Make my easiest ever gluten free rough puff pastry and see just how easy it is to have buttery & flaky puff pastry in no time!
I posted my recipe for gluten free quick puff back in May of 2019 and then a revised version in January of 2022 that I thought was great (and it still is). BUT, I find myself never being able to leave well enough alone. That's a good thing for y'all, though (and myself) because it often leads to bigger and better things. And in this case, the difference is staggering.
While that second recipe of mine was great, it used a total of 7 ingredients! That's quite a lot for something that we already have to make ourselves. And most, if not all, of the time it's often used in recipes as a base, meaning even more ingredients will be needed.
So when I saw this brilliant technique from a French pastry chef on YouTube, I had never seen something like it before and wanted to give it a shot. And the rest is history, my friends. I hope this is my final version of gluten free rough puff pastry and will be yours, too. No need to search the internet for any other recipes because this one is almost too good to be true. Almost.
What is Rough Puff Pastry?
Traditional puff pastry is a laminated pastry in which a butter block is rolled and folded in the pastry several times to make very flaky layers. While I'm sure traditional puff would work beautifully in the gluten free world (see my gf croissants recipe for proof), it would take a lot more time. Often, in order to bake gluten free, we have to first make a component of it, like a flour blend. We have to literally MAKE flour!!
So I decided to make things a whole lot easier by making a "rough puff.' This is when the butter is in smaller pieces within the dough, and the dough is folded and turned several times (laminated). All this means for us gluten free peeps is that we don't have to slave in the kitchen.
This new version makes it even easier for us! The butter is actually cut into fairly large pieces, meaning there is very little incorporation within the dough. It's simply tossed about and a quick kneading is all it takes for the dough and butter to come together. The results are spectacular (jazz hands and all!).
The Ingredients Needed
- Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend - I have not tested this with a store bought blend, although I feel confident that it would work fairly well. The problem is that there are so many variations of store bought blends that have such differences in ingredients that consistency can be difficult.
- Butter - European style unsalted butter is absolutely necessary in this recipe (something with at least 82% butter fat). This means it won't chill too hard and shatter inside your dough, like American style butter will (due to the extra water content). Plus, it tastes amazing!
How to Make GF Rough Puff Pastry
Surprisingly, rough puff pastry is very easy to make. You'll have the entire thing done in under an hour.
- Add salt to flour in a large mixing bowl and stir or whisk to combine.
- Toss large butter cubes (about 2 inches in diameter) through the dry ingredients to coat.
- Pour in the ice cold water and toss to coat.
- Dump mixture out onto countertop and knead briefly just to combine everything into one cohesive dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes.
- Using a rolling pin, roll dough out on a well-floured surface into a long rectangle that's roughly 27 inches, or a little less. Fold dough into thirds, just like you would fold a letter (the top third down and the bottom third up).
- Turn, or rotate, the dough 90 degrees and press and roll it out again into a 27 inch rectangle. Fold the dough once again into a letter fold. Re-wrap the dough and refrigerate it for 20 minutes.
- Repeat steps 5 & 6 again for a total of 4 folds. Re-wrap the dough and refrigerate it for at least an hour before using it in your recipes.
Rough Puff Pastry FAQs
Unless the American butter has an 82% butterfat content, I would not recommend it. There are some, such as Vermont Creamery or Plugra. The higher water content in American butter means that the butter will become solid when very cold and not have that same plasticity that is crucial in making laminated pastry. Solid butter can tear through dough, especially gluten free dough, much more easily. European butter is more expensive, but homemade puff pastry deserves the finest ingredients and you can find deals and freeze large quantities. I find a cheaper version of Kerrygold Irish butter at my local Lidl and freeze several pounds, where they're conveniently stored until I'm ready.
A store bought blend may be substituted, but please note that this recipe has not been tested with any other blend than my own.
A little butter leaking out around the corners of your baked pastry is perfectly normal. However, a big pool of butter is not. Your butter could have been too warm when laminating. If your dough feels warm while laminating, stop and put the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before proceeding. Or your pastry wasn't cold enough before going into the oven. Always make sure to refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or freeze it for 15 before putting it into the hot oven.
