My daughter worked with a caterer one summer and learned how to make puff pastry. Ever since she first noticed the low carb mozzarella stromboli dough she thought it could be made into a low carb puff pastry.
To be honest I didn’t really see how until now but I’m calling this one a Lighter Low Carb Pastry Crust THM S Low Carb.
Although it doesn’t qualify as a puff pastry it’s lighter than anything I’ve tried yet and does edge a lot closer to it than ever before!
The consistency and flavor of this pastry is different, of course, but when fresh from the oven (or even later when reheated briefly) it is so good!
This melt in your mouth bread does not just inch us closer to the puff pastry experience it leaps forward.
Up until now, I have enjoyed the mozzarella/fathead/stromboli dough probably as much as any other, desperate for pastry but die-hard THMer or low carber.
Last year, I posted a flatbread version of this dough as the Tomato Spinach Panini Sandwich, followed right away by the Low Carb California Flatbread Sandwich.
I published these because there weren’t any that I could find and since I truly love flatbread sandwiches I needed them! Later the first THM Friendly Mozzarella Dough Roundup was posted on this blog and it is a lovely collection of this type of bread.
Along the way, there have been other recipes I tried to adapt using this dough and they were okay but something was missing…
Enter this recipe for Lighter Low Carb Pastry which I adapted from Up Late Anyway.com’s Cheese Danish.
This version uses butter in place of the cream cheese typically used in this type of mozzarella bread and lightens the texture of this dough up nicely.
This makes the lightest and flakiest low carb crust that I’ve tried so far, and I’ve been at this like many of you, for a while!
Then after seeing the recipe for Keto Fathead Rolls at How To This and That.com I subbed in 1 full tablespoon of baking powder instead of the 1/2 teaspoon called for in the normal fathead doughs and of course, used baking blend in place of the almond flour. I’m super excited to bring this latest version of this dough to you and hope you get a chance to try it right away!!
Here are a couple of creations that I’ve come up with that use this dough with many more to come!
Gluten Free Sopapilla Cheesecake
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Lighter Low Carb Pastry Crust
Yield 8
Lighter Low Carb Pastry Crust, when fresh from the oven, does not just inch low carb pastries closer to the puff pastry experience it is a solid leap forward.
Ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
- 1 1/4 cup 2% low-fat mozzarella shredded cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces to melt more easily
- 3/4 cup THM Baking Blend or try sub*
- 1 teaspoon gentle sweet or 1/2 teaspoon pyure or truvia
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Directions for the crust:
- Melt 1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and cut up butter in the microwave for 1.5 minutes. Stir quickly once all is melted. Stir very well.
- Working quickly, add the baking blend and baking powder to the top of all the wet ingredients and mix in with a big heavy fork or spoon. When it is well mixed add the egg to the top and mix in well again. *see note.
- Plop the thoroughly mixed dough onto parchment paper and cover with another piece of paper. Press the dough down carefully with your hands and then roll lightly with a cylindrical shaped glass bottle or rolling pin working from the inside and feathering the crust out toward the edges.
- I have found this dough works easily and is not super messy or sticky when using the baking blend. As you feather the dough out toward the edges periodically lift the paper and shape it into whatever shape you want.
- For example to make a pie crust cup your hands and round the edges then replace the paper and keep rolling lightly. To make smaller pastry crusts just roll out one large square or rectangle piece of dough and cut into desired shapes.
- To make the little rolls of course you won't need to roll it at all just plop it onto the parchment and press it into a log and cut it into 4 pieces and roll them into balls of the same size. Then cut the balls in half and bake until done.
- For a pie crust just roll in a 9-10 inch circle or press into a lightly oiled 9-10 inch pan starting from the center and working your way out with damp hands and bake in a preheated oven for 5 minutes which will just dry this crust out if you need a custard type crust that you will fill and continue to bake.
- Bake for a few additional time until golden brown for a fully baked pie crust that will be ready to fill and eat.
- Keep a close eye on this and don't let it burn.
Notes
*The sweetener may be cut in half for a more savory bread but it helps cut the extra salty taste from the baking powder and the baking blend taste so I wouldn't leave it out.
*The egg mixes in well so don't be concerned that everything is already mixed when you add it. It is very important that everything is mixed in before the egg is added because you want to add the egg to a cooled mixture, not a hot one.
*If you just don't have the baking blend you can try subbing 1/4 cup golden flax seed, 1/4 cup coconut flour, and 1/4 cup almond flour for the baking blend. I have not tried it in this particular recipe but many enjoy this sub
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Thank you for your hard work developing and sharing these recipes. I have loved every one of them so far. I can’t wait to try this.
Wow! This looks amazing!
Can you use this for a top crust as well? I really want to make a berry pie with a top crust, but nothing I have tried so far has worked.
I plan to try that soon myself Melissa so let me know what you think if you get a chance. 🙂
What temperature is the oven at? All I’m seeing is preheated oven. Hope it’s not right in front of me! ? Thanks for the recipe. Looks delicious!
