Pie Crust Dough with Non-Wheat (Misc.) Grains

by Cat, Aug 2007 and updated several times

Includes: 1. Soaked Oat Crumb-Crust *; 2. Barley Crust (gluten-free); 3. Rice Flour Crust (gluten-free); 4. Almond/Rice Flour Crust (gluten-free)

*Oat can be gluten-free, but only if not processed at location that also processes gluten grains. However, oat contains a related protein called avenin that causes similar problems as gluten for some people.

See Also: 1. Spelt/Wheat, Quinoa & Almond Meal Kuchen Crust, Presoak Method; 2. Nut Pie Crusts (Almond, Hazelnut, Pecan or Walnut); 3. Almond Meal & Coconut Flour Pie Crust; 4. Mama’s Gluten-Free Plus Almond Meal Pie Crust

(2007) I’m trying to avoid wheat to see if it will make a difference in my weight and overall health. And I’m also wanting to soak my whole grains before cooking. For more on this, see my post on Soaking & sprouting grains.

I’ve not tested these recipes – I’m rather enamored with my Yogurt Pie Crust II (Wheat or Spelt)re (a pre-soak recipe), so use that. Note, however, that while spelt and Kamut are members of the wheat family, they are not as hybridized as wheat. Thus many people have sensitivity to wheat but can tolerate spelt or Kamut.

Mama’s Gluten-Free Pie Crust Mix

Mama’s Gluten-Free Pie Crust ((1) made in Montana) works fairly well and has nice flavor. Ingredients include: “White Rice Flour, Tapioca Flour, Potato Starch, Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar, Coconut Flour, Sweet Rice Flour, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum.” Because it contains high-carb ingredients, it is not suitable for a low-carb diet or ketogenic eating plan, but it is suitable for those who must be gluten-free.

Each package of Mama’s Gluten-Free Pie Crust contains about 3 cups flour blend and will make crust for a 2-crust 9” pie, or two single-crust 9” pies.

In addition to using it as-is, I also use it in part with almond meal for a tasty single-crumb-style crust.  See Mama’s Gluten-Free Plus Almond Meal crust for recipe. See also Notes on Mama’s Gluten-Free Pie Crust (1)  The Mama’s package will make 3 of these almond-blend crusts.

Soaked Oatmeal Pie Crust

Not yet tested.

This recipe, adapted from Gnowfiglins ((2) originally adapted from one by Dr. Weil) intrigues me because it offers both: no wheat, and the oats are soaked. She recommends soaking and dehydrating extra oats, so you have some left over for another crust or other use. I think that’s an excellent idea. However, this recipe is only enough for one crust for 9″ pie.

The recipe also calls for grapeseed oil. My preference would be Organic olive oil because I don’t like to keep a lot of different oils around that will go stale before I can use them.

You will need a dehydrator tray for drying the oats after soaking. I don’t have a dehydrator because I have a 1950s vintage gas range with a pilot lights. This keeps the oven at just the right temperature for dehydrating (95 – 100⁰ F). I made a wood frame and stretched a fine nylon mesh (or use silk organza for a more sustainable choice) over the frame, then set this over a baking sheet to use as a dehydrator tray. Works great.

I believe you could use this same method with other whole grain flours; however spelt might offer a challenge because it is is soluble in water….

You could also use rolled oats for the soak and dehydration, then grind to flour. However, I don’t know how much rolled oats makes a cup of flour.

Ingredients & Equipment: 

pre-soak & dehydration

• 1 ¼ cup oat flour
• filtered water to cover
• yogurt or whey: 1 Tbsp for each cup soaking water

crust

• ¼ tsp Unrefined sea salt
• 2 Tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
• ⅓ cup filtered water

equipment

• medium bowl
• dehydrator tray
• dehydrator or other space that can be kept at 95 -100 degrees F
• pastry fork
• 9″ pie pan

Method:

Pre-Soak:

1. Cover oat flour with enough water to cover, keeping track of how much water you add. Stir in yogurt or whey, using 1 Tbsp for each cup of water.
2. Cover bowl and let sit on counter overnight.

Next day, dehydration: 

1. Drain and rinse. if you used oat flour, you will need a fine mesh strainer lined with muslin or a coffee filter to keep the flour from going through the strainer. If you used oatmeal, just a fine mesh strainer will do.
2. Spread the soaked grain on a dehydrator tray and dry at 95 – 100⁰ F until crispy and dry.
3. If you used oatmeal, grind the dried meal to flour.