While I haven't tried it, I have doubts that dairy free will work as well due to the texture of dairy-free butter alternatives.
What To Make With This Rough Puff
There are an endless amount of things we can make with this gluten free rough puff pastry. Any recipe calling for traditional puff pastry will work with this gf puff pastry. Here are just a few ideas:
- Cheese Straws -- addictive as all get out.
- Sausage rolls
- Heavenly napoleon
- Tarts (both sweet and savory)
- Palmier -- these ones are sweet, but you can also make savory palmier by filling with pesto, for instance.
- Pizza Hot Pockets -- irresistible is all I have to say. For once, these are NOTHING like what you remember (and that's a good thing)!
- Baked Brie (Brie en Croute) -- talk about cheesy goodness wrapped in flaky pastry. You're missing out if you've never had this wonderful appetizer, but it's okay because now you can make it easily and revel in the glorious oozing cheese!
- Apple Turnovers -- like handheld apple pies, but 10 times better!
You'll be amazed at how glorious this gluten free rough puff pastry is, as well as how easy it is to make. The possibilities are endless for what you can do with it!
Glorious Gluten Free Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 3 cups (420 g) Kim's gluten free bread flour blend
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups (3 sticks or 339 g) unsalted European butter, divided in half (Kerrygold for example)
- 1 large egg
- ½-¾ cups (120-180 ml) very cold heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar
Instructions
- Divide the butter in half (1½ sticks or 169g each) and place half in the freezer for at least 2 hours or up to several days. Cut the other half into ¼-inch thick slices and refrigerate. Measure out the heavy cream and crack your egg into a small bowl. Add about ⅓ of the heavy cream to the egg and keep both the egg mixture and the rest of the cream in the fridge, well chilled, until needed.
- Combine flour blend, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a box grater on the large holes, grate the frozen butter directly into the flour mixture. Toss the butter to coat with the flour, breaking up any pieces that have clumped together.
- Add the sliced butter and toss just to coat the butter with the flour. Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl and toss. Make a well in the center and add the egg/cream mixture. Toss with a fork and check the consistency. If it's still dry, add more cream. You want it to be slightly tacky, not dry, but not sticky and it should hold together well when pressed in fingers.
- Mound the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and fold the plastic or paper over the dough to make a larger rectangle with the wrap (see the video). Turn it over and roll the dough as best you can into the corners of the plastic or parchment to create a larger rectangle that's roughly ½-¾ inch thick. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or overnight.
- Unwrap the dough and roll it out onto a well floured surface into a long rectangle that's about ¼-inch thick. The thickness is more important than the size. NOTE: If your counter isn't deep enough to roll into a long rectangle, you can divide the dough in half and work on one half at a time. Refrigerate the other half until you're done with the first half.
- Fold the top of the dough ⅔ of the way towards you, as if you were folding a letter. Brush off any excess flour. Fold the bottom third (the side closest to you) up and over the first fold. This is a single/letter style and is your first fold. Turn the dough 90 degrees.
- Roll it out again into a long rectangle. Optionally, brush the top of the dough with ice water. Fold the top and the bottom to meet in the middle and then fold over once more, as if you were closing a book. This is called a double or book fold. If the dough seems to be getting warm at any time, you can stop at this point, wrap it up, and refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes.
- Roll the dough out again into a long rectangle. Repeat the book fold two more times (brushing with ice water if desired) for a total of 3 double/book folds (which equate to 6 total folds) and 1 single/letter fold (your first fold). This makes a total of 7 folds all together.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 3 days. The dough can now be used in any recipe requiring puff pastry OR crescent roll dough. Bring it to a cool room temperature before rolling out.
- Puff pastry can be frozen for up to 3 months, tightly wrapped. Thaw in fridge overnight before using as indicated.
