Cold Hands, Flaky Crust

Flaky pastry comes from small pieces of cold fat melting in a hot oven. Everything else is detail.

When those pieces of butter melt, they leave little gaps, and the water in them turns to steam and pushes the layers apart. If the butter melts before the oven gets to it, you get a tough cracker instead of a flaky crust.

The rules of the cold

• Cut your butter into cubes and freeze them for 15 minutes.
• Use ice water, and measure it out with no ice in the spoon.
• Keep some of the butter in pieces the size of peas. You should be able to see them in the dough.
• If the kitchen is warm, chill your bowl and flour too.

Do not overdo the water

Add water a tablespoon at a time and toss with a fork. Stop when a handful holds together when you squeeze it. Too much water plus too much mixing develops gluten, and that is what makes a crust chewy.

Rest, then roll

Wrap the dough and chill it at least an hour. Resting relaxes the gluten and lets the flour absorb water evenly. Roll it out from the center, turning it often. If it cracks at the edge, patch it and move on. Nobody at your table will ever know.

Hot oven, low rack

Start a fruit pie at 425 F on the bottom rack, so the base sets quickly. Turn it down to 375 F after 20 minutes. A glass dish lets you check that the bottom has browned. The whole thing rewards patience, and the first slice is yours.