Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to use wholly gluten-free pie crust? ›

Certified Gluten Free 9" Pie Shells

Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove protective sheet from shells before preparing, prick pie shell sides and bottom with a fork. Bake unfilled for 8-10 minutes. For Filled Pie Crust: Bake as instructed in your recipe.

Gluten Free Pie Crusts Don't Brown Like Gluten Crusts Do

Also, DO NOT OVERCOOK YOUR PIES. If you wait for your gluten-free pastry to brown before you take it out of the oven, it will become hard and over-cooked.

FREEE Plain White Flour will make reliable gluten free pastry while Rice Flour Pastry or Buckwheat Flour Pastry can add another dimension to your baking.

Resting the pastry is very important. This will give the flour enough time to absorb the water so it will become more manageable. Refrigerate for a minimum of an hour or overnight if preferred. Try rolling out the pastry between two sheets of cling film, as the dough may be delicate, sticky and crumbly.

Bake gluten free pizza for longer than you would bake a regular pizza of the same size. For the pizza in the video above, the bake time is about 13 minutes on a hot baking stone. (A dough with gluten would be about 8 minutes.)

Allowing the dough to rest after making it and again after rolling it out enables the gluten-free time to relax. To prevent your crust from shrinking, ensure the gluten is relaxed. The simpler the gluten, the less likely it is to shrink.

A: First, don't just reach for more flour—too much extra flour will make the crust tough, and won't treat the real problem, which is that your butter is too soft. I recently read in Weller's cookbook A Good Bake that it should take no more than one to two minutes to roll out a pie crust.

Gluten-Free Flours Require Special Measuring Techniques

Most home bakers use the dip-and-sweep method when measuring flour, but this doesn't work well with gluten-free flours and starches. These flours and starches are finer than wheat flours, making them hard to pack evenly and consistently into a measuring cup.

2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.

What is the closest gluten-free flour to all purpose flour? ›

Brown rice flour is about as close to a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour as it gets since it provides structure and a “wheat-like” flavor.

If the original recipe calls for 260 grams of all-purpose flour, substitute with 260 grams of your blend. Beat the batter more. Because gluten-free flours provide less structure than all-purpose, the batter or dough you make with them may require more beating than that which you are accustomed.

Common reasons why gluten-free pie crust fall apart include choice of flour and hydration levels.

Xanthan Gum adds thickness and viscosity to gluten-free breads and other baked goods. Without xanthan gum, your gluten-free baked goods would be dry, crumbly and flat. Because xanthan gum is gluten-free and vegan, it's the preferred thickener for those home bakers with food allergies.

Vinegar, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vodka all change the interaction of the liquid and gluten in the dough. But the difference between a dough with acid in it and one without (when made with the same technique) is infinitesimal. In other words, no ingredient can cure poor execution.

When you are ready to bake your pie, remove the pie plate from the freezer and remove foil and plastic wrap. Allow the crust to thaw for 15 minutes while preheating your oven to 375° F. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to help prevent air bubbles from forming.

Tips for Blind Baking Success

You can blind bake like a pro by keeping a few tips in mind. Line the unbaked pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Use pie weights, dried beans, or clean coins to weigh down the lined crust so the bottom doesn't puff and the sides don't slouch while it bakes.

If it is frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge before using. From the fridge, let it sit at room temp for 15 to 20 minutes before unrolling so that you limit cracking. Bake hot and fast, around 425 to 450 degrees F is a good temperature for desserts made with pie crust, and most will be done in between 8 to 18 minutes.

While it tastes very similar to regular pie crust, a gluten-free pie crust must be handled a little differently. It is less stretchy and needs to be a little thicker than a regular pie crust. The texture of the dough is also a little more crumbly than a traditional pie crust.