Two pounds of sifted flour; one and a half pound of butter; iced water enough to make a stiff paste.

Have bowl, chopping-knife, butter, and flour well chilled before beginning work. Chop the butter into the flour, and when the bits of butter are the size of pease pour in the iced water, mix it with the chopping-knife into a rough paste, and turn it out on the board together with any scraps of butter that have not been worked in. Roll it out quickly into a sheet about half an inch thick. Flour lightly, fold it in three, turn the rough edges toward you, and roll out again. Repeat this process three times, handling the pastry just as little as possible. Set it on the ice for an hour at least before using.