Pastry Shell

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup cold water

Preparation

1. Toss together flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter pieces and blend into flour with fingertips until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add water and stir with a fork until dough just comes together into a ball. Knead briefly until barely smooth, then pat dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 12-inch circle. Roll dough onto rolling pin and unroll into a pie pan. Prick all over with a fork. Line the pastry shell with a 15-inch sheet of aluminum foil, letting edge hang over top. Freeze for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375°. Fill the foillined shell with 2 cups dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes, remove foil and beans and bake 17 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool on a rack before filling.