Prep & Assembly

Cut In

Work cold fat into flour in small bits for flaky pastry and biscuits

Cutting in works cold butter or shortening into flour until it breaks into small, pea-sized bits coated in flour, the technique behind flaky pie crust, biscuits, and scones. Those fat pockets melt into flakes in the oven. Keep everything cold and stop while you can still see distinct flecks of fat.

Cutting in works cold butter or shortening into flour until it breaks into small, pea-sized bits coated in flour — the technique behind flaky pie crust, biscuits, and scones. Those fat pockets melt into flakes in the oven. Keep everything cold and stop while you can still see distinct flecks of fat.

Difficulty: Intermediate

How to do it

1
Start with cold fat cubed into the flour.
2
Press and chop with a pastry cutter or fingertips.
3
Work until the fat is in pea-sized, flour-coated pieces.
4
Stop early — visible flecks of fat mean flaky layers.

Common mistakes

Overworking blends the fat fully into the flour, which gives a dense, sandy crumb instead of flaky layers. Warm fat smears the same way — keep both fat and hands cold.