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Tarts are among the most beloved desserts: simple, versatile, and perfect year-round. Making them gluten-free means learning to handle a shortcrust pastry (pasta frolla) without the gluten network that usually provides elasticity and strength. Here, the balance of butter, sugar, and a well‑tuned blend of flours (rice flour, cornstarch, potato starch) yields a base that is crumbly yet cohesive, which doesn’t fall apart and holds fillings well.Technically, the key is to minimize mixing so the butter doesn’t warm up, and to respect a proper chill in the fridge that stabilizes fats and makes the dough easier to roll. A moderate baking temperature finally delivers a golden, crisp tart shell ready to be filled with jam, creams, or fresh fruit without losing its structure.
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Gluten-Free| Pastry Basics
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 250 g Cold Butter (in cubes)
- 200 g Powdered Sugar
- 50 g Whole Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 150 g Rice Flour (pre-gelatinized)
- 100 g Cornstarch
- 50 g Potato Starch
- 5 g Fine Salt
- Vanilla or Lemon Zest
Instructions
- Weigh your gluten-free flour mix (300 g). Sift it twice with the starches and any aromatics (vanilla, lemon zest). Cut the cold butter into cubes.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle (or by hand), cream the butter, sugar and salt just a few seconds until soft. Add the sifted mix and rub to a sandy texture: you want fine crumbs without warming the dough.
- Add the whole egg + egg yolk (lightly beaten) with a pinch of salt. Mix as little as possible: once the dough holds together, stop.
- Bring the dough together into a disk (2–3 cm thick), wrap it and chill for 60 minutes. This stabilizes the fats and makes rolling easy and clean.
- Roll between two sheets of parchment to 4–5 mm. Remove the top sheet, invert the disk into the tart pan, peel off the second sheet and fit the edges without stretching.
Baking with filling
- Trim the edges with a sharp knife, dock the base with a fork and refrigerate the pan for 15–20 minutes (or 8–10 minutes in the freezer). This step helps prevent shrinkage.
- Cover with parchment and add pie weights (dried beans or baking beads). Bake at 320°F (160°C) for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake 8–12 minutes more until golden. Cool, then fill (jam, pastry cream, or ganache).
- If filling before baking (e.g., jam tart), roll, dock, spread the jam, add lattice strips and bake at 330–338°F (165–170°C) for 22–28 minutes, until light honey‑gold.
Notes
Pro Tips
- Cold is your friend: cold butter and proper chilling improve plasticity and shape during baking.
- Low‑stress handling: work the dough as little as possible; friability comes from not over‑mixing.
- Smart sealing: for moist fillings, brush the base with egg white or a thin layer of melted chocolate to create a barrier.
- If it cracks: add 1–2 tsp cold water or 5–10 g egg white and quickly bring it back together.
- Even browning: prefer 320–338°F (160–170°C) and slightly longer bakes; the crust sets without splitting.
Nutrition
Serving: 80g | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Grassi trans: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamina A: 678IU | Vitamina C: 0,2mg | Calcio: 16mg | Ferro: 0,3mg
| Mix | Characteristics | Suggested ratio (out of 300 g) | Usage notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral & crumbly | Clean friability, neutral flavor | 180 g rice flour + 60 g cornstarch + 60 g potato starch | Classic jam tart; binders optional |
| More plastic (easy to roll) | Greater cohesion and workability | 200 g rice (or sweet rice/mochiko) + 50 g cornstarch + 50 g tapioca | Lattice and clean edges; xanthan recommended |
| Aromatic & golden (GF oat) | Round flavor, better browning | 150 g rice + 90 g GF oat flour + 60 g cornstarch | Great with tart jams; binders optional |
| Rustic & fragrant (sorghum) | Elegant “biscuit” note | 150 g rice + 90 g sorghum flour + 60 g potato starch | With nut-based creams; psyllium recommended |
| Ultra-tender | Melt-in-the-mouth bite | 140 g rice + 80 g cornstarch + 80 g potato starch | Blind-baked shells, delicate fillings |
| Crunchy with fine cornmeal | Pleasant light granularity | 150 g rice + 90 g fine cornmeal (fioretto) + 60 g potato starch | Rustic tarts and preserves; binders optional |
| Elegant with millet | Toasty aroma, stable slices | 150 g rice + 90 g millet flour + 60 g cornstarch | Clean-cut slices; binders optional |
| “Gentle” buckwheat (≤30%) | Decisive yet manageable flavor | 120 g rice + 90 g fine buckwheat flour + 90 g cornstarch | Red-fruit jams, chocolate; psyllium recommended |
| Gourmet tiger nut (10–15%) | Natural almond-like note | 180 g rice + 90 g cornstarch + 30 g tiger nut (chufa) | “Naked” tarts or light fillings; binders optional |
| Commercial GF blend (shortcut) | Repeatable, often with gums | 300 g certified GF all-purpose blend | Fast production, standardization |
