Without linzer pastry there is no Hungarian pite. Linzer provides the base and the top for a wide variety of fruit and túró squares. Linzer is based on the 1-2-3 linzer rule, 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter and 3 parts flour. This is in weight mind you so the parts are not easily distinguishable in cup measurements. But for the cook who uses a kitchen scale this is an unforgettable formula and so the pite whatever fruit it may have in it tends to be made from memory rather than recipes.
There are three things to keep in mind when making this pastry. The first one is always use room temperature butter. If you don’t have room temperature butter, use chopped up cold butter. It is harder to work with cold butter, but under no circumstances use melted butter. The second is always make linzer pastry by hand, if you use a mixer, your pastry will be crumbly and not so enjoyable to eat. The third thing to keep in mind is to always chill the pastry for 1/2 hour or longer before rolling it out. By the time you prepare the filling the pastry should be ready to roll.
1/2 cup sugar
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
sprinkling of salt
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp room temperature butter [not melted]
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup sour cream or kefir or yoghurt, buttermilk or heavy cream
• In a large mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder and the salt.
• Rub the cold butter into the flour mixture. If you have a hand held wire pastry blender it works really well.
• Add the egg yolk and the sour cream and knead until the dough comes together. Resist the urge to add more liquid. If you keep working on it you will have a wonderful textured pastry that will not stick to the board.
• Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it with plastic wrap.
• Place in the fridge for 1/2 hour or longer.
• After chilling the dough knead it on a floured board for a minute or two to warm it up a little.
• Lay a sheet of parchment paper corresponding in size to the baking pan you will be using.
• Place the dough on the paper and with lightly floured roller roll out the dough to 1 cm thickness.
• Transfer to the baking pan and reserve the paper for rolling the second layer.
• Linzer pastry bakes at 375F.
