Gluten-Free Croissants
Makes 24 Croissants

You’ll love these light, luscious gluten-free pastries. They can be made without dairy. Enjoy them au naturel, as the French do, or fill them with your favorite fruit spread.

1 cup sorghum flour
½ cup chickpea flour
½ cup almond meal or additional flour
1 cup rice flour
1 cup cornstarch or tapioca starch/flour
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1½ teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons yeast
¼ cup sugar
1 cup warm milk of choice or water
2 eggs
8 tablespoons butter, margarine or Earth’s Best spread, melted
12 tablespoons cold butter, margarine, vegetable shortening or Earth’s Best spread, cut into
    small pieces
½ cup fruit spread, warmed, optional

1. Combine first seven ingredients and blend well.
2. Scoop 1 cup of this flour mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar to this cup of flour mixture and blend thoroughly. Combine milk and eggs and add them to this mixture. Add melted butter and beat until smooth. Reserve.
3. In a separate bowl, cut cold butter into remaining flour mixture until butter pieces are the size of large peas. Pour in liquid batter and stir or beat until moistened throughout. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
4. Remove dough from refrigerator and press into a compact ball on a surface that has been lightly covered with rice flour. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each third into a 12-inch circle with a rolling pin. Cut each circle into 8 pie-shaped wedges.
5. Separate wedges and roll out each wedge through the length of the piece so that it is about 1/8th-inch thick.* Brush each wedge with gently warmed fruit spread, if desired. Then roll up each wedge toward the point. Shape into a crescent by curving the edges.
6. Set croissants on an ungreased baking sheet or a sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic and let them rise at room temperature until doubled. (This may take 2 hours if the room is cool.)
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush each croissant wedge with egg beaten with cold water. Place croissants in preheated oven and immediately lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.

*TIP The thinner you roll out the wedges of dough, the more “layers” your croissants will have and the flakier they will be. However, dough should not be paper-thin.

Recipe by Beth Hillson.

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