ rectangle again) and seal. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 20 minutes. Fold down top third, fold up bottom third, fold in half, seal, and return pastry to freezer for additional 20 minutes. (It is the folding and chilling that gives the pastry a light, puffy texture.) When ready to use, roll pastry to desired thickness, cut “rounds” with cookie cutter or knife and use to line small muffin pans. If you’re not using the pastry immediately, store in refrigerator tightly wrapped, or freeze.