Gluten free shortcrust pastry

Many people believe, making gluten free shortcrust pastry is tricky. And to be honest, I thought the same, until I started making it on a regular basis. But now, after years of making gluten free pastry I love the process; in fact I prefer making it to standard pastry.

Whilst I’ve a selection of gluten free pastry based recipes on my site, I thought it would helpful to simply have the basic shortcrust pastry recipe here for you to refer to, for when you’re recreating YOUR favourite pastry based recipes.

In my quest to help you further with gluten free pastry making, I’ve also popped together a quick video sharing how I go about making it. You can check it out here on my YouTube channel. It’s my first YouTube video, so go easy on me, as whilst I know how to cook, I’ve got a heck of a lot to learn about video making.

 

Ingredients (enough for a large pie or 24 single layer tarts)

200g (7oz) gluten free plain flour or mix
100g (3½oz) cold butter, cubed (or a dairy free alternative – Trex works really well)
1 large beaten egg
Pinch of salt added to the gf flour if using unsalted butter
Cold water

 

Method

Place the butter and gluten free flour into a large bowl and rub together until it resemble coarse breadcrumbs, any larger pieces of butter will be blended when you work the pastry before rolling it out. By leaving the mixture slightly chunky you will allow for more water to be added.

Stir in the beaten egg and then add enough water to bring the pastry together. You will probably need around 3-5 dessertspoons of water. Add the water gradually, as the amount you need may differ, depending on the temperature of your kitchen/ingredients. If you don’t add enough water, you’ll find the pastry difficult to work with.

Form the pastry into a ball. The texture should be soft, but not too sticky. You should be left with a clean bowl once the pastry comes together.

Transfer the pastry onto a clean surface, that’s been dusted with gluten free flour and knead the dough for a couple of minutes until it becomes smooth. Spending time doing this, will make the gluten free pastry easier to handle. Unlike traditional pastry, kneading wont make it tough, as there isn’t any gluten in there to be overworked.

When it comes to rolling out gluten free pastry smaller amounts are much easier to work with.

Keep dusting your work surface and rolling pin with gf flour to ensure the pastry doesn’t stick. Roll the pastry to the required size. Then give the rolling pin another good ‘dusting’ before gently wrapping the pastry around it and lowering it into the dish/pie plate you’re using.

When making small tarts, it’s best to use a palette knife to gently lift the pastry cut outs to transfer into the tins.

For pastry baking/cooking times refer to the individual recipe you’re using.

Hope you found this gluten free pastry step by step guide helpful. Any questions please do give me a shout.

For now,
Liz x