Quick Puff Pastry

Photo: flickr user JustineTheQueen

Ingredients

1 cup butter, chilled

1 1/4 cups plus 2 ½ tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup ice water

Preparation

Cut butter into 3/8 inch cubes. Freeze 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt; mound on a smooth surface and make a well in center. Place chilled butter in well. Working quickly, cut butter coarsely into flour using a pastry scraper until cubes of butter are halved or quartered. Sprinkle water evenly over mixture; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Quickly shape into a ball and wrap in waxed paper. (Dough will be very lumpy, with pieces of butter showing). Chill 15 minutes.

Working quickly, roll dough into a 3/8 inch thick rectangle (about 14 x 9 inches) on floured surface. Fold short sides inward to meet in center; fold in half along center where the two sides meet. Lightly flour surface and roll dough out again into 3/8 inch thick rectangle; fold as before. Repeat rolling and folding process 1 additional time. Chill 15 minutes. Yield: Enough pastry for one tart shell.