Sour Cream Pastry Recipes

Steps:

• Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes.
• To blend by hand:
• In a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend together flour, butter, and salt until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps. Stir in sour cream with a fork just until incorporated. Drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water over mixture and gently stir just until incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add enough remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated and testing, to give mixture proper texture. (If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)
• To blend in a food processor:
• In a food processor pulse together flour, butter, and salt until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps. Add sour cream and pulse just until incorporated. Drizzle 4 tablespoons water over mixture and pulse just until incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add enough remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until incorporated and testing, to give mixture proper texture. (If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)
• To form dough after blending by either method:
• Turn mixture out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.

Steps:

• Put 3 1/4 cups of the flour, salt to taste, baking powder, butter, eggs and sour cream into the container of a food processor. Process until thoroughly blended.
• If a food processor is not used, put the flour, salt to taste and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and cut it with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Using a fork, add the eggs and thoroughly blend.
• Scrape the mixture out onto a lightly floured board and knead as briefly as possible, using as little flour as possible to make a smooth and workable dough.
• Shape the dough into a flat cake and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill until ready to use.

Steps:

• Put the flour and salt in a 3 qt bowl, stir to blend.
• Scatter butter slices over flour and cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture consists of particles that vary in size from small peas to bread crumbs (you can use a food processor for this step).
• Stir in the sour cream with a fork.
• The pastry will appear dry because the sour cream is thick and does not disburse easily.
• With your hands, manipulate the dough into a ball.
• Divide in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cold and firm- at least 4 hours, and up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.