Century-old Nuns Pastry Dough

Total Time: 1 hr 19 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 19 mins

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 lemon, juice of
• 1/2 lemon, zest of
• 1 lb lard (recommended ( tenderflake)
• 1 egg, separated

Recipe

• 1 whisk the flour, salt and lemon rind in a bowl.
• 2 cut in the lard with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mix resembles a light, floury crumble.
• 3 mix the lemon juice and egg yolk in a measuring cup and top with enough ice-cold water to the 1-cup line.
• 4 whisk the egg until foamy.
• 5 make a well in the flour mixture.
• 6 add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and gently fold 7–12 times by hand.
• 7 while the mix is still a bit floury, add in the whipped egg and gently press, fold, and press again until all the flour combines into a paste-like ball.
• 8 if you’re making butter tarts, divide the dough into 2 balls, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour before using.
• 9 if you’re making 10" crusts, divide it into 3 before wrapping and chilling.