Is it possible to buy gluten free puff pastry?

Quick Answer

Yes, it is definitely possible to buy gluten-free puff pastry, either pre-made or to make it yourself from scratch. Several brands offer gluten-free puff pastry that can be found in the freezer section of grocery stores. There are also recipes to make your own using gluten-free flours and butter. With some adjustments, gluten-free puff pastry can have a similar flavor and texture to traditional puff pastry.

Finding Pre-Made Gluten Free Puff Pastry

If you want the convenience of ready-made gluten-free puff pastry, there are several options available:

  • Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Dough Sheets – Pepperidge Farm makes a gluten-free puff pastry product sold in sheets in the freezer section of many grocery stores.
  • Dufour Pastry Kitchens Gluten Free Puff Pastry – This brand of pre-made gluten-free puff pastry can also be found in the freezer section of select grocery stores and specialty shops.
  • Amy’s Gluten Free Puff Pastry – Amy’s offers a gluten-free and dairy-free puff pastry option made with tapioca flour and rice flour.
  • Against the Grain Gourmet Gluten Free Puff Pastry – Against the Grain has a gluten-free puff pastry made with tapioca starch and brown rice flour.
  • Calise & Sons Bakery Gluten Free Puff Pastry – This brand uses garbanzo bean flour in their gluten-free puff pastry to create the layered texture.

The benefit of pre-made gluten-free puff pastry is it saves time and effort. However, it is often more expensive than making it yourself. Be sure to check the ingredients list for any potential allergens besides gluten.

Making Your Own Gluten Free Puff Pastry

For full control over ingredients plus cost savings, making your own gluten-free puff pastry is a great option. It does take more hands-on time to prepare. Here is an overview of the process:

Ingredients

  • Gluten-free flour – A blend of rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch works well
  • Butter – Use chilled cubes of butter for best results
  • Xanthan gum – Helps replicate the binding qualities of gluten
  • Salt
  • Ice water – chilled for dough

Steps

  1. In a food processor, pulse together the gluten-free flour blend, salt, and xanthan gum.
  2. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse to cut it into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in just enough chilled ice water so it starts to come together.
  4. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  5. On a floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle. Fold into thirds like a letter.
  6. Roll out and fold twice more for a total of 3 sets of folds. Refrigerate between each one.
  7. After the last fold, roll it out to your desired thickness and use for recipes.

The folding technique helps create the characteristic flaky layers of puff pastry. Chilling it thoroughly between steps makes the butter stay solid, which is key.

Tips for Working with Gluten Free Puff Pastry

Gluten-free puff pastry is more delicate and trickier to handle than wheat-based puff pastry. Here are some useful tips:

  • Work quickly to prevent warming. Chill dough between steps.
  • Avoid adding too much flour when rolling out to prevent dryness.
  • Move gently when transferring rolled dough to pan. Let it relax 5 minutes if shrinking occurs before molding.
  • Dock or prick dough before baking for puff pastry recipes to allow steam to escape and prevent excessive puffing.
  • Increase oven temperature 25 degrees compared to recipes for wheat puff pastry.
  • Watch closely when baking and decrease time if puffing too much. Gluten-free pastry can over-brown easily.

Gluten Free Puff Pastry Brands

Here is more detail on brands that offer gluten-free puff pastry products:

Pepperidge Farm

  • Made with rice flour and tapioca starch
  • Available in 17.3 oz boxes containing 2 sheets
  • Found in the freezer section of grocery stores like Target, Walmart, Costco
  • Can be challenging to find in stock

Dufour Pastry Kitchens

  • Uses non-GMO rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch
  • Sold in 17.3 oz boxes with 2 sheets
  • Carried at Whole Foods, Sprouts, specialty grocers
  • Mail order available from their website

Amy’s Gluten Free

  • Made with tapioca flour, rice flour, butter, and water
  • 14 ounce boxes with 2 crusts
  • Found at natural food stores like Sprouts, Whole Foods, Natural Grocers
  • One of the more affordable gluten-free puff pastry options

Against the Grain Gourmet

  • Uses tapioca starch, brown rice flour, butter, and water
  • Offered in 17.3 oz boxes with 2 sheets
  • Available at select grocery stores and online order from their website
  • Higher priced option but gets good reviews

Calise & Sons Bakery

  • Features garbanzo bean flour for unique texture
  • Find it in natural grocers or order online
  • More fragile to work with than other gluten-free puff pastries
  • Provides a nice golden color

Gluten Free Puff Pastry Nutrition

Gluten-free puff pastry is higher in fat and calories compared to regular puff pastry. Here is a nutrition comparison of some popular brands (per 1 oz serving):

Brand Calories Fat (g) Carbs (g) Protein (g)
Pepperidge Farm 97 8 7 1
Dufour 110 9 8 1
Amy’s 100 8 7 1

The high fat and calorie counts are due to the large amounts of butter that are necessary to create the layered texture. However, puff pastry is enjoyed in smaller serving sizes, so one or two bites can fulfill a craving. Those with dietary restrictions beyond gluten may need to read labels carefully and measure portions.

