Gluten-Free Shortcrust Pastry

Method

Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flours, tapioca starch, ground almonds, salt, linseed, and psyllium.

Add the butter: Rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips until it looks like rough breadcrumbs (but not sand).

Stir in the egg: Add the beaten egg and mix with a fork.

Add water: Sprinkle in small amounts of water and toss the mixture with your fingers. Continue adding water until the crumbs start to form clumps.

Don’t overwork the dough: Gently turn the crumbs with your fingers, not kneading too much. The dough should be soft, almost sticky.

Knead gently: Briefly knead the dough into a ball.

Flatten and chill: Flatten the dough between two sheets of baking parchment to about 5cm thick. Chill for at least an hour (overnight is best).

Fix crumbly dough: If the dough is crumbly after chilling, crumble it, add 2–3 tsp of water, and gently knead again.

Freeze and store: The pastry freezes well for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and use chilled.