Vinegar For Gluten Free Pastry | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

Full question

Is it necessary to use rice vinegar in the gluten-free pastry in the Gluten-Free Apple And Blackberry Pie, or can I use white vinegar?

Our answer

Nigella's Gluten-Free Apple And Blackberry Pie (from SIMPLY NIGELLA) has a pie crust that is made with gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour and mixed with a combination of ice-cold water, sour cream and rice wine vinegar. The addition of vinegar and sour cream helps the dough to be a bit more flexible when rolling out and also to brown slightly more easily when baked in the oven.

Rice wine vinegar doesn't have a strong taste so it is useful for this dough, but it can be replaced with other acids. Our preference would be to use fresh lemon juice as an alternative as it will not affect the flavour of the crust. If this is not available then cider vinegar or white wine vinegars would be the next best options, but if possible try to use lemon juice instead.

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Vinegar For Gluten Free Pastry | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

Vinegar For Gluten Free Pastry | Ask Nigella.com? ›

Rice wine vinegar doesn't have a strong taste so it is useful for this dough, but it can be replaced with other acids. Our preference would be to use fresh lemon juice as an alternative as it will not affect the flavour of the crust.

What does vinegar do in gluten-free baking? ›

Apple cider vinegar or another acid lightens up the dough. You can add up to 4 Tbsp of acid for 500 g gluten-free flour. Don't worry, you won't be able to taste it afterwards. To lighten up a yeast dough even more, you can add a packet of baking powder or cream of tartar baking powder to 500 g flour.

Why do you put cider vinegar in pastry? ›

Vinegar helps with creating a tender and moist crumb

This is because the acidity of vinegar interferes with gluten development. Gluten is a protein that can make our baked goods tough when overworked, which is why you'll often hear me talking about not overmixing your batter.

Does adding vinegar to pie crust stop gluten? ›

What does that vinegar do? The most common answer — that it affects gluten development — isn't actually that useful. If you had a mass spectrometer at home, you could measure the teensy difference vinegar makes in the tensile strength of gluten strands in the dough, which in theory makes it a bit more tender.

Why do you put vinegar in puff pastry? ›

Vinegar is occasionally incorporated into puff pastry dough to hinder gluten development, leading to a more delicate and flaky pastry. It also helps regulate the dough's pH, impacting its texture and rise. Typically, only a small quantity of vinegar is required in the dough recipe.

What is the secret to gluten free baking? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

How to make gluten-free dough more elastic? ›

Psyllium husk is the crucial ingredient in gluten free bread baking. It acts as a binder, and it gives gluten free bread dough the elasticity, flexibility and extensibility it needs so you can actually knead and shape it without any problems.

What can I use instead of vinegar in pastry? ›

Our preference would be to use fresh lemon juice as an alternative as it will not affect the flavour of the crust. If this is not available then cider vinegar or white wine vinegars would be the next best options, but if possible try to use lemon juice instead.

Why do you put vinegar in phyllo dough? ›

There are two key elements to promoting the extensibility necessary in the dough: adding vinegar to the dough, which weakens some of the gluten bonding, making it less elastic; and ample resting. Of course, it takes practice, just like working with any kind of dough.

Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of vinegar in baking? ›

Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar make good substitutes for one another in most cooking applications, but the former is significantly more tart. In many cases, you can also use these vinegars as substitutes for other types of vinegar.

How do you keep gluten-free pastry from crumbling? ›

Add xanthan gum to gluten-free flour. It enhances elastic qualities that gluten-free flours lack, making it easier to work with and less likely to crumble. Add plenty of water to the gluten-free flour to prevent the pastry from becoming too dry when rolling out.

Why is my gluten-free pie crust so hard? ›

Always use the stir, scoop, and level method when measuring your flour to ensure you're adding the correct amount. Too much flour in pie crust makes it tough and, for gluten-free, gritty.

Does vinegar destroy gluten? ›

During the distillation process, the gluten protein gets removed, leaving behind a concentrated acetic acid solution. This makes distilled vinegars a safe choice for most individuals on a gluten-free diet. However, it's crucial to check the label for any added ingredients, especially if you have severe celiac disease.

Why use vinegar in gluten free baking? ›

Apple Cider Vinegar – Superpower your Gluten-Free Kitchen! Apple cider vinegar is often used in baking, but why? It is a great leavening agent, but it also has powerful flavour enhancing properties. I find it adds the perfect amount of depth of flavour, and helps activate baking soda creating a lovely airy texture.

Why does my puff pastry smell like vinegar? ›

If it's a putrid smell, you've probably trapped bacteria or mold in your dough that has spoiled it, and you should toss it and start again.

Why put vinegar in empanada dough? ›

Adding a little vinegar to your dough will result in a tender, pliable, and flaky crust because it slightly inhibits gluten development, leading to a crust that is flakier and easier to work with. The great thing about vinegar is that you really only need a little bit of it to help your pie/empanada dough.

What is the purpose of vinegar in baking? ›

Vinegar may have several functions in baked goods: Leavening agent: aids in leavening when used with a base (baking powder) to produce carbon dioxide. Acidulant: decreases pH aiding in meringue stabilization. Antimicrobial agent or preservative: helps control mold and bacterial growth by reducing the pH.

Does vinegar get rid of gluten? ›

Empty any remaining dishes or silverware and run a sanitizing cycle using baking soda and vinegar as the cleaner. Vinegar is known for its natural cleaning properties and can help eliminate traces of gluten that may have accumulated over time.

What is the benefit of vinegar in dough? ›

The acidic properties of vinegar inhibit gluten, some will say. This theory proposes that once the water and flour are combined, gluten starts forming, causing the dough to grow tough. Adding an acid, the theory goes, stops the gluten in its tracks and rescues the crust from toughness.

What happens when you put vinegar in flour? ›

Adding vinegar to your cake batter makes it acidic. The acid in the vinegar reacts with the flour to set the cake as it bakes.

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