Pie Dough (GF / DF)

Ingredients

Pie Dough:

• 110 g brown rice flour
• 100 g sweet rice flour
• 80 g sorghum flour
• 80 g gluten-free oat flour
• 40 g tapioca starch, plus extra for dusting work surface
• 50 g potato starch
• 175 g corn starch
• 7 g xanthan gum (2¼ tsp)
• 7 g kosher salt (2½ tsp Diamond Crystal, reduce to 1½ tsp if using Morton)
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 150 g room temperature coconut oil
• 2 large eggs
• 30 g apple cider vinegar (2 tbsp)
• 30 g honey (1½ tbsp)
• 95 g ice-cold water (6 tbsp + 1 tsp)
• 150 g Miyoko’s Salted European Style Butter, cut into ½‑inch cubes and chilled

Egg Wash:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp full-fat coconut milk
• ⅛ tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. To Make the Pie Dough:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, starches, xanthan gum, salt, and nutmeg. Mix on low until evenly combined.
2. Add the coconut oil. Mix on medium until the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the egg, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Add ice-cold water and whisk again to combine.
4. With the mixer running on medium-low, gradually pour in the liquid ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes.
5. Scatter your cold butter alternative over the dough, breaking apart large clumps. Mix on medium-low just until evenly distributed. Stop when the dough is dotted throughout with visible bits of butter. You’re looking for lightly marbled, not homogeneous.
6. Portion the dough as needed—12 oz (340 g) for a single crust or blind‑baked shell, or 12 oz (340 g) and 8 oz (225 g) for a double crust. Flatten each into a ¾‑inch‑thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill to a workable 65–75°F, around 45–60 minutes.
2. To Roll and Shape a 9” Pie Shell:
1. Remove dough from the refrigerator. At a workable 65–75°F, it should feel cool to the touch and firm yet pliable, yielding gently when pressed—like playdough. If the dough cracks apart when rolled, it is too cold. Rest at room temperature momentarily, or knead lightly just until the pieces come together.
2. Dust a large square of parchment paper (about 15 × 15 inches) generously with tapioca starch. Place the larger 12-ounce portion of dough in the center and dust the top lightly with additional starch. Rub a little starch on the rolling pin.
3. Using the pin, roll the dough away from yourself with steady, even pressure, easing up slightly at the edges to avoid over-thinning the perimeter. Alternate rolling angles and rotate the parchment occasionally until you have a roughly 12‑inch circle about ⅛‑inch thick.
4. Using the parchment for support, slide one hand under the paper and place the other hand gently on top of the dough. Lift the dough, center it above the pie plate, then swiftly flip and lower the dough into the plate so the parchment is on top.
5. Gently peel back the parchment. Supporting the outer edges with your hands, lift and lower the dough to fill the bottom and sides of the plate—avoid pressing straight down, which risks creating thin spots and tears. The goal is a fully lined pan with about 1 inch of dough overhanging the rim.
6. Even out the border by gently pulling off excess from places with extra overhang and pressing those scraps into sparse spots, sealing any seams as you go. This transfer‑and‑press technique also works for larger repairs if the dough tears or breaks during transfer or shaping—she’s delicate but forgiving.
3. For a Blind-Baked Shell:
1. Fold the overhang under itself to form a ½‑inch‑thick border that rests on the outer ridge, flush with the rim of the pie plate. Crimp as desired. (See instructions below.) No need to fret over ragged edges or hairline cracks—these can be easily mended after egg washing.
2. Chill the shaped shell until very cold and firm—about 30–60 minutes in the refrigerator or 15–30 minutes in the freezer.
3. While the shell chills:
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg, coconut milk, and salt together in a small bowl. Leftover egg wash will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for 2 days. Whisk before using to recombine.
4. Remove the shell from the refrigerator or freezer. Using a pastry brush, a wadded paper towel, or—in a pinch—your fingers, brush the dough with a light, even layer of egg wash. Smooth out any unsightly cracks or raw edges with your fingertip, rubbing gently to fuse and seal.
5. Prick the base 5–6 times with the tines of a fork.
6. Bake at 325°F until set, fully opaque, and lightly golden around the edges—about 18 minutes. The shell is ready when the base feels firm—not soft or pliable—when pressed lightly with a spoon or fingertip.
4. For a Double-Crust Pie:
1. Transfer pie filling into the prepared bottom shell.

From this point, work quickly to keep the bottom shell cool and limit liquid absorption. Don’t panic—just be efficient. If you get pulled away, chill the pie until you return.

2. Repeat the rolling method with the smaller 8‑ounce dough portion, rolling it into a 10‑inch circle about ⅛‑inch thick. Using parchment for support, center the dough over the filled pie plate, then flip and lower it into place. Peel back the parchment.
3. Fold the overhang of both crusts under to form a unified ½‑inch‑thick border that rests on the outer ridge, flush with the rim of the pie plate. Crimp as desired to seal. (See instructions below.) No need to fret over ragged edges or hairline cracks—these can be easily mended after egg washing.
4. Chill the shaped pie until very cold and firm—about 30–60 minutes in the refrigerator or 15–30 minutes in the freezer.
5. While the pie chills:
• Preheat the oven. Place an empty baking sheet on the lower‑middle rack to improve heat transfer to the bottom crust, helping it get nice and crisp. Next, make the egg wash.
• Prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg, coconut milk, and salt together in a small bowl. Leftover egg wash will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for 2 days. Whisk before using to recombine.
6. Remove the pie from the refrigerator or freezer. Using a pastry brush, a wadded paper towel, or—in a pinch—your fingers, brush the dough with a light, even layer of egg wash. Smooth out any unsightly cracks or raw edges with your fingertip, rubbing gently to fuse and seal.
7. With a sharp knife, cut six 3-inch vents radially around the top, wiggling the blade side to side to open each by about ¼ inch to vent steam.
8. Transfer the pie immediately to the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake as directed for your chosen pie recipe. If substituting this gluten‑free dough into a traditional wheat-based pie recipe, reduce the baking temperature by 25°F to prevent over‑browning. Increase bake time by roughly 5–10 minutes, following the doneness cues specified by the recipe.

Crimping Instructions:

• Fork Crimp: Dust the tines of a fork with starch. Hold the fork perpendicular to the edge of the plate with the tines pointed toward the center. Press the tines into the folded border to create an indentation, without pressing through to the plate. Continue around the border at regular intervals, rotating the plate as you work to create a continuous ridged pattern.
• Classic Flute: Place your non‑dominant thumb and index finger on the inside of the dough border, about an inch apart. With your dominant hand, use the second joint of your index finger to create a scallop by pushing the dough from the outside down and in toward your pinched fingers. Begin the next flute where the previous one ended, repeating around the pie edge at even intervals. Rotate the pie plate occasionally as you work to create a continuous border of wide V’s around the entire pie. Different fluting styles are achieved by adjusting pinched finger width, using a fingertip instead of a knuckle, or pressing from inside rather than out — each creating a distinct edge pattern.