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1
To prepare the dough, combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
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2
Add the butter.
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3
Process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
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4
Add the egg yolks and pulse to combine.
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5
With the processor on pulse, add the ice water a tablespoon at a time.
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6
Pulse until the mixture holds together as a soft, but not crumbly or sticky, dough.
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7
Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm and evenly moist, about 30 minutes.
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8
To prepare the dough, lightly flour a clean work surface and rolling pin.
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9
Place the dough disk in the center of the floured surface.
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10
Roll out the dough, starting in the center and rolling up to, but not over, the top edge of the dough.
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11
Return to the center, and roll down to, but not over, the bottom edge.
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12
Give the dough a quarter turn, and continue rolling, repeating the quarter turns until you have a disk about 1/8 inch thick.
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13
Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, unrolling over the tin.
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14
With one hand lift the pastry and with the other gently tuck it into the pan, being careful not to stretch or pull the dough.
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15
Let the pastry settle into the bottom of the pan.
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16
Take a small piece of dough and shape it into a ball.
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17
Press the ball of dough around the bottom edges of the tart pan, snugly shaping the pastry to the pan without tearing it.
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18
Remove any excess pastry by rolling the pin across the top of the pan.
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19
Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with the tines of a fork to help prevent shrinkage during baking.
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20
Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
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21
To blind bake, preheat the oven to 425F.
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22
Crumple a piece of parchment paper, then lay it out flat over the bottom of the pastry.
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23
Weight the paper with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.
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24
This will keep the unfilled pie crust from puffing up in the oven.
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25
For a partially baked shell that will be filled and baked further, bake for 20 minutes.
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26
Remove from the oven and remove the paper and weights.
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27
(You can reuse the rice or beans for blind-baking a number of times.)
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28
The shell can now be filled and baked further, according to the recipe directions.
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29
For a fully baked shell that will hold an uncooked filling, bake the empty shell until a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes total.
