Name: Café Azul's Pastry Dough
Yield: Makes about 3 lb (enough for 24 empanadas)
Ingredients: 5 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon salt; 4 sticks (2 cups) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1 large egg; 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar; About 3/4 cup ice water

This recipe makes much more dough than is needed for the Mushroom and Butternut Squash Empanadas with Smoked Chile and Tomatillo Sauce , but it freezes beautifully, wrapped well in plastic wrap and sealed in a plastic freezer bag. (Defrost the dough in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours before using.) At Café Azul, Archibald also uses this pastry for pies and tarts.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Recipe notes

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