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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Croissants are not only pretty, but they’re also buttery, slightly sweet and incredibly fluffy. There’s a reason why it’s one of the most famous French pastries worldwide.
Croissants are versatile too. You can eat them as is, but you can also cut them in half and spread some butter, jam or Nutella for a satisfying quick breakfast.
The flaky pastry is also compatible with savory food; a ham and cheese croissant is one good sandwich.
The problem with croissants is that they rely on wheat flour, and that means they have gluten. As you know, some people can eat gluten for medical reasons while others simply refuse to eat it for personal reasons. This makes today’s recipe vital — gluten-free croissants are a fundamental necessity.
Of course, making gluten-free croissants is easier said than done, but we’re cutting a few corners by rolling our croissants with home-made, gluten-free puff pastry.
On you master the gluten-free puff pastry recipe below, you can make gluten-free pies and other delicious snacks like empanadas, and this is exciting!
To emulate wheat flour, we must use various starches and flours, including rice flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum — an all-natural plant-based thickener to bring everything together. Our wet ingredients comprise almond milk and maple syrup as a sweetener.
We’re obviously using lots of butter, too. And if you want your croissants, or in this case your puff pastry to be vegan, just substitute the butter for margarine or another vegan butter.
Your gluten-free croissants should turn out nicely golden, crispy and flaky. Don’t expect the fluffiness of a wheat-based croissant, though, but you’ll be more than happy with the results.
Now everyone can enjoy croissants despite their dietary needs and preferences, and that makes me immensely happy!
In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
Cut the butter in small bits, and in a stand mixer, incorporate them with the flour mixture.
Slowly add the water to the mixture to create a dough.
Remove the dough, form a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for two hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Flour your kitchen counter with almond flour.
Roll out your puff pastry into a rectangle of about 10 by 16 inches wide.
Cut the rectangle into three equal-sized rectangles like a flag.
Cut each rectangle from one upper corner to the opposite corner in the bottom to create six triangles.
Roll the triangles starting from the broad side to create croissants.
Place on the baking sheet.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the almond milk and the maple syrup and brush your croissants thoroughly.
Bake from between 20 to 25 minutes until golden and puffy.
