Do not break the butter into too small pieces. You want there to be larger pea-sized pieces to create more layers. These pieces of butter will create delicious crispy thin “pockets” once the crust is baked.
Add water just until the dough comes together. Don’t make it too wet.
Folding the dough at the end quickly is what will ensure you get lots of flaky layers.
Do not overwork the dough. The less you handle it with your hands the better. You do not want to develop gluten and the heat from your hands will
Chilling the dough is important to get lots of flaky layers and to prevent shrinkage during baking. The dough needs to rest and the butter needs to re-solidify.
Blind baking is key to not get a soggy crust. It will cook the bottom of the crust before adding the filling and baking again. Keep an eye on the crust’s edges and tent with foil so that it does not burn.