Cafe Azul's Pastry Dough: 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

2000s Recipes + Menus

Makes about3 lb (enough for 24 empanadas)

Active time:15 min
Start to finish:1 1/4 hr

October 2002

This recipe makes much more dough than is needed for the Mushroom and Butternut Squash Empanadas with Smoked Chile and Tomatillo Sauce, but it freezes beautifully, wrapped well in plastic wrap and sealed in a plastic freezer bag. (Defrost the dough in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours before using.) At Café Azul, Archibald also uses this pastry for pies and tarts.

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
4 sticks (2 cups) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
About 3/4 cup ice water

Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
Beat egg with vinegar in a 1-cup measure using a fork, then add enough ice water to measure 1 cup total. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until incorporated.
Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently with heel of your hand just enough to bring dough together. Roll out or pat into a 15- by 9-inch rectangle. Arrange dough with short side nearest you, then fold into thirds like a letter to form a roughly 5- by 9-inch rectangle. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour and up to 6 (do not chill longer or dough will discolor).

Recipe by Claire Archibald