Kate says
Hi Kim, I made a batch of rough pastry and I am not sure where I went wrong, but my baked dough is very fragile, crumbly and sandy tasting. I bought the bougie butter, 84% fat, and don't want to scrap the remaining dough I have. Do you have any suggestions of what I can turn my dough into? It is sitting in my refrigerator. Maybe I should test it and see if maybe it has absorbed more moisture and will bake up better. Or can I throw it into my mixer and create a brioche dough? I will try again, as I usually end up with most excellent results from your recipes. Thank you
Wendy Kelley says
I'm confused. The instructions in your blog say you knead the dough but the instructions in the recipe card omit that step. I'm assuming you knead it a little bit after you put the mound onto the plastic wrap
Kim says
I'm so sorry, Wendy. You seem to be the only person who actually reads through my blog posts! I was counting on no one reading it (as is usual) because I'm in the middle of updating the entire post and recipe, but haven't got it done yet so that's why there is a discrepancy.
I appreciate you actually reading through my post! If you can hold on for another week, I will have the newly revised recipe and post completed and everything will match. Thank you for understanding 🥰
Cecilia says
Hi Kim.
I am so thankful for your recipes.
I have dairy intolerance , is there any kind of substitute for butter?
Kim says
That's tough for this one as the butter is the star of the recipe, but I guess you could attempt to use a dairy-free butter. I'm honestly not sure how it would work.
Annie says
I made this today and used it for sausage rolls and again. I wish I could post a photo because they were amazing. Absolutely brilliant recipes so thank you
Kim says
So glad you're enjoying it!!
Sarah says
This is my first failed recipe of yours. I was super excited to make what we Canadians call "Passion Flakes" (a pastry made by a Quebec company called Vachon) because it's my husband's favourite dessert of all time. I used your bread flour blend (that I also used yesterday to make bagels as well and they turned out fantastic!) and followed your directions exactly and did 7 folds (one regular fold, 3 book folds). The only difference is that after refrigerating it and the rolling it out for my pastry squares, then putting the squares back in the fridge, I then laid the squares out and painted them with an egg wash, put another square on top, painted them with an egg wash, and sprinkled them all with sugar. Then I froze them on the tray and individually wrapped them with plastic wrap to be baked the next day. I let them sit out for a bit on the tray until they were slightly bendy (not much, but still cold), and then left them to stay cold (but not frozen) in the fridge. Then I baked them. I'm not sure what went wrong!
Sarah says
Sorry. Autocorrect on my phone. It's supposed to say "Passion Flakies."
Sarah says
I tried a second time, and it was a failure again. I made sure I didn't over mix the dough. I made sure it stayed cold. It just wouldn't rise.
Kim says
Puff pastry is notorious for being difficult, but if your conditions are right you should have success. What type of butter are you using? It needs to be a higher fat content butter, but I've found that some European butters seem to stay very soft, even when cold, and this will affect your pastry significantly. I personally wouldn't let them thaw out from the freezer and would bake them straight from the freezer. How thick are you rolling the dough out to? If too thick, it won't get the proper rise.
I believe the #1 reason for failure could be your heavy cream content, though. I think sometimes our brains are still trained to think about not adding too much liquid to pastry dough as they will become "tough", but I've found in gluten free baking that a little bit of extra liquid in recipes is required to achieve the perfect balance and obtain the best results. So when you add the heavy cream, I would err on the side of "too much" to where it's a little on the sticky side. That extra cream will eventually be soaked up by the starches in the flour blend. By the way, did you substitute anything within the flour blend? Or are you using a less-than-superfine rice flour, such as Bob's Red Mill? That will cause a heap of problems.
Sarah says
I am using Canadian butter ("No Name" is the name brand). I can't get anything fancy like Kerry Gold or whatever. I don't know what the fat content is, and I'm not sure how to find out.
I will try using more heavy cream next time, and see what happens. And I'll freeze first and put it in straight from the freezer.
Kim says
I wonder if your butter is the problem. I don't know if Canadian butter is made with a higher fat content than American. If it is, it should be fine.
Also, sometimes it just takes a few practice times to get puff pastry right unfortunately. I wasn't successful the first (or second, third, or fourth) try because I didn't really understand that I needed to add more liquid.
Rachael Wilson says
Hii! I have Doves FREEE Gluten Free Rice Flour - can this be used for the flour blend!?
