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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©
Cold Butter Is Key
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F with the rack in the middle. With a knife, cut your butter into small pieces, then place it on a small plate and return it to the fridge until ready to blend with the flour, or even place it in the freezer for 5 minutes — cold butter does not readily absorb into flour and this is what allows those great flakey layers to form. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and/or yeast (if your recipe calls for a self-rising flour, it may only call for little, if any, leavening), salt and, if using, sugar. Add the chilled butter pieces and, using a pastry blender, two butter knives or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until mixture is sandy with some larger pieces of butter still intact. Do this quickly to avoid allowing the butter to warm.