Gluten and Dairy Free Shortcrust Pastry
If, like us, you miss your pastries and pies by following a free-from diet, then help is at hand now from this amazing recipe for shortcrust pastry.
Make it sweet or savoury. For savoury recipes we simply replaced the sugar with some herbs and pepper.
A top tip from our Food Editor Sarah is to place the pastry inside cling film as you roll each portion into shape, as it assists with keeping it together and moving it into the pastry case.
This recipe should give you enough pastry to make a regular 7" pie or at least 12 smaller tartlets.
Ingredients
- 225g gluten free plain white flour (we used Doves Farm)
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum* (Doves Farm)
- 1 pinch salt
- 112g dairy-free margarine (we used Pure Soya)
- 56g caster sugar (for sweet recipe)
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Method
- Sift the flour, salt and xanthan gum into a large bowl.
- Gradually rub in the fat until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the sugar if you are making sweet pastry (pepper and spice for savoury).
- Add in the egg yolk and mix.
- Add a little water to get the pastry to form a dough (if you can use less than stated it is better).
- Wrap the finished dough in cling film and pop in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes before using as 'regular' pastry.
*The xanthan gum and chilling of the pastry make it easier to handle.