Kim says
If you mean using this instead of the superfine rice flour, I don't know as I don't have access to that brand of rice flour here in the US.
If it's not gritty, you should be able to. Rice flour alone won't work as a replacement for the flour blend, if that's what you mean.
Tanja says
I love this recipe and really all your recipes. They have changed my gluten free cooking for the better.
Weird question… could you post the old recipe for this pastry dough? I used it for pasties and the old recipe was a little easier for that.
Kim says
I'm so sorry, Tanja. Unfortunately, WordPress (the software used to create websites) doesn't keep the old versions anymore. I never delete them just in case someone wants them, but in looking for this one, I inadvertently found out they don't keep old versions!
I do remember, however, that the recipe was exactly the same ingredients, just manipulated differently. I believe I used large chunks of butter throughout instead of grating half of it from frozen.
Grace Dooley says
Hey Kristina! Would you mind telling me your recipe for the Pannetone please! I would love to be able to try this out 😍 Thank you!!
Elisa says
Has anyone tried this with high altitude adjustments? I live at 6700 feet
Sam says
Can't wait to try these!
What can be used as a dairy free replacement for heavy cream?
Kim says
That's a tough one as I'm not familiar enough with dairy free products to know what might be thick enough, but I do know canned whole fat coconut milk is pretty thick and it just might work!!
Moy says
Total game changer, family declared this pastry "absolutely delicious & my best and lightest ever attempt at pastry" MUCH better than shop bought ready roll GF pastry, not a crumb left on plates -even by non pastry lovers in our house & that despite having a butter puddle after baking - will try leaving colder longer next time. Thank you so very much for sharing your genius results and all the time and effort you spent perfecting your recipe.
Kevin McCalmon says
Could I use the ingredients of your croissant recipe with this process? I’d like to make puffy croissants without the overnight process.
Kim says
It won't work the same. Croissants are a whole different beast and require yeast and the method won't work.
Suzanne says
Hi Kim, this recipe is amazing and I made some sausage rolls with it. I took some photos and they tasted amazing too. I have passed on your flour recipes and Website to a caterer… here in Australia.. So hard to find flours and recipes to use that come out taste.. Thank you so much…
Kim says
That's awesome, Suzanne!! I'm going to try sausage rolls one of these days. They're not a thing in the US and I'm not sure why because they sound sooooo good!!
Suzanne says
Oh you must try them..
Helen Harris says
Do you think this pastry would work in a baklava recipe?
Kim says
No, I don't think this would work great for baklava, BUT...I am working on a baklava and hope to have it ready to post some time before Valentine's Day 😍
Cecilia Aguiar says
Hi. Is there any substitute for butter? I am lactose intolerant. Thank you
Kim says
That's a tough one because butter is what makes puff pastry so wonderful. However, I do know that all of the commercial brands out there use other fats, such as vegetable shortening, so I guess it's possible. I think I would try one of the dairy-free butter alternatives that is supposed to taste like butter. I can't guarantee that it'll work, as I haven't tried it myself, but it's worth a shot.
Sharon says
Hi Kim,
I have not seen this question addressed… Can you substitute guar gum for Xanthium gum in the bread flour?
Thanks for all you do!
Kim says
Hmmm. I'm honestly not sure. I've never used guar gum, nor have I seen it in any stores, whereas xanthan gum seems to be so much more common.
Marni says
I use guar all the time in place of Xanthan as the Xanthan is not good for corn allergies. The bread recipes work fine with it.
Jessica Vanderhoff says
No, you absolutely cannot. They act differently, and the amounts are not comparable either. Unless it's a very forgiving recipe like banana bread, this is not something you ever want to do with gluten free baking.
Ashlee Dixon says
Do you know if this dough freezes well? I’d love to make a couple batches one day and separate/freeze them to have on hand when i just need some puff pastry for a quick recipe. (sorry if you said this in the post, adhd brain might’ve over looked it)
Kim says
Yes, it freezes beautifully!!! Just wrap your portions well in plastic wrap and either put them in a freezer ziptop bag or then wrap them in foil. They will keep in the freezer for a few months 😊
Jan Bearon says
Thanks Kim……..I notice you have used bread flour in the puff pastry recipe…..is this correct.
