This from scratch Gluten free Pastry for Pies and Tarts could not be easier to make because it comes with a little help from the grocery store. Perfect for savory and sweet pies, tarts and the British classic, sausage rolls.

Gluten free dough in a pie dish ready for the filling

I have many popular recipes that call for homemade shortcrust pastry; Steak and Ale Pie, Maple Sweet Potato Pie and even my Homemade Sausage Rolls (pictures below). Given this, I get a lot of requests of how to make the pastry gluten-free.

Steak and ale pie made with gluten free crust

The flour I found to make life easier is Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten free baking flour. I find this in my grocery store and also on Amazon. The 1 to 1 means that it measures the same (or measure for measure)  as regular all-purpose flour.

Maple Sweet Potato Pie made with gluten free crust

I see other recipes that make the gluten-free flour with all the necessary ingredients like rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch and xanthan gum. There’s no need to buy all of these if you can find the 1 to 1 flour. 

Sausage rolls made with gluten free dough

Xanthan gum; an ingredient that you usually see in products but don’t know what it does. In this recipe, it plays and important part to replace the gluten in the flour to stabilize and thicken the dough. I have read that corn starch is a good substitute for xanthan gum, but I have not tried it yet.

Why is there an egg in this gluten free pastry?

The egg replaced the protein missing in the flour and makes for a more tender crust.

A closeup of gluten free pie crust showing the pretty fluted edge

This recipe makes 1 pie crust and can be doubled to make a top and a bottom pie crust. This is also a savory crust, to make it a sweet crust for pies add 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

If you’ve made this Gluten Free Pastry for Pies and Tarts or any other recipe, leave me a comment or question below. I love to hear from my readers.

Yield: 1

Gluten Free Pastry for Pies and Tarts

A gluten free pie crust ready for the oven

A gluten free pastry dough for savory and sweet pies, tarts and quiches.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups ( 194 grams) 1 to 1 gluten free flour, plus extra for rolling out pastry (see note)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup/1 stick (170 grams) unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch cubes kept refrigerated until ready to use
  • 1 teaspoon sugar if making a sweet crust (optional)
  • 1 egg, room temperature whisked
  • ¼ cup (plus 2 tablespoons) cold water

Instructions

  1. To a make the pastry in a food processor: Add the flour, salt and butter. Pulse until you get the texture of breadcrumbs (add the sugar at this stage if making a sweet dough). With the processor running, add the egg, then slowly drizzle in cold water until it forms a ball. You may need more or less water depending on the dough.
  2. To make the pastry by hand: Add the flour, salt and butter to a large bowl. Using your fingertips (or a pastry cutter) rub the butter and flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and drizzle in the water and mix using a fork until the it starts to come together and holds together when pressed in your hand. You may not need all of the water.
  3. The dough is ready when you can grab a little, press it the dough with your fingers it should hold together. Remove and shape into a flat round on a floured board. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove from the fridge and unwrap. Allow the dough to rest for 10-15 minutes after removing from the fridge to make it easier to roll and prevent cracking. Roll from the center out to achieve a round piece of dough.

Notes

Check the ingredients of your flour. If it does not contain xanthan gum, you will need to buy some and add 1 teaspoon to the flour.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 118Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 32mgSodium 123mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 3g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.