Century-Old Nuns Pastry Dough

A better pastry dough, good for butter tarts, pecan pies and anything sweet!

• Ready In: 1 hr 19 mins
• Serves: 30
• Yields: 3 10

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

Directions

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 white 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 white 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.