Gluten Free (GF) pastry needn’t be mystifying.
There are plenty of GF flours out there that you can combine to make a wonderful pastry mix. This particular pastry lends itself to tarts and quiches. It is, like most GF pastry very short (crumbly) so if you feel nervous about rolling it out, just press it into your tin and pretend you are working with shortbread. It is not vegan as it contains an egg to bind it so those concerned about such things can add Xanthan Gum instead.
Slather on puff pastry and top with feta for a galette that’s faster than anything the Golden Arches could ever muster, dab on chicken liver parfait, pair with foie gras, pep up the paté and posh up your sausage rolls – there are a multitude of uses for this glorious gloop and a jar should always be in your fridge.
Having said all that about alacrity in its use…the making of the stuff requires some patience, a gentle touch and an olfactory protection kit because cry you will.
So simple. So silky. So key to so many great meals.
The recipe is also almost too simple to write down as a recipe, however do not be deceived. Its all about being able to know how the dough should feel and adjust accordingly.
The basic ratio is 1 egg to 100g of strong high protein low gluten flour, preferably the “durum” wheat type which fulfils those criteria and hence makes very good pasta. Eggs need to be the best you can find, organic fresh bright yellow yolked eggs make great pasta.
For two people 2 eggs and 200g of flour should suffice and so on. However I generally make batches involving 4 eggs and 400g of flour because sometimes the eggs are a bit small and I need to add an extra egg…then the mixture is a teeny bit too sticky so I might then add say 20-30g more flour. Thats more difficult to do when you only have 2 eggs as a starting point.
Ingredients
4 large organic eggs
400g durum wheat flour
How To
I learned to make pasta in Italy, with two sisters. One was in her seventies the other in her eighties. The next day I went to the pharmacy for something to calm my inflamed tendons (was it the inflammation from the kneading or being slapped on the wrists by the Mamas for my dodgy bread kneading technique deemed so totally wrong for pasta..anyhow…it hurt) and while it is fun and amazing to make pasta with mounds of flour on worktops, tipping the ingredients into a food processor yield great results and less mess too.
Tip all the ingredients into your food processor bowl or mixer (I use the dough hook) and process until it comes together. Try and process as much as you can without burning the motor out. It will be quite a stiff dough compared to bread dough yet should still be elastic. It must be kneaded..and kneaded..and kneaded until it becomes silky.
Then wrap in cling film and keep chilled in the fridge or a damp towel if using immediately.
