Basic Shortcrust Pastry

Description

The following recipe will make enough pastry to cover a 22cm (9inch) flan ring or approx. 20 mini tartlets.

Ingredients

200g (8oz) Juvela Gluten-Free mix or Gluten-Free fibre mix
50g (2oz) hard margarine
50g (2oz) lard
1 egg
cold water to mix

Instructions

  1. To make the pastry, place the Gluten-free Mix in a bowl, cut the fats up and add them to the Mix. It is important to keep the fats as cold and hard as possible; if they become warm and oily as you are rubbing them in, the mixture will start to form a dough before you want it to.
  2. Using your fingertips, rub the fats into the Gluten-free Mix until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. (Take care not to over rub at this stage - you don't need to get the mixture to fine breadcrumbs because the dough will be kneaded at a later stage so any larger lumps of fat will be incorporated then).
  3. Stir in the beaten egg and then gradually add sufficient cold water to produce a soft but not sticky dough (the amount you add will vary each time you make the pastry).
  4. Using your hands, move the mixture around the bowl, allowing it to form a dough without actually forcing it together. When the dough starts to clean the bottom of the bowl, sufficient water has been added.
  5. The dough will be quite crumbly at this stage so the kneading stage is crucial (this may seem very strange, but gluten-free pastry completely differs to traditional pastry as it actually benefits from being handled).
  6. On a surface lightly dusted with some Gluten-free Mix, knead the dough well for 1-2 minutes. You will notice the texture of the dough change almost as soon as you start to knead it; the dough will become much smoother and more pliable.
  7. The pastry is now ready to use. To roll out, lightly dust the surface and the rolling pin with Mix and roll out using smooth short strokes. Keep the pastry moving around the surface but do not turn it over. As the piece gets bigger use your rolling pin, rather than your hands, to pick it up. (Once you have lined your dish or tartlet tins, any trimmings can then be re-kneaded and rolled out again).