Tart Dough

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ¼ cups unbleached white flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces, and drop into the flour. Work the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it resembles coarse meal.
2. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the lemon juice and water, and stir to combine. Slowly pour the liquid into the flour mixture while stirring with a fork. The mixture should be moist but not wet; it should hold together in a ball.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.
4. To roll the dough, prepare a floured work surface. Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand. Lightly flour both sides of the dough. Roll out the dough from the center, moving toward the edges. Turn and flour the dough as you go to prevent it from sticking. Roll Tart Dough 1/8 inch thick.
5. Carefully lay the dough in the tart pan. Trim the excess dough, leaving about 1 extra inch around the edge. Fold over the extra dough and press it against the sides to double the thickness of the sides.
6. Chill the tart shell for at least 1 hour before prebaking or filling.
7. To partially bake a tart shell, preheat oven to 425°. Line the shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans, rice, or aluminum pellets. This keeps the sides from caving in and the bottom from bubbling up.
8. Place the tart pan on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, remove the weights, and return the shell to the oven for 5 minutes more to dry the bottom crust.
9. To bake a shell completely, follow the above steps, but bake for 20 minutes before removing the weights. Return the shell to the oven for an additional 5 minutes. The crust should be a light golden brown