YOU CAN STILL HAVE BREAD AND PASTRY

CUTTING out gluten doesn’t have to mean an end to the delights of hot buttered toast or delicious puddings. Thanks to the wealth of gluten-free flour mixes now available, you can whip up a loaf of delicious fresh bread or some pastry for a scrumptious apple pie. Here, TV chef Phil Vickery shows you how.

DELICIOUS GLUTEN-FREE BREAD

400g gluten-free white bread flour 2 level tsp xanthan gum 1 tsp salt 1 tbs sugar 7g gluten-free fast-action yeast 150ml warm milk 150ml warm water 1 medium egg at room temperature 2 tsp cider vinegar 3 tbsp olive oil plus 2 extra tsp 2 tsp mixed seeds for sprinkling Pre-HeaT oven to 200c/gas 6 and oil a 900g loaf tin, dusting it with flour. Mix the flour, gum, salt, sugar and yeast. Pour warm milk and water into jug, then pour three- quarters into large bowl. add egg, vinegar and 3 tbsp olive oil. Tip in flour mixture and beat to form dough. If too dry, add milk/water mix. Scrape dough into a loaf tin, smooth with a spatula, dot with olive oil then wet fingers and press seeds over top. Leave in warm place for 20 mins to rise to rim of tin, then bake for 40-45 minutes.

SCRUMMY SHORTCRUST PASTRY

200g gluten-free flour (ideally a blend of white and brown rice flour) Pinch of salt ½ level tsp xanthan gum 100g cold butter or baking margarine, cubed 1 small egg, beaten. 1 tsp lemon juice In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, gum and butter to a fine crumb. add egg, 1-2 tbsp cold water and lemon juice, then pulse till it starts to hold together. If dry, add water. (If doing by hand, chill mixture for 15 minutes now).

Tip dough onto sheet of clingfilm, lay another sheet on top and roll pastry into a disc, then chill it (still wrapped in clingfilm) for 15 minutes. If you want sweet pastry, add a tablespoon of icing sugar at first stage. or, for a different taste and texture, swap out 25g of flour for 25g of ground almonds.

Beat another egg and brush over pastry three times to glaze and to stop pastry going soggy.