Pie Crust Dough

Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tbsp. ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated. Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tbsp. at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough. Turn out dough onto a work surface. Divide dough into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together with pastry scraper. Press into a ball, and then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.