Instructions

1. Scale out equal parts unsalted butter and all-purpose flour by weight. Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes.

2. Measure about 1 cup of cold water for every pound of flour used and add a couple ice cubes to it. Place the water in the freezer along with the cubed butter and a pastry cutter. Chill the items for about 5 minutes.

3. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl while the butter chills. Take the butter cubes and pastry cutter out of the freezer. Add the butter cubes to the flour.

4. Cut the butter into the flour with the pastry cutter until crumbly. Mash pieces of butter larger than 1/4 inch with your fingers.

5. Form a small well in the center of the butter and flour and tip in the ice water, a tablespoon or so at a time. Work the ice water in gently with your fingertips until the dough barely holds together. You will have some ice water left over.

6. Turn the dough out onto the work surface. Lightly knead the dough into a rough rectangle.

7. Roll out the pastry dough with a rolling pin using a forward motion 2 or 3 times, starting in the center of the rectangle. Rotate the pastry dough a quarter turn to the right.

8. Roll the pastry out a couple more times, rotate it to the right a quarter turn and repeat. You want to keep the rectangle shape of the pastry dough. Roll the rough pastry until measures about 1/2 inch thick.

9. Fold the pastry in equal thirds using a pastry scraper, also known as a bench scraper. Do this by folding the left 1/3 of the dough rectangle to the center, then fold the right 1/3 of the dough rectangle to the center, using the pastry scraper to lift and fold the dough over. The technique is just like folding a piece of paper into thirds so it fits neatly in an envelope.

10. Roll the dough out to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle again after you fold it into thirds, using the same rolling and turning technique as before. Fold the rectangle in thirds again after it reaches 1/2 inch thick and repeat the rolling, turning and folding process two more times.

11. Wrap the rough pastry in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Take the pastry dough out and roll it, turn it and fold it two more times before using.