Savoury Short Pastry Case - 20 cm / 8 inch pastry case
Ingredients
- 75g gluten free flour
- 75g maize flour or gram flour
- 75g butter or margarine
- large pinch salt (the maize flour is quite sweet so I add a little extra salt to the pastry)
- about 60 ml water to bind
Need some advice on ingredients see -
The wheat, gluten and lactose free store cupboard
Method
Preheat oven to 190°c / 375°f / gas mark 5. Grease the sides of an 8in / 20cm flan ring or a flan tin with a loose base.
Mix the flours and salt together in a large bowl.
Rub the butter into the flour using the tips of your fingers until the flour resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Pour in water a drop at a time. Mix in the water using one hand in a stirring motion or use a wooden spoon if you prefer. Turn out onto the work top and knead the pastry briefly to bring the dough together.
When making pastry with wheat flour the pastry needs time to relax before rolling out or the gluten in the flour causes the pastry to shrink when cooking. As this pastry does not contain gluten we do not have to do this but if the pastry feels soft bring together into a ball, flatten slightly. Wrap in cling film and place into the fridge for 20 minutes.
Rub a layer of margarine or butter all over the flan ring or tin.
Lightly dust the work top with gluten free flour.
Roll the pastry one way, turn the pastry 90° making sure there is gluten free flour underneath and roll again. Continue rolling out the pastry moving the pastry around between rolls to make sure it doesn’t stick to the table.
Roll the pastry onto the rolling pin and unroll over the flan ring. This pastry is crumblier than wheat pastry so if you find it difficult to roll out, roll out onto a plastic food bag or cling film.
Fold the pastry into the corners of the flan ring. Try not to stretch the pastry as it will tear. If you get holes in the pastry push the pastry together and rub to join up. The pastry should keep together when cooking most recipes although the flan may leak if you have a runny filling. After a bit of practise you will find this easier to do.
If the recipe calls for the flan case to be baked blind or part baked before filling – cut a piece of greaseproof paper larger than your flan case, scrunch up and open out again ( this makes it easier to form the shape of the tin ). Place into the flan tin and fill with dried pulses, rice or dried gluten free pasta.
Bake the pastry at 190°c / 375°f /gas mark 5 for 15 minutes until the pastry looks almost cooked, this may take longer depending on your oven.
Filling the case with dried beans stops the bottom of the pastry from puffing up and the sides falling down whilst baking.
If the recipe calls for the pastry case to be completely cooked, take the greaseproof paper and the beans out of the pastry case and place the part cooked pastry case back into the oven for 5 – 10 minutes depending on your oven.
how to make this recipe dairy free...
Use dairy free margarine in place of butter.
Gem's hints and tips
Add a large pinch of salt to the pastry as the maize flour is quite sweet.
If using butter in the pastry you may need a splash more water.
I do not use xanthan gum in my pastry because I don’t think it needs it but if you are having trouble rolling out the pastry add 1 tsp xanthan gum to the flours before mixing in the butter.
If you use white vegetable fat when making the pastry it will make your pastry very short and hard to roll out.
For a flaky pastry recipe see the sausage roll recipe.
I always recommend using a flan ring placed on a flat baking tray lined with greaseproof paper or a flan tin with a loose bottom for making tarts or pies. This makes it easy to take the pastry out without breaking. When ready to serve simply run a knife around the inside of the flan ring and lift off. Slide the pastry off the oven tray onto your serving plate with the help of a fish slice or pallet knife.
The baking beans cannot be used for eating anymore so keep them in a container to use again for part baking your pastry cases.
Depending on your oven, for some recipes you may need to blind bake your pastry case even if the recipe doesn’t instruct to do so. In particularly recipes with a liquid filling or juicy fruit.
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