After being dismayed when my pie crusts turned out looking pretty pathetic, I took a pie class from our local community college where I learned how to make a flaky hand-mixed crust using wheat flour.
It really was easy (“as pie”) once I got the hang of it. The skills are transferable using gluten-free brown rice flour, and I think the taste and texture are as good or better than with all-purpose white flour.
Palm oil shortening is a non-hydrogenated option for the shortening. You can also use lard, which makes an extra flaky crust. Lard gets the seal of approval from a nutritionist friend who says it’s at least 3 million times better for you than shortening (very scientific!). Unfortunately, I didn’t like the aftertaste, so I plan to look for leaf lard, the highest quality, and try and try it again.
For a flaky crust, use cold ingredients and a light touch.
Here’s a quick demo of how to crimp the edge.
| Hand-mixed brown rice flour pie crust | Print |
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
- Oil your pie pan.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Add shortening and work into the flour with a pastry blender or fingertips until mixture looks like irregular crumbs.
- Sprinkle on water, a tablespoon at a time, blending lightly after each addition just until dough begins to hold together. Form a ball, then flatten into a disk.
- Place dough disk on floured waxed paper and dust the disk with flour. Roll out to a circle about 2 inches larger than the pie pan. You'll probably need to gently repair splits as you roll. Place the pan, bottom-up, on the dough circle and flip pan, dough and paper. Slowly peel off waxed paper. Make any needed repairs.
- Trim off extra dough and crimp edges.
I have never made a pie crust with lard. I have always wondered if it has an after taste. Good for you on the brown rice flour! I would have thought it wouldn’t turn out as well but it sounds great!