Four cups of flour (or one pound), two cups of butter (or one pound), one-fourth teaspoonful of salt, ice water. This amount makes about twelve pate shells.

Put the butter in a bowl of ice water, work it with the hands or wooden spoon until it becomes smooth and waxy. This is to wash out the salt and make it lighter. Then knead it in a napkin to get out all the water, pat it in half a dozen flat thin strips, lay it flat on a napkin in a pan; place this pan between two pans that are filled with cracked ice. This is done to thoroughly chill the butter. Sift the flour and salt together, mix it to a stiff dough with ice water, using a knife and only a few drops of water at a time. Then knead it on the board until it is smooth, place on the ice for thirty minutes. Then flour the board well and toss the ball of dough on it, using a knife; then roll out in a long sheet. Take one piece of the butter from the ice, roll it in a little flour, cut in thin strips and place on the pastry; fold over the sides of the pastry, letting the edges just meat in the center. Then fold the ends over to the center and double it over again; pound gently in a flat cake and roll out again. Roll each piece of butter in the same way.

After the butter is all in, roll and fold once more, or as many more times as you care to do it. Should the paste become soft and sticky, put it on the ice for a while, then flour the board well and roll out. The paste should be folded and rolled till no streaks of butter remain. Then place it on the ice to chill, or cut out in the shapes to be used, place in the pans and chill on the ice for thirty minutes before baking.