Kim says
Yep, this one is a little different in that it's a pastry and particularly needs extra lift that I couldn't replicate by using the regular flour.
Jan Beaton says
Hi Kim….can you please tell me the difference between your gluten-free flour blend to gluten free bread blend flour…..yes it Jan again
Kim says
Hi, Jan! The regular blend is an "all-purpose" flour that's used mainly as any all-purpose flour would be in regular baking, such as for cakes, cookies, cupcakes, pie crust, etc. The bread flour blend is used solely for breads as it has protein added to it so it will mimic the protein (gluten) found in regular (wheat) flour. Mimicking the gluten will help with the rise of the dough and ultimately the texture of the finished bread.
I hope this explains it 🙂
Jan says
Do you send your flour blends to Australia…..how can I buy some….
Kim says
Hi, Jan! I currently don't sell my blend, but the recipe to make the blend is on my blog (linked in every one of my recipes) or you can find it under Resources on the main menu 😍
Lindsey says
Kim, this recipe turned out amazing. Every year for Christmas my mom makes a beef wellington and for the last 9 years we have attempted a gluten free pastry dough purchased or by handfor a small portion just for me... every year but this year was a disappointment. I found your challah recipe and was blown away and have tried many since but this puff pastry recipe is AMAZING. My family and I now refer to you as "new best friend Kim" or the queen of gluten free. I have been on a baking rampage since finding your recipes and they have all been spectacular:)
Kim says
Oh my gosh, Lindsey! Thank you SO much for your kind words!!! It makes my heart so happy to hear wonderful stories of people like yourself being able to enjoy their favorite things again because of my recipes 🙂
Kristina says
Hi Kim! What is the name of the pastry on the first picture of the recipe? I'd love to make it with your recipe, I used to eat them filled with pudding and jam (on opposing sides) when I was a kid and could still eat gluten. I really miss them 🙂
Do you think these should be filled after or during the baking proces? Thank you!
Kim says
Hi, Kristina! I think those are just called a danish, but I'm not sure. What you do is cut out a square of dough and then cut a V on opposing corners of the square. Then fold each side over, securing with a little egg wash. It's hard to explain without showing, so here's a great link for how it's done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhq20aCSh-s&t=566s It depends on what you fill it with as to whether you fill it and then bake it or bake it and then fill it. Cream cheese danish would be filled first and then baked, but pudding would be filled after baking. I think jam could be done either way 🙂
Kristina says
Thanks for replying! I found them under Custard Danish Pockets and it seems they fill them in before baking. https://youtu.be/DkrFPOgvGsQ?t=302
I love your bread flour mix and I already spent my first batch of 10 cups on following recipes: Panettone, Croissants, Sugar cookies and Pizza Crust. Panettone turned out best so I'm planning on making another one for New Year's but this time with choco chips instead of raisins. 🙂
I need to mill my own rice flour in a coffee grinder since I can't find gluten-free one to buy where I live, is there a best type of rice you'd recommend for milling, as in long grain, basmati, etc.?
Kim says
Hmmm, I'm not sure, Kristina. When I look at the package of superfine white rice flour I use, it says it's milled from California rice so I'm not sure what kind of rice that is. Maybe a long grain? I don't think it would be basmati.
Kristina says
Hey, no problem! I've used basmati so far and everything turned out ok, I've already milled 500g of it for the next batch and then went to shop to find potato starch and I found GF rice flour on the shelf 🤣 1 day too late! I bought it nevertheless for the next batches I make. It's really weird but it also doesn't say from which type of rice it's grinded!
Unfortunately I didn't manage to find potato starch in the store. Is it ok if I use cornstarch instead for the bread flour mix?
Kim says
You could try the cornstarch. I'm not sure if it has the exact same texture as potato starch (it's not as hearty, for lack of a better word), but it's worth a shot. Another option would be arrowroot starch.
Kristina says
I went with cornstarch and panettone turned out amazing! Even more airy and fluffy than the previous one that was made with potato starch in the mix. Also, it needed 15 min less to bake. Now I'm wondering can I use the same dough to make deep fried donuts since it's remarkably similar to it.
