People often tell me that they love seeing photos of my home made Danish pastries on Facebook but put making gluten free puff pastry or Danish pastry in the too hard basket. 

I really think that it is easier than making wheat based puff pastry. 

What's more is that this recipe is faster too. 

Is it going to be easy for you the first time you make it - I really can't say. 

However, I'm pretty sure the next time you make gluten free puff pastry it will be easier,

and besides it is always easy to eat :).

This recipe was designed specifically to be made with Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. The finished baked product will not be the same if you use another gluten free flour and you will need to adjust the recipe, particularly if the flour you're using contains rice flour. 

 

Ingredients

400 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour

15 g Sugar

1/4 - 1/2 tsp Salt

150 g Boiling water

250 g Water (bit cooler than room temperature)

50 g - 100 g Melted butter

Extra BM gf flour

 

Butter Block

~330 g Butter at room temperature

This is more butter than the rough puff pastry recipe - I tried this recipe with 250 g butter and the whole family said that it needed more butter (I happily put it in).  

 

Method

Stand mixer - can also be mixed by hand but it is a bit hard getting all the lumps out. I've made it a couple of times in a Thermomix however the resulting pastry tends to be slightly harder & not as crisp. My preferred method is using a stand mixer.

Mix together the Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour, sugar & salt.  

Melt the butter. Add in the water (boiling & then tap). 

Pour the butter/water on to the flour & mix on low/medium until it is uniform. 

At first the dough will be really runny - don't worry it will thicken. 

Put the dough onto some water proof wrapping (plastic clingfilm, bees wax wrap), flatten, cover completely & put in the freezer for 30 mins. I usually put the timer on for 15 mins then turn the dough over & give it another 15 mins. 

Use some of the extra Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour to lightly flour a clean work surface & rolling pin. If you have a pastry mat put a piece of A4 paper underneath it - you'll use it as a guide when rolling out the dough. 

Transfer the dough to the floured surface. Put a little flour on the top. 

The dough is going to be rolled out & folded (6 single turns - check out Information - gluten free flaky pastry) BEFORE the butter block is added.

Why before?

• The dough likes to be kneaded.
• It helps shape the dough into a rectangle.
• You can practice the rolling & folding without the pressure of having added butter. 
• It doesn't matter if you do more than 6 single turns before the butter is added.  

Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape the size of the A4 paper (mine is a bit neat - it doesn't normally look like that on the first roll). I usually lift the dough up every now & then & put a bit more flour to prevent it sticking to the work surface. 

Fold in one long side of dough approximately one third, fold the other long side over the top. This is a 'single turn'.

Turn the folded up dough 90 degrees and roll it out to the size of the A4 sheet. Repeat the folding up. This is the second single turn. If the dough is a little sticky put a little flour on top & then brush off the excess. Repeat the folding & rolling out for another 4 single turns.

Adding the butter block

Roll out the dough to the size of an A4 piece of paper. 

Put the butter between 2 sheets of baking paper. The butter should be soft(ish). We want the butter to be 2/3rds of the size of the dough and soft enough to be able to be rolled out. 

I usually whack it with a rolling pin to make it thinner. I then shape the butter between the baking sheets with my hands. 

Take off the top layer of baking paper & place the butter block on to the left hand side of the rolled out dough. Remove the bottom piece of baking paper that is now on the top of the butter. 

Fold the right hand side of the dough (no butter on it) over the middle third of the dough. Repeat with the either side. 

Ensure that all butter is encased in dough. If it isn't pinch/stretch some of the dough to enclose the butter. 

Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll out to the size of an A4 piece of paper. 

Fold & roll out the dough for 5 'single turns'. If the dough gets sticky add a little of the extra flour, brush off any excess. 

The dough is now ready to be used. You'll probably see streaks of butter through the dough.    

Wrap the dough if you are not going to use it immediately. Dough can be stored in the fridge or freezer. 

Using the dough

Place dough onto a floured work surface. 

Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 - 5 mm (it will depend on what you are making). Cut the dough into the required shapes. Some shrinkage will occur during baking. 

Bake at 180 - 200 C until golden brown.