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1
Put the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and process for a few seconds to mix the dry ingredients.
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2
Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces, drop them onto the flour, and pulse the machine ten or twelve times, in short bursts, 20 seconds in all.
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3
The mixture should be crumbly, with only a few larger bits of butter visible.
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4
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water on top of the dough; immediately pulse about six times, only a second or two each time.
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5
You want the crumbs to gather together in wet clusters, a bit like cottage-cheese curdsdont expect a mass of dough to form.
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6
If they havent gathered, sprinkle on more water, a teaspoon at a time, and pulse two or three times after each.
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7
When the clusters form, scrape them all out of the bowl, press them together, and knead just for a few seconds to form a smooth, tight dough.
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8
Flatten it into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to a day before using.
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9
Freeze the dough for longer keeping.
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10
(If the crumbs havent clustered after youve added 4 tablespoons of water, open the top and press them with your fingers; if theyre wet and stick together, just empty the bowl and press them into a disk of dough.)
