Imagine you’re creating a company that sells gluten-free flour. You have a name for your product, maybe you’re already selling it. But you need a website. Wouldn’t it be amazing … more
Imagine you’re creating a company that sells gluten-free flour. You have a name for your product, maybe you’re already selling it. But you need a website. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you had the domain GlutenFreeFlour.com?
Hello, Tom Sawyer, you lucky dog, you.
I had never even heard of Tom Sawyer flour before Naomi of Better Batter mentioned it to me. She told me that it was big in the Western U.S. BIG. I’m in the Northeastern U.S. What did I know?
(Early P.S.: Oh, hey, are you in the Northeastern U.S., too? Wanna come bake with me?)
Add Tom Sawyer to the Great Gluten-Free Flour Test, Naomi said. Just do it!* She can be very convincing.
*Naomi actually didn’t boss me at all. Ever since I got laid off from my job as a big firm lawyer in 2009, ain’t nobody the boss of me. Except maybe my literary agent. She’s got a firm hand, and that’s no joke.
So here’s the Tom Sawyer pastry dough ball.
I kinda had some trouble rolling it out. It was sort of dry. Like the other day, it might have done well to be warmer. Mental note.
But I still created a dough-and-butter packet.
The first turn was a little … disappointing.
But by the final turn, it was smooth as silk.
To stave off boredom (how many times can a girl make gluten-free raspberry tartlets?), I made Gluten-Free Parmesan Cheese Straws.They’re super easy. Just roll out the dough to a bit more than 1/8 inch thick, allow it to warm a bit at room temperature so it’s not brittle, slice into strips about 1/2 inch thick and 6 inches long, brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (press down the cheese so it adheres), then twist. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
In the end, the pastry was light and flaky, and browned really evenly. And browning is really, really important to successful puff pastry. It gives it depth of flavor. And real Parmigiano-Reggiano is a must. It’s a touch spendy, but a little goes a long way.
*For the puff pastry recipe, including all the details about the method, see the first pastry challenge post (Better Batter Gluten-Free Puff Pastry).
Here are Tom’s deets:
Pastry Challenge
|
Tom Sawyer
|
| Cost | $1.02/cup |
| Cup for cup replacement claim | 10 |
| Cup for cup replacement result | 7.0 |
| Ease of use | 6.0 |
| Raw texture | 8.0 |
| Cooked texture | 9.0 |
| Finished appearance | 9.0 |
| Finished taste | 9.5 |
| Mouth feel | 9.5 |
| Smell | 10 |
Oh, by the way, these little mini Weck jars are my new boyfriend.
Love,
Me
P.S. Tomorrow, DIY all-purpose gluten-free flour. Get out your checkbooks. It’s gonna be more expensive than you might think…
P.P.S. Next up in the Great Gluten-Free Flour Test, yeast bread. Anyone wanna go over/under on who wins?
P.P.P.S. I shall include a shameless self-promotion I-wrote-a-cookbook reminder here, at the end of posts. Because reciprocity is important. I love you. And I thank you.