Prepare crust: 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Measure out 1 ¼ cup of the flour and mix in the salt in medium bowl. Work in oil and chilled water with pastry fork until crumbly.
3. Press crust into bottom of pan and up the sides.
4. Bake crust 10 minutes (you may wish to fill with dried beans to keep the crust from bubbling up). Remove from oven and cool a bit before adding filling.
5. Arrange pie: See Assemble the Pie.

Barley Pie Crust

Not yet tested.

This recipe, originally from Arrowhead Mills, doesn’t use pre-soaked flour, but has gotten 5-star rating  from RecipeLand (3): “very easy to work; excellent flavor.” If I could find malted barley flour here, I’d try using that, as it is made from sprouted barley.

Barley is considered a “low gluten” grain. see Barley: A Low-Gluten Grain for more.

This recipe calls for ‘chilled oil’ so not sure which would be best, but I’d try a olive oil, chilled in refrigerator. I’d also try this with butter or coconut oil. I don’t recommend using ‘cooking’ or ‘salad’ oil, as these are extracted from the seed by a high temperature/high pressure process that oxidizes the fragile oil, making it toxic. The same for canola oil, which has the additional problem of being GMO, unless its Organic, as well as containing a toxic substance from its genetic parent, rape seed.

Ingredients & Equipment: 

• 1 cup barley flour
• 1/4 cup oil (olive?), chilled
• 3 Tbsp cold filtered water

equipment

• medium bowl
• 9″ pie pan

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together in bowl.
2. Press into pie pan with finger. Prick crust with fork.
3. For precooked crust, bake at 350°F for 20 – 25 minutes. May want to fill with weights (dried beans) before baking.

Rice Flour Pie Crust

Not yet tested.

I’ve tried rice flour crust (at a local restaurant that offers gluten-free foods) but found it to have an undesirable gritty texture and an off-flavor. However, I copy it here in case I want to play with it in the future. For example, I might try combining rice flour with some coconut or almond flour, or with ground nuts.

This is adapted from a package of Bob’s Red Mill (4) Rice Flour, and makes one crust.

Ingredients & Equipment: 

• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup white rice flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 pinch Unrefined sea salt

equipment

• 8″ or 9″ pie pan
• fork

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 420° F.
2. Beat egg and butter in medium bowl.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into small bowl. Add to egg mixture, stirring gently until blended.
4. Place dough on a rice-floured flat surface. Sprinkle rice flour over rolling pin. Roll out dough a little larger than pie pan.
5. Cut pastry into 6 wedges. Carefully slip one wedge at a time into pie pan, using spatula, and lining up the edges of the wedges. Seal edges with finger tips.
6. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown.

Almond/Rice Flour Pie Crust

Not yet tested.

As mentioned above, I’ve tried rice flour crust but found it to have an undesirable gritty texture and an off-flavor. And I just tried making a crust with spelt, barley and just a tad of white rice flour, but the gritty texture of the rice was dominant. Also, although it rolled out easily, when I tried to lift it, it just tore.

But this recipe with almond and rice flour sounds interesting, so may give it a try, perhaps with pumpkin filling or apple, which would work well with the spices in the crust.

From RivalPro.net (5)

Ingredients & Equipment: 

• 1/3 cup whole almonds
• 3/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground cloves
• 3 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 2 Tbsp honey

equipment

• 9″ pie pan
• fork

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Grind almonds to fine powder in a blender.
3. combine dry ingredients with ground almonds in the pie plate, mixing well with fork.
4. Warm water, oil and honey over low heat until honey liquifies Drizzle over flour mixture and stir with fork to blend. Let stand until dry ingredients absorb the liquid.
5. Press mixture into place with fingers, covering bottom and sides evenly. Pat top edge into straight edge.
6. Bake before or after filling. Bake empty crust 5 minutes.

References

1. Mama’s Gluten-Free (glutenfreemama.com) and  Notes on Gluten-Free Pie Crusts (glutenfreemama.com/piecrusts)
2. Gnowfiglins
3. Arrowhead Mills and RecipeLand (recipeland.com/recipe/v/Wheat-Free-Pie-Crust-19671)
4. Bob’s Red Mill (link removed at their request)
5. RivalPro.not (rivalpro.net/~pamela/wheatfree/recipes/recipe03.php)