Gluten Intolerance is serious, but baking gluten-free desserts can be fun and delicious, especially when you make your favorite pies with this perfect gluten-free crust (vegan substitutions included).
I have taught gluten-free baking classes for years. The top recipe requests are usually for a great gluten-free pie crust and a no-fuss gluten-free bread recipe. Hail Merry’s Blonde and Chocolate Macaroons make a great no-bake pie crust for cream pies. But sometimes, you need to bake the crust. Today, I deliver the goods on an “I can’t believe it is gluten-free” pie crust just in time for Mother’s Day courtesy of Annalise Roberts, author of Gluten-Free Baking Classics. The vegan substitutions are included. For a so-good-it-brings tears-to-my-eyes gluten-free bread check out my Oat & Chia Roll Recipe! No fuss but pure happiness.
TRADITIONAL PIE CRUST
This is a really good pie crust, perhaps even better than those made with wheat. It stands up well to fruit fillings, custards, and even lemon meringue. It is probably the only pie crust you will ever eat that is as good the second day as it is the first. It is easy to make in a mixer—no messy hands or time-consuming pastry cutters. You will become a pie-crust-making phenomenon in your own home. When you make the Traditional Pie Crust, be sure to use the sweet rice flour called for in the recipe. It will help give you a great crust.
Makes one 8- or 9-inch pie crust or one 9- or 10-inch tart crust.
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
2 tablespoons sweet rice flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (or butter substitute)
1 large egg (or 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water)
2 teaspoons orange juice or lemon juice
Spray 9-inch pie pan or tart pan (with removable bottom) with cooking spray. Generously dust with rice flour.
- Mix flours, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt in large bowl of electric mixer. Add butter and mix until crumbly and resembling coarse meal.
- Add egg and orange juice. Mix on low speed until dough holds together; it should not be sticky. Form dough into a ball, using your hands, and place on a sheet of wax paper. Top with a second sheet of wax paper and flatten dough to 1-inch thickness. Dough can be frozen at this point for up to 1 month; wrap in plastic wrap and then use foil as an outer wrap.
- Roll out dough between the 2 sheets of wax paper. If dough seems tacky, refrigerate for 15 minutes before proceeding. Remove top sheet of wax paper and invert dough into pie/tart pan. Remove remaining sheet of wax paper, and crimp edges for single-crust pie. Dough can also be frozen at this point for up to 1 month; line pie shell with wax paper, wrap in plastic wrap, and use foil as an outer wrap.
Take note: When you prebake or parbake this crust, do so at a lower temperature than is commonly used for pie crusts made with wheat (see directions below). This is to make sure the dough cooks before it browns. If you notice the crust rising in the middle while it is baking, open the oven quickly and prick it once with the point of a sharp knife or press the crust down lightly. Partially bake this pie crust whenever you are making a fruit pie or quiche.
To partially bake (parbake) a bottom pie crust: Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake pastry for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Fill and bake as per recipe.
To prebake a bottom pie crust: Preheat oven to 375°F. Gently prick pastry in 3 or 4 places with a fork. Bake pastry for about 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Prebaked pie shells can be stored in airtight plastic containers or plastic wrap in refrigerator for 3 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil, and store in freezer for up to 2 weeks.
©2010 by Claudia Pillow and Annalise Roberts
For Annalise Roberts’s Blueberry Tart in the photo, get the recipe here.
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