Ingredients
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter chilled
3/4-1 cup ice water
Preparation
Place flour, salt, and sugar in work bowl of a food processor. Add butter pieces and process for approximately 10 seconds, or just until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
With machine running, add ice water, drop by drop, through food-processor feed tube. When dough holds together but is not wet or sticky, stop adding water; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is still crumbly, add a bit more water.
Divide dough in half and turn out onto two large pieces of plastic wrap. Press dough into flat circles; this makes rolling easier than if the pastry is chilled as a ball. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for at least an hour.
