Shortcrust pastry

Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, nut-free and soya-free

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Let’s just say I have been making my pastry for over 40 years, I consider myself pretty good after all that time.

When I first found out that I would have to avoid gluten I must admit I was a bit blase and as the saying goes a piece of cake right

After many patchwork pie bases and pastry ripping as soon as it saw the rolling pin, I have had to eat my words. Ten years on though, gluten-free flours have become not only a much better in their quality but also in their availability and price. Naturally gluten-free flours have also become easier to come by, if not in your chosen supermarket then online.

With that in mind, it has become so much easier and cheaper to experiment.

A shortcrust pastry in my mind should be both soft and short {crumbly}, to obtain this your ingredients should be cold, ice-cold water and cold or frozen fats

I prefer to use my flour, especially in the last few years. This way I know that it will be consistent as every make of gluten-free flour you buy is different.

I hope you like this pastry and find it easy to make. If you do not use the flour blend I have also tried it with Dove Farms blend with similar results.

Recipe

• 300g of my homemade gluten-free flour mix, link below or a good quality gluten-free flour
• 75g of shortening such as Trex or Crisp and Dry block
• 75g of vegan butter, such as Vitalite or Stork block
• Flax egg { 1.5 level tbsp of ground flaxseeds/linseeds mixed with 4.5 tbsp of hot water
• 1/2 tsp salt

*NOTES*

1. Link for the flour mix https://theglutenfreeveganalchemist.com/2020/10/21/making-your-own-gluten-free-plain-flour/
2. When making pastry the ingredients need to be chilled, especially when it comes to the fats. I measure out my fats and then store them in the freezer or the fridge for 20 minutes beforehand
3. If you do not have ground linseeds then just use approximately 4 tbsp of cold water.
4. I roll my gluten-free pastry between 2 sheets of baking parchment to avoid any mishaps

Instructions

1. Mix the hot water with the flaxseeds and set aside to cool and thicken. Also, pop your fats in the freezer.
2. Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. You need enough room to get your hands in without knocking the sides of the bowl. Chop the fats up into small bits to make it easier to rub in.
3. Using your finger-tips gently rub the fats between them. Lifting your hands high up when doing this to allow air into the mix for a lighter pastry {see video}
4. Once it has all been rubbed in, it should resemble large breadcrumbs. Now add a little bit of oil or flax egg and using a round blade knife, mix around. Keep adding the liquid a little at a time and mixing with the knife until it starts to form a ball. Next, get your hands in and gently gather around the bowl, picking up the stray pieces as you go. You are aiming for a clean bowl.
5. Wrap the ball of pastry in clingfilm or baking parchment and place in the fridge for half an hour.

Once chilled it is ready to use.

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If you make this, don’t forget to tag me on Twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist I love seeing your versions of the recipes. I would love to hear your comments too.