Gluten-free Crust Recipe

Whisk together the gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, almond flour, granulated sugar, and sea salt in a large bowl until evenly combined.

Add the cold cubed butter to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about 6–8 pulls with a pastry cutter). Work quickly so the butter stays cold.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ice-cold water, apple cider vinegar, and the lightly beaten egg (or prepared flax egg).

Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture and pour in about half of the liquid. Using a rubber spatula or a bench scraper, gently fold until the dough begins to come together. Add additional liquid a tablespoon at a time as needed — the dough should be moist but not sticky and should hold when pressed. Avoid overworking.

Gather the dough into a flat disc about 1 inch thick. If it feels too warm or soft, wrap and chill for 20–30 minutes. For best results, chill at least 30 minutes to firm the butter and hydrate the flours.

Lightly flour a clean work surface with a little gluten-free flour. Place the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll from the center outward to an even thickness (about 1/8–1/4 inch) into a circle large enough to fit your pan (typically 9–10 inch for a single crust). Occasionally rotate the dough and peel back the top parchment to prevent sticking.

Carefully remove the top parchment and transfer the dough (still on the bottom parchment) to the pie pan or tart pan. Gently ease the dough into the pan, pressing to fit the shape without stretching. Trim the edges leaving about 1/2 inch overhang, then fold under and crimp as desired. Patch any cracks with small bits of dough.

For fully baked or partially baked crusts

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). If you need a prebaked crust for a cream or custard filling, line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 18–22 minutes until edges begin to turn golden. Remove weights and parchment and bake another 6–8 minutes for a fully baked bottom, or 4–6 minutes if you want a slightly softer interior. For filled pies baked longer, partially blind bake 12–15 minutes to prevent a soggy bottom.

If using, brush the crust lightly with egg wash or dairy-free milk and sprinkle coarse sugar or sesame seeds. Reduce oven to the temperature required by your filling and proceed with the pie or tart recipe's baking instructions.

Allow the baked crust to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before filling (if prebaked) or before slicing (if filled and fully baked).

Unbaked crust: wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to 1 month (thaw in refrigerator before rolling). Baked crust: store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month.