Savory Pastry Dough (Printable Version)
Flaky, golden pastry dough ideal for savory tarts, quiches, and pies with a tender yet sturdy texture.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
02 - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Fats
03 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed (170 g)
→ Liquids
04 - 1 large cold egg
05 - 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
# How to Make It:
01 - Whisk together flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
02 - Add cold butter cubes and use a pastry blender or fingertips to work them into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
03 - In a small bowl, beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of ice water.
04 - Drizzle the egg mixture over the flour and butter, gently mixing with a fork until the dough begins to come together. Add up to 1 additional tablespoon of ice water if the dough feels too dry.
05 - Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, press together, shape into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Roll out chilled dough on a floured surface to fit a 10-inch tart or pie pan, then proceed with desired savory filling.
# Expert Insights:
01 -
- This dough is endlessly forgiving once you understand the rhythm of it, turning humble flour and butter into something that makes people close their eyes when they taste it.
- It's the foundation for so many beautiful things—quiches, tarts, savory pies—once you master this one dough, a whole world opens up.
- The chill time is your friend, not a burden; it gives you freedom to prepare fillings or simply take a breath before the next step.
02 -
- The cold is everything—work quickly and keep every ingredient as cold as possible, or the butter will blend into the flour instead of creating those precious flaky layers.
- Don't skip the chilling time, no matter how eager you are; this rest is where the dough becomes tender and forgiving, not tough and springy.
03 -
- If your kitchen is warm, chill your bowl and even your pastry blender before you start; cold tools mean better results.
- When you see those pea-sized butter pieces still visible in the dough, that's perfection—don't over-mix or blend them away, they're your secret to flakiness.