Michelle Mick says
Hi I am new making gf recipes and I was wondering if I could use coconut oil instead of butter and coconut milk instead of milk? I'm excited to try this recipe! Looks very good!
Michelle
Debbie Shafron says
F%#@ing DELISH!! Kim, THANK YOU! I live in a large city and cannot find gf puff pastry. I was afraid to try this but I thought why not, all of the recipes I have tried from you have been spot on. It was so amazing. I made the cheesy straws and they were devoured in under 8 minutes. I made them again the next day and I was actually able to eat one before my family gobbled them up again.
We have been a gf house for ~ 5 years and you are now my go-to for recipes and I share your recipes with others. Simply amazing!💙
Keep up the good work. It makes a difference to us. XOXO
Kim says
Awe, thank you so much, Debbie!! I love hearing stories like this and am SO glad you like the puff pastry!! Thanks for sharing my recipes with others and for all your confidence in me 😍😍😍
Jan beaton says
Hi I am in Australia where can we your flour...please
Kim says
I don't sell my flour blend (yet), but I do offer the recipe on my blog. Also, I have an Amazon affiliate account with Australia so if you go to my flour blends page, you should be able to see links that are available in your area through Amazon.
Sabrina Carlson says
Love this! A lot of recipes online call for “1 sheet” of puff pastry. How many “sheets” does this make do you think?
Kim says
I would guess about two sheets of puff pastry.
Hanna Scheuffele says
Hello! When I use this, an I suppose to roll it out or will that smush the layers? I used it but it’s too thick and a bit dense so I’m wondering if I rolled it thinner if that would help
Kim says
Yes, you'll need to roll it out to use it according to whatever recipe you're using it in.
julia Shirley says
Can I use unsweetened almond milk instead of regular cows milk?
Kim says
I think it would work just fine, Julia!
Shannon Thomson says
When you say to flatten the butter, do you mean to rub it in like you would for gluteny bread?
Kim says
Yes, but don't rub it in so much that it's like breadcrumbs or peas. Just enough to where the butter is flattened, but still pretty large pieces 🙂
Emma says
Can u omit the sugar?
Kim says
Yep, you can! I need to put that on the recipe.
Laila says
Hi I’m allergic to eggs what can I use instead please
Kim says
I'm not really sure. I only have a reaction to gluten so I haven't tried this without eggs. The eggs are really what helps it puff up. You maybe could try an egg replacer, like from Bob's Red Mill, or a chia egg??
Marni says
Has anyone had success with this egg free?
Sarah says
Hi I am going to try this for a savory tart with goat cheese and asparagus. A quarter cup of sugar in your recipe seems like a lot for a savory dish, could you tell me more about that? Thanks! Looks exciting to try!
Kim says
Hi, Sarah! You're right, for savory that does seem like a lot of sugar. I think you could try to cut back a little bit on the sugar, maybe by half to just 2 tbsp or even down to 1 tbsp. In this instance, it shouldn't make a difference as there is no yeast to feed in the recipe. When I created this recipe, I based it on another recipe for non-gluten free bread that used the same amount of sugar, so I didn't change it.
Hope that helps 🙂
Whitney says
Do you think this would work with dairy free butter and almond milk?
Kim says
I wish I could say for sure, but I'm not familiar enough with dairy free butter to know for sure. I feel like it would, though, because most puff pastry bought in the stores isn't actually made with butter. I'd give it a try, Whitney! I think it really could work 🙂
Gloria Milster says
My husband is trying to make the puff pastry right now for Beef Wellington. I've used almond milk (Califia Farms brand) to make your cinnamon rolls and lemon cake. The lemon cake did curdle, but it still game out great, as did the cinnamon rolls. I'm making stollen right now. It's still rising.
Dana says
Did you make dairy free? Did it work?
Karen says
Those look totally amazing! I don’t know how you do that! You come up with the most unbelievable gf recipes ever!
Kim says
Aww, thanks Karen!! I don't want us to miss out on anything 🙂