This is an all-round great tart dough. It’s my adaptation of a dough I learned from Thomas Haas when he was the executive pastry chef at Daniel. The pastry’s not too sweet, so it’s versatile. You can use it for everything from berry tarts to quiche. Put the flour in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before you start making this pastry. Chilled flour will make the flakiest dough.

　　

Ingredients

makes enough for sixteen 2 1/4 inch tarts or two 9-inch tarts

　　2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour

　　1 tablespoon (12g) sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon (2g) coarse salt

　　9 tablespoons (125g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

　　1 large egg

　　2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (39g) ice water

　　

Step 1

Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and process until you have some pea-sized lumps left.

　　

Step 2

Beat the egg and water together lightly and add to the processor. Process only until the dough comes together.

　　

Step 3

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. Form each half into a small brick, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling.

　　

Step 4

This dough will keep for several days in the refrigerator and for 2 months in the freezer. Defrost before rolling.

　　Cooks' Note

　　I find that you get the best texture from this pastry when you use a food processor. But you could make it the old-fashioned way, cutting in the butter by hand with two knives.

　　Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved.Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book.Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__