Sweet Pastry Dough

Ingredients:
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ice water

Directions:
- Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes.
- In a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps.
- In a small bowl or cup stir together yolk and ice water.
- Drizzle yolk mixture over flour mixture, stirring gently with a fork until incorporated, and gently form mixture into a ball.
- Turn mixture out onto a floured 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 on work surface, into a disk.
- Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.