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To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium
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mixing bowl and stir well to mix.
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Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients.
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Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter.
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Then using your hands or a pastry blender, break the butter into tiny pieces and pinch and squeeze it into the dry ingredients.
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Occasionally reach down to the bottom of the bowl and mix all the ingredients evenly together.
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Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse ground corn meal and no large pieces of butter remain visible.
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Beat the egg(s) in a small bowl and pour over the flour and butter mixture.
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Stir in with a fork until the dough begins to hold together, but still appears somewhat dry.
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Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it.
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Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
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To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade.
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Pulse 3 times at 1second intervals to mix.
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Cut butter into 1tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl.
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Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible, about 15 pulses in all.
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Add the egg(s) to the work bowl and pulse ten times or so, until the dough forms a ball.
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Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it.
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Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
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Press the dough into a disk (two equal disks for the larger amount of dough).
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Sandwich the disk(s) of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6 inch circle.
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Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour.
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Storage: Keep the dough in the refrigerator up to two days, or freeze it doublewrapped in plastic.
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Because the dough is thin, it will defrost quickly at room temperature when you intend to use it.
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Variations:
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SPICE CRUST:
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Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each freshly grated nutmeg and ground cloves to the dry ingredients before mixing in the butter.
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Double the quantities for the 2 crust recipe.
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COCOA DOUGH:
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Add 2 tablespoons sifted non alkalized cocoa powder to the dry ingredients before mixing in the butter.
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Double the quantities for the 2 crust recipe.
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If the dough seems dry after adding egg(s), add a teaspoon or two of water, no more.