Gluten Free Puff Pastry Recipes

Gluten-free puff pastry opens up lots of possibilities for delicious recipes. Here are some recipe ideas:

Breakfast

  • Berry Danish – Fill rolled up puff pastry with sweetened cream cheese and top with fresh berries
  • Ham and cheese croissants – Shape puff pastry into crescents with ham and cheese inside
  • Mini quiches – Press puff pastry into muffin tins and fill with savory ingredients like cheese, vegetables, and meat
  • Cinnamon rolls – Spread melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon inside rolled up puff pastry

Appetizers

  • Palmiers – Sprinkle puff pastry with parmesan, shape into palm leaf pattern, and bake
  • Strawberry tarts – Press puff pastry into mini tart pans, bake, and fill with pastry cream and strawberries
  • Sausage rolls – Roll out puff pastry, add cooked sausage, cheese, or spinach in a line down the center, then roll up and bake.
  • Pigs in a blanket – Cut puff pastry into strips, wrap around mini hot dogs, and bake.

Main Dishes

  • Chicken pot pie – Line a pie dish with puff pastry, fill with cooked chicken, vegetables, and sauce, and top with more pastry.
  • Beef Wellington – Wrap cooked beef tenderloin in a layer of mushrom duxelle and puff pastry, then bake.
  • Vegetable hand pies – Fill rolled out puff pastry with sauteed vegetables, fold over into half moons and crimp edges before baking.
  • Leek and goat cheese tart – Layer leeks and goat cheese into baked puff pastry shell.

Desserts

  • Fruit galettes – Mound sliced fruit onto rolled out puff pastry, fold edges in toward center, and bake
  • Napoleons – Layer puff pastry sheets with pastry cream and dusted with powdered sugar
  • Cannolis – Wrap puff pastry rectangles around cannoli filling
  • Peach turnovers – Fill puff pastry half moons with spiced peach filling

The light and flaky properties of puff pastry pair nicely with both sweet and savory ingredients. Let the puff pastry thaw before using according to package directions so it can easily be rolled out.

Troubleshooting Gluten Free Puff Pastry

Even when using good techniques, gluten-free puff pastry can pose some challenges. Here are some common issues and ways to troubleshoot:

Not rising properly

  • Be sure to keep dough and butter well chilled during prep stages. Warm dough won’t create layers.
  • Work quickly and avoid over-handling. Kneading will press the butter into the dough rather than leaving in sheets.
  • Make sure to dock or prick pastry before baking recipes to allow steam to escape and prevent blowing up.

Dry, crumbly texture

  • Add a small amount of xanthan gum to help give structure to the dough.
  • Avoid using too much extra flour when rolling out.
  • Brush sheets with milk or egg wash before baking to keep exterior from drying out.

Greasy or oily finished product

  • Use very cold butter and work dough minimally to avoid butter melting into the pastry.
  • Make sure oven is well preheated. Underbaked pastry leaves raw butter behind.
  • Turn down oven 25 degrees compared to wheat puff pastry recipes to prevent butter leaking out.

Difficult to roll out

  • Allow pastry to rest and relax for 5-10 minutes after removing from fridge before rolling.
  • Roll gently without applying too much pressure.
  • Work on parchment paper and keep lightly dusting work surface with starch.
  • Do not try to roll out pastry when too cold. Let warm slightly first.

With practice, you’ll get the hang of working with this more delicate dough. The final results are worth it for the iconic puff pastry layers and flavor.

Storing and Freezing Gluten Free Puff Pastry

To maximize freshness and flaky texture, follow these storage tips:

  • Store unbaked puff pastry in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
  • For longer storage, place in freezer for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before using.
  • Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying out. You can wrap twice.
  • Pre-bake empty pastry shells, let cool completely, then wrap well and freeze up to 2 months.
  • Avoid freezing puff pastry once it is baked into a final product or the textures suffers.
  • Thaw frozen puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

The high moisture and butter content make puff pastry prone to damage from thawing and refreezing. For best results, portion out into recipe-ready amounts before freezing raw pastry.

Gluten Free vs Regular Puff Pastry

There are some notable differences when working with gluten-free puff pastry compared to wheat-based:

  • Color – Gluten-free pastry bakes up slightly lighter in color, often more golden vs. brown.
  • Flakiness – It can be more delicate and prone to flaking apart, especially when working with fillings.
  • Rising – The layers don’t puff quite as high without gluten structure. Docking before baking helps prevent excessive rise.
  • Shaping – Challenging to roll very thin. Requires gentle handling to avoid breaking apart.
  • Moisture – Dries out faster which makes shaping and baking more difficult.
  • Flavor – Slight differences from alternative flours but can get very close to original.

With adjustments to ingredients ratios and technique, gluten-free puff pastry can achieve excellent results!

Conclusion

Gluten-free puff pastry opens up exciting baking opportunities for those avoiding gluten. Pre-made options provide convenience while making it yourself can maximize quality and control ingredients. With careful prep and handling, gluten-free puff pastry can achieve the characteristic layered, flaky, and buttery texture of traditional puff pastry. From quick breakfast pastries to impressive holiday centerpieces, gluten-free puff pastry is a versatile and indulgent ingredient for every occasion.

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