Thanks so much for letting me know I left that out Cindy! I fixed it. Preheat to 375 🙂
teaspoon or tablespoon of baking powder? in the intro it says tsp, but recipe says Tbsp.
I checked the post and could only find 1 tablespoon listed, so I’m not sure on that, but yes I used the tablespoon. 🙂 Thanks for stopping in and I hope you love the crust. <3
What is thm Baking blend?
You can find it on Amazon
You can find it on trimhealthymama site sometimes cheaper. They are the original maker of this blend
That’s right Tricia and thanks for calling my attention to Shelly’s question. I’m in the process of updating these posts and making the links more accessible. Trim Healthy Mama store normally has this in stock and I love the buy it from there because it’s cheaper. Sometimes they’re out (or I’m in a hurry) so I purchase it for more money from Amazon but get free shipping and two day delivery with Prime.
Aff links: Amazon: https://amzn.to/2tFDQby
Trim Healthy Mama: https://store.trimhealthymama.com/product/gluten-free-baking-blend-16oz-bag/?ref=47
Bagged, pre-shredded cheese works well in this recipe?
That’s what I use but make sure that it doesn’t have a powdered coating texture to keep it from clumping because that will be a carb like substance, normally.
Oh my, Teresia!! You have done it again! I thought the southern style biscuits were the best thing ever!! Now this!! I must confess that although I am a southern girl, I had never heard of chocolate gravy–so I don’t have anything to compare that to, but I whipped up this dough so quickly and it works so easily and then the chocolate gravy on top—mmmmm…..heavenly! And I SOO appreciate that it is lighter than the other doughs since it is Baking Blend instead of almond flour! Thank you! Thank you! 🙂
What is the baking blend for flour.
Here’s a link to order it https://store.trimhealthymama.com/product/baking-blend-gluten-free-3lb-bag/
Or you can make your own here: http://www.runamokmama.com/blog/runamok-mamas-quick-mix
or without gluccie and using xanthan gum here: http://wonderfullymadeanddearlyloved.com/low-carb-bakers-blend/
Hope this helps.
Just made this into a peach cobbler! Love the crust!! Baked 1/2 of it in the pan for 5 minutes first added peaches then topped with the rest of the crust and baked about 20 min till brown and a little crispy in the edges! So yummy!
Sounds like an incredibly yummy crossover to me. <3
I love it! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen ‘plop’ in a recipe before but it is just the right word!
Teresia, so do you think this would work well for making a breakfast type strudel by placing on 1/2 of biscuit rolled out to rectangle shape, some scrambled eggs, cooked up sausage, some sauteed veggies and some cheese and topping with another biscuit rolled out and edges crimped to seal? I am not that great at creating much less thinking ahead of what it would be like so I thought I might ask an expert ! Have you tried something like this and maybe I didn’t take the time to look ahead of time and am making a complete fool of myself.. LOL If this did work, do you think they would be able to be frozen and reheated?
I do have a strudel type recipe on the drawing board. I have not tried freezing it though so I’m just not sure. As far as making a breakfast type pocket I’d love to try that soon. <3 those!
Yummmmmmm !! I will be watching for you new creations !!!
I have a question! will this work for pumpkin pie?
Yes it will Lauri. It’s the crust I use and bake right into my Gluten Free Sopapilla Cheesecake. I do a quick 5 minute prebake first and then pour the filling right on top. 🙂
Awesome! Thank you! The picture of the dough baked in rectangles reminds me of toaster strudels…it’s giving me an idea!
What is THM baking blend? I have no idea.
Hi Marlene. 🙂 THM baking blend is a combination of flours, formulated to make a more “normal” baking flour than any of them alone would do. It contains coconut flour, almond flour, protein powder, and glucomannan to name a few and I highly recommend it. I normally include a DIY baking blend because the thm baking blend has to be ordered.
Can you make this ahead or freeze it to use later? Thanks so much!
Hi Amy! I haven’t tried that yet, but I need to soon. 🙂
Teresa, if you are allergic to Oats of any kind, is there a substitution that can be made for the oat fiber to get a decent baking blend to use for this pastry?
Hi Nonnie! I think a lot of people have worked on that problem, but I’m not sure that a solution has been reached, I’m sorry to say. You can try this blend but it won’t be fp. Hope this helps. 🙂 https://joyfilledeats.com/trim-healthy-mama-baking-blend-substitute/
In the instructions you say to add vanilla with the sweetener, but there is no vanilla in the ingredient list. How much or should we just leave it out?
I fixed it Anita, you can just leave it out for a savory pie but it is good in the sweet ones.
Would this work to make pain au Chocolat?
I’m not sure Catherine, but I’ve often considered it… Let me know if you try!
I a man wondering if anyone has made this and frozen either before or after baking the dough
Hi Donna! I continue to hear that people do make and free mozzarella dough recipes ahead of time but I haven’t tried it myself. I do think the texture might suffer a bit on this one if the baking powder is neutralized by the process. But again I haven’t tried it.