Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, frozen
• 8 to 10 tablespoons ice water

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Instructions

1. Into a chilled large metal bowl sift together flour and salt. Set a grater in flour bowl and coarsely grate frozen butter into flour, gently lifting and tossing flour to coat butter. Chill mixture 20 minutes. Drizzle 6 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until just incorporated. Gently squeeze a small handful of mixture to test for proper texture: It should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add some additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time and stirring until just incorporated, and test mixture again. (If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)
2. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and with floured hands mound into 4 portions. With heel of hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough portions together and form dough, rotating it on work surface, into a disk (dough will not be smooth). Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 2 hours, or until firm, and up to 2 days.