1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk or amasi
1 cup (250 ml) organic farm butter, at room temperature
1 cup (250 ml) chickpea flour
1 cup (250 ml) rice flour
½ cup (125 ml) potato flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) guar gum
1 tablespoon (15 ml) raw unrefined sugar (rapadura) (optional)
extra rice flour for dusting work surface
1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC
2. Place the butter and buttermilk in a deep sided bowl and mix.
3. Sift the remaining dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture, mix well until the consistency of a soft sticky pastry forms.
4. Rest in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours or overnight.
5. Remove from the refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6. Dust work surface with rice flour, place the sticky pastry onto the work surface and knead pastry sprinkling with rice flour until a soft pliable pastry is formed.
7. Roll out the pastry thinly to about 3mm and use to line a greased pie tin or patty pan moulds to make Christmas mince pies or other pastries. Add filling.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. No need to pre-bake the pastry.
Note: when working with gluten-free pastry you may find it easier to roll your pastry between two sheets of greaseproof paper.
Variation: replace the potato flour with finely stone-ground sorghum or yellow maize flour.
This recipe was compiled and test-baked by chef Karen Tilney – www.ancientgrain.co.za
