TART DOUGH

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 (10-INCH) QUICHE

RIGHT AFTER I LEARNED to make this dough, I was visiting friends outside Lyon who were proud French gastronomes. The matriarch of the family, a grandmother of seven, complained to me about the inconsistent results of her quiche dough. So I cheekily suggested that I would make the dough. The very idea that I, an American boy, could teach a French grandmother to make dough seemed heretical. However, when I successfully made this recipe for her, she became a believer. And so I pass it on to you! You can add ¼ cup sugar to this basic recipe and use it to make a sweet tart or pie. There will be a little left over, just enough to roll out in strips and bake for cookies.

1¾ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons butter, cubed and chilled

1 egg yolk

Up to 4 tablespoons ice water

Stir together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, little by little, work it into the flour with your fingertips, flattening it to create a sandy mixture. The idea is not to overwork the dough and the key is to start with cold butter and touch it with only your fingertips.

Add the yolk and 2 tablespoons of the ice water, then lightly stir and fold it in with your fingers.

Do not worry if the mixture seems too dry and like it won’t come together. Just add more water, drop by drop, until it does.

When the mixture just barely becomes a dough, transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about an hour. To store the dough longer than a few hours, wrap it well in plastic and refrigerate for up to a couple of days or freeze for up to 6 months.