Gluten Free Puff Pastry Dough – Small Batch for Cake Bases or Pastries

Ingredients:

For the Butter Block:
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold, unsalted butter (or try Spectrum butter flavored shortening, for dairy free and crisp crust)
• 2-1/4 teaspoons Carla's Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend Recipe
For the Dough:
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Carla's Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend recipe
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon gluten free baking powder (Rumford's)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or shortening for crispier dough), very soft
• 1-1/2 + 1/8 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1-1/2 tablespoons water, heated to 105 - 110°F
• 1/4 cup cold milk
• Scant* 2  tablespoons beaten egg (1/2 large), at room temperature
• Potato starch, for dusting

Instructions:

To Make Butter Block:
1. Combine 6 tablespoons of butter and 2-1/4 teaspoons of flour using the paddle attachment of your mixer. Beat on low speed until creamy. (Use the whisk attachment, if that is all you have and your mixer can withstand the effort.)
2. Wrap in plastic and form into a square, about 3 x 3-inches. Freeze for 5 minutes, turn over, freeze an additional 5 minutes, and then refrigerate until ready to use.
To Make the Dough:
3. While the butter block is chilling, sift together the flour blend, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a clean mixing bowl.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of butter or shortening. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until the butter is evenly distributed and small pebbles form, 2 - 4 minutes. (Again, use the whisk attachment, if needed.)
5. In a cup, add yeast to warm water, stir, and allow to sit until small bubbles begin to appear, approximately 2 - 5  minutes.
6. Lightly whisk together the yeast mixture, milk, and eggs. Add them to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed just until blended, 20 - 30 seconds. (If there is a little flour stuck to the bowl, it is alright. You do not want to over mix the dough.)
7. Heavily dust a silicone baking mat or sheets of plastic wrap with potato starch. Scoop the dough onto to the mat, shaping it into a rectangle, about 4 x 5 inches. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes. (Do not knead. It is okay if it the dough is not completely smooth.)
8. Remove the butter block from the refrigerator and unwrap. Heavily dust a rolling pin and silicone baking mat (or sheets of plastic wrap) with potato starch. Dust the butter with potato starch. Using the rolling pin, pound the butter, keeping its rectangular shape. Roll it out to a 4 x 4-inch square. (No larger than 4-1/2 x 4-1/2 inches.) Place the butter on a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 10 - 15 minutes. At any point in this recipe if the dough cracks a lot, baste one side with water and dusted heavily with potato starch.
9. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and place a glass of water nearby for sealing any cracks. Heavily dust a silicone baking mat or sheets of plastic wrap with potato starch and transfer the dough to the rolling surface.
10. Roll No. 1: Dust the dough with potato starch and roll out to 5 x 10-inches, dusting with potato starch as needed. Dip your fingers in the water and dab onto any cracks in the dough, around the edges, or elsewhere. (Do so throughout the recipe.) Place the chilled butter 1/2-inch from the edge of one-half of the dough. Using a pastry brush, dust away any excess potato starch. Fold the dough in half, over the butter, and pinch the edges closed with cold water. Dust the entire block with potato starch. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
11. Roll No. 2: Roll the dough out to a 14 x 6-1/2 to 7-inch rectangle. Fold it in half. You'll end up with about a 7 x 7-inch piece of dough. Pinch the edges closed with cold water, dust the entire block with potato starch, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
12. Roll No. 3: Repeat step 11, but roll it in the opposite direction that you've been rolling it. Be sure to pinch the edges closed with cold water and dust the outside of the dough. You'll end up with about an 7-1/2 x 7-1/2-inch block.
13. Roll No. 4: Roll the dough out again, following the instruction is number 11, to about 18 x 8 inches. Fold in thirds and you'll end up with about a 6 x 8 block.
14. To store the dough, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. If you won't be using within 30 minutes or so, store in a resealable storage bag or covered baking dish. Using the dough immediately is recommended. However, you can freeze up to 2 weeks. Defrost in your refrigerator overnight prior to using. Then leave it at room temperature, 5 - 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to pound with a rolling pin and roll. Roll as instructed in your recipe.
15. After rolling out the dough, trim the edges so that the dough is uniformly shaped. In addition, the edges tend to be without butter; therefore it is preferable to remove them. Use this pastry dough in recipes such as Danish, croissants, or savory dishes. Commercial, pre-rolled puffed pastry is about 1/8-inch thick. Use this as a guide when substituting this dough for traditional puff pastry.
16. For drier, flakier dough, bake at 400?F for 20 to 28 minutes. (I like to bake Danish for 20 minutes and cake or pie bases (anything with a very moist filling) for 28 minutes, depending upon thickness. You'll know it's done by its color. Stop baking when nicely golden brown.

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