Hints & Tips for Successful Gluten Free Pastry Making
Shortcrust or sweet pastry, hot-water raised pastry, choux, and flaky pastry can all be made using Gluten Free Flour although these recipes may differ from their conventional counterparts. Follow one of our tried and tested pastry recipes.
FREEE Plain White Flour will make reliable gluten free pastry while Rice Flour Pastry or Buckwheat Flour Pastry can add another dimension to your baking. Here are a few tips to help you get the best results when making gluten free pastry.
Choosing and Using Gluten Free Pastry Ingredients
- A chilled solid fat, such as a vegan baking block, dairy butter or lard, is best for pastry making
- Avoid using any soft spread when making gluten free pastry as this can cause the pastry to become difficult to handle
- A pinch of FREEE Xanthan Gum can help to bind gluten free pastry, which will be absorbed during the resting stage
- Add enough water, a little more than conventional pastry, to make a slightly sticky dough, which will rehydrate the flour during resting
Handling Gluten Free Pastry
- Chop the baking block or butter into small cubes before adding it to the flour
- Mix the flour and fat with a fork or pastry blender, rather than using your fingers, to avoid over-mixing
- Using a kitchen mixer can overwork gluten free pastry making it hard
- Cover and rest gluten free pastry according to the recipe to re-hydrate the flour and make the pastry easier to handle
- If pastry is still slightly sticky after resting, dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour
- Large pieces of gluten free pastry can be delicate to pick up but can be easily pressed into a pie dish or tart tin
- Pie tops can be rolled out between two pieces of greaseproof paper or parchment
- Blind baking a pastry case helps top avoid a soggy bottom in fruit tarts
Gluten Free Pastry Troubleshooting
Even the most experienced cooks can have trouble with their bakes. Our troubleshooting guide below should help you get out of many sticky situations!
Crumbly Pastry Dough
Possible Cause
- Insufficient water in dough
- Gluten free flour does not make very elastic pastry
Possible solution:
- Add more water to make a slightly sticky dough, rest and roll out again
- Add a pinch of FREEE Xanthan Gum, to the flour and mix well before making the pastry
Pastry is difficult to handle and roll out
Possible Cause
- Insufficient water in dough
- Gluten free pastry is not very elastic
Possible solution:
- Sprinkle a little more water over the dough until it comes together easily into a ball
- Press pastry into dish with fingers
- Roll pastry between two pieces of greaseproof paper or parchment
- Add a pinch of FREEE Xanthan Gum to the flour and mix well before making the pastry
Cooked pastry is hard
Possible Cause
- Fat overworked into flour
- Too much water
Possible solution:
- Use a fork or pastry blender to mix fat and butter, avoiding using fingers
- Use a solid baking block or butter
- Fat too soft resulting in overmixing
- Use less water
Cooked pastry is cracked
Possible Cause
- Insufficient water in pastry
Possible solution:
- Add a little more water to pastry dough and rest before rolling out
