Here’s a recipe for a soft and flaky pastry dough that you can use for a variety of sweet or savory pastries.
Soft Pastry Dough
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
1/2 cup (120ml) ice water (you may need a little more or less)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (optional, helps tenderize the dough)
Instructions:
Combine Dry Ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut in the Butter:
Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
Add Liquid:
Mix the apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (if using) with the ice water. Gradually add the ice water to the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, stirring gently with a fork or your hands, until the dough begins to come together. Be careful not to add too much water; the dough should be slightly sticky but not wet.
Form the Dough:
