1 pound of flour (pastry flour preferred),
About 1 pound of cold water.
No. 2. 1 pound of butter,
1 cupful of flour,
1 cupful of water,
White of one egg.
Cut one sixth of the butter into the flour for the paste.
No salt is needed if salted butter is used.
Put the flour on the slab, chop into it, using a knife, one sixth of the butter, then moisten it with the water into which has been stirred the beaten white of one egg. The exact amount of water cannot be given, as that depends upon the dryness of the flour, but care must be taken to have the paste of the right consistency. It should be neither too hard to roll easily, nor so soft that it will stick, but have a flexible, dry consistency. Work it for a few minutes with the hands to a perfect smoothness. Roll it to a rectangular shape (a little longer than broad), and about a half inch in thickness. The paste can be handled with impunity at this stage, and care should be taken to roll it to an even thickness and to have the edges straight and the corners square. When just right, fold it over, wrap it in a napkin, put it in a pan, and place the pan upon ice.
Work the butter with a spoon or a pat until it is smooth and flexible, and press out as much of the water it contains as possible, as this wets the paste and may make it sticky. Mold the butter into a smooth, flattened square cake and set it on ice.