Gluten free Pastry Masterclass

Daunted by the prospect of gluten free pastry making? Follow our step by step guide to perfect pastry – give it a try, you’ll be surprised how easy it is! With the help of Anna’s top tips, you’ll soon master the techniques of gluten free pastry.

1. Place the Mix in a large bowl, cut the fats into small pieces using a knife and add them to the Mix. It’s important to keep the fats as cold as possible so leave them in the fridge right up until you use them; the harder they are for rubbing in, the better (soft fats means your mixture starts to form a dough before you’ve added water).

We tend to use a combination of hard margarine (for flavour) and lard (for shortness). You can use all hard margarine or butter (for a richer pastry) if you prefer.

2. Using your fingertips, rub the fats into the Mix until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. (You don’t need to get to fine breadcrumbs, so take care not to over-rub the fats as you mixture will become too warm – any larger pieces left will be mixed in later when the pastry dough is kneaded).

3. Lightly stir in a medium egg – the reason we add an egg is to help achieve the structure that gluten would normally provide.

4. To bring your mixture together as a dough, gradually add cold water to form a soft but not sticky dough - you will probably need 2-3tbsp but its best to add it gradually. Using your hands, move the mixture around the bowl allowing it to form a dough without actually forcing it together. You’ll know when you’ve added enough water as the dough will start to clean the bottom of the bowl.

5. You will notice that the dough is quite crumbly (and would fall apart if you tried to roll it out!) That’s why this kneading stage is crucial. This may seem very strange, but gluten free pastry differs to traditional pastry as it actually improves with handling. Lightly dust a surface with Mix and knead the dough for a couple of minutes. This will totally transform the texture of your pastry and you will notice it becoming much smoother and more pliable.

6. The pastry is now ready to roll out. Lightly dust a surface and 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, pop it over your rolling pin to pick it up and move it.

Just remember to ensure you use cold, hard fats and always knead your dough, and you will have mastered it! And if you need any more help along the way, please call and we will happily guide you through!