Free-Form Crostata Dough

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Put the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and process for a few seconds to mix the dry ingredients.

   Step 2

   Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces, drop them onto the flour, and pulse the machine ten or twelve times, in short bursts, 20 seconds in all. The mixture should be crumbly, with only a few larger bits of butter visible.

   Step 3

   Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water on top of the dough; immediately pulse about six times, only a second or two each time. You want the crumbs to gather together in wet clusters, a bit like cottage-cheese curds—don’t expect a mass of dough to form. If they haven’t gathered, sprinkle on more water, a teaspoon at a time, and pulse two or three times after each.

   Step 4

   When the clusters form, scrape them all out of the bowl, press them together, and knead just for a few seconds to form a smooth, tight dough. Flatten it into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to a day before using. Freeze the dough for longer keeping.

   Step 5

   (If the crumbs haven’t clustered after you’ve added 4 tablespoons of water, open the top and press them with your fingers; if they’re wet and stick together, just empty the bowl and press them into a disk of dough.)