In 2006, when I learned I had celiac disease and could no longer eat AP flour, I started the process of creating gluten-free dough. This took a while as at that time there were no off-the-shelf gluten-free all-purpose flour mixes available. Learning as I experimented, I mixed many different combinations of flours and starches until I settled on one in about 2007–that one is published in Art of the Pie: The Skills You Need to Make Any Pie You Want. I also created a complete video series showing specific directions and procedures from beginning to end which includes how to roll out the dough. Using these detailed instructions and techniques, many have had great success with this gluten-free dough for years.
But times change, so let’s fast forward 15 years. Now there are off the shelf gluten-free all-purpose flour mixes and not just one choice, but many. This makes it so much easier to put together a dough than in those early days of making sure I had bags of potato starch, corn starch, white rice flour, and tapioca starch. Now all I have to do is pretty much open up a bag of gluten-free all-purpose flour and make dough. To one who might be considered an “old-timer” in the gluten-free baking world, this truly feels like a luxury!
So today, I share with you the new gluten-free pie dough recipe I included in Pie Camp: The Skills You Need to Make Any Pie You Want that uses an off-the-shelf gluten-free flour mix. The two brands I used to create the dough are Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Measure for Measure, but I’m sure there are others that will work, too. (Most recently I made it with Better Batter GF Flour with very good results.)
I really really love this new recipe and whether you are baking gluten-free either by choice or need, I hope you will, too.
One final note, I still roll GF dough out between layers of plastic wrap and utilize the plastic wrap to adjust the dough in the pie pan, and make flutes and crimps which you will see in detail in the last of the videos mentioned above.
Ok! Have fun and roll on!
Gluten-Free Dough from Pie Camp: The Skills You Need to Make Any Pie You Want
Ingredients
- 3 cups 444 g all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 cup 224 g fat of your choice, chilled or frozen, cut into small pieces or grated
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon water (133 g) (If making an egg-free dough, see water amount in variation below)
- 1 egg fork beaten (Omit If making egg-free dough and use variation below.)
VARIATION: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Dough
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Egg Replacer plus 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon water (123 ml)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients, except the water and egg, in the work bowl of a food processor fit with a metal dough blade, or a medium bowl if making by hand. If using a food processor, pulse a bit to break up the butter pieces a bit more. If making by hand, use a mezzaluna or pastry blender to chop up the butter into small pieces, or smoosh and pinch them with your fingers. Another option is to grate frozen butter, and smoosh and pinch it into the flour.
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the water over the dough and mix and pulse by food processor, or fluff with a fork or your hands. Repeat with the remaining water in two additions.
- Add the egg and pulse a few times if using a machine, or fluff it around with a fork, to mix into dough evenly.
- Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and tightly pull the edges up around it, pressing with the heels of your hands to moldthe plastic-wrapped dough into a ball. The ball can be cut in half, and each part wrapped separately in plastic wrap. Flatten the discs to a height of about ¾ inch (2 cm) and width of 6 inches (15 cm). It is easier to form balls or discs of gluten-free dough when they are wrapped and covered, rather than placing your hands directly on the dough.
- Chill dough for 10 to 20 minutes in the fridge or even 5 to 7 minutes in the freezer, and roll as soon as possible.
- When rolling out any gluten-free dough, the dough should be at a pliable temperature, about 64°F (18°C), and rolled between two layers of plastic wrap.
VARIATION: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Dough
- After Step 1 of the recipe, add the egg replacer and the 2 tablespoons water and pulse again by machine, or mix by hand until combined. Then proceed with Step 2, using the ½ cup plus 1 teaspoon water. Omit Step 3 and go on to Step 4.
Does this recipe make enough for a 2 crust pie? Or a single crust with lattice? Or just a single crust? It wasn’t clear to me from the directions (although you have lattice in your pictures). Looking forward to trying this out!
Hi Deb- Yes, it is enough for a double crust pie. Thanks for catching that. I’ll add that info in the recipe.
The customer is crumbly and won’t form ball/disk. I added an additional 1/4 cup eater and it’s delicious. Any thoughts
Well, if it’s the customer, perhaps some ice cream or custard sauce on top is in order to smooth things out.
—-The Piechiatrist
Hi! You said you mixed the two gluten free flour mixes. Did you mix them half and half to create the flour you used for the recipe? Thanks! Trying to make a custard pie for dad, but mom is now GF.
Sarah, I use either KAF or BRM GF flour. BUT, if I am running low on one, I have supplemented with the other. Hope this helps.