Wheat free pie crust

[xenacryst]

I just finished eating dessert here, and I was savoring the first wheat free crust that I've made that was not only passable but really tasty.

• 1 cup oat flour
  
• 1/2 cup barley flour
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar (for a sweet pie crust) OR about the same amount of dried herbs for a savory crust
  
• 6 tablespoons butter, frozen and cut into chunks
  
• cold water (about 1/4 cup, depending on humidity and phase of the moon)
  

My secret to easy pie crust is to use a food processor. Put the dry ingredients in and whirl to mix. Add in the butter and process until you have a crumbly mix. Add the water in a steady stream until the dough is just starting to clump into a big ball. You want it wet enough to roll out without cracking, but not so wet that it's gooey. Roll out the dough on a floured (oat) surface. Since there isn't the kind of gluten you'd get in wheat flour to hold things together, it probably will crack a little and be fragile while putting it into the pan -- that's ok, you can pat pieces together in the pan just as well. Refrigerate until it's time to put the pie filling in.

Note: the recipe as written is *not* gluten free, just wheat free. See my reply for more details.

Comments

[ct]

I have a wheat allergy rather than celiac, so I'm a little fuzzy on what contains gluten and what doesn't, but I would've expected something with oat and barley flour to have gluten. Interesting.

(Also, mmm, pie. Sounds yummy.)

[closetedfangirl]

I would've expected something with oat and barley flour to have gluten. Interesting.

Exactly what I was thinking too...

[xenacryst]

I'm more familiar with wheat allergy, too, and apparently you're right -- barley is on the list of unsafe foods for celiac and oats are questionable (http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_grains.php). The recipe could certainly work with just oat flour in place of the barley, though you'd want to be careful. I'll make a note of that.