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Sweet pastry recipe

“Pastry shells are easy to make once you have the right recipe... ”

Wheat & gluten free Sweet Pastry recipe

Allergy Information

Wheat-Free no
Gluten-Free no
Nut-Free no
Dairy-Free no
Sugar-Free no
Vegetarian no
Vegan no
  • Yield: lines 1 x 25cm (10") tin

This sweet pastry recipe is perfect for dessert pies, fruit flans etc. The recipe pictured is our Chocolate Pear Tart recipe which uses this sweet pastry shell recipe.

Wheat/gluten free pastry is actually quite easy to make. It will never be as pliable and stretchy as regular wheat pastry because it doesn't have the elasticity that the gluten imparts. However, even if you can't roll it out in a large sheet, you can do smaller sheets and patch them together once they are in the dish or tin being used.

Ingredients (Measures: Metric | US)

100 g [3⁄4 cup] sweet white rice flour (plus extra for dusting tin and rolling surface)
100 g [3⁄4 cup] gluten free flour
100 g [1⁄3 cup + 1 1⁄2 tbsp] unsalted butter, softened (plus extra to butter the dish or tin being lined with pastry)
1⁄2 tsp [1⁄2 tsp] xanthan gum
2 tbsp [2 tbsp] caster sugar
1 med. [1 med.] egg yolk
1 tbsp [1 tbsp] water (plus extra if the pastry is too dry and is difficult to bind together)

Directions

Preheat oven: 200°C, 400°F, gas 6

  1. Lightly butter and dust with sweet white rice flour a 25cm (10") shallow dish or tart tin, preferably with a removable base.
  2. Into a large mixing bowl put the sweet white rice flour, gluten free flour, softened butter, xanthan gum, and sugar. Mix together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water, and knead into a smooth ball of pastry dough. If the pastry appears too dry and crumbly then sprinkle with a little more water until it makes a smooth ball. Wrap pastry in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  3. After the pastry has chilled, roll it out onto a lightly rice floured surface to a size large enough to completely line the tart tin including the sides. You may find it too delicate to lift in one piece and have to patch it together in the tart tin. (Hint: we gently roll the pastry around the rolling pin, then unroll it over the tin.) Gently push the pastry down into the dish/tin to line the base and sides, trim the top edge to neaten the pastry. If you are filling the raw pastry shell without pre-cooking, for example in our Chocolate Pear Tart recipe then put the pastry shell in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill before filling.
  4. If you require a pre-cooked pastry shell then place in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, and when cooked use as required.
  5. DO NOT eat the raw pastry shell as it contains egg, it must be cooked before consumption, either before it is filled or after the filling has been added.
Author: Helen Fletton