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Flaky Vegetable Turnovers

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INGREDIENTS

Flaky Dough:

 2 cups brown rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1 cup potato starch

½ cup sweet rice flour

2-1/2 tbsp xanthan gum

½ tsp  salt

2 cups trans fat free margarine (4 sticks)

2/3 cup cold water

2 tbsp vinegar

2 large egg yolks

Vegetable Filling:

 1 tbsp oil

1 onion diced

1 box (8-10 oz) button or stuffer mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 red pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 tsp salt

½ tsp each garlic powder and onion powder

¼ tsp paprika

1/8 tsp pepper

 

Egg Wash:

1 large egg

1 tbsp water

Sesame seeds, for sprinkling, optional

This versatile dough is simplicity itself. First and foremost, unlike most flour based doughs, it doesn’t have to rest or be chilled before you start to toll it out. When I was developing this flaky dough, one of my criteria was that it could be used right away. Check. I also wanted to make sure that if you wanted to, you could chill it for use in a couple of hours or even a day or two. Check and check. Because I like to make things ahead, I was also insistent that the turnovers could be made and frozen either unbaked or baked and still be as delicious as if they had been freshly made and baked. Triple check!!

I guess you could call this little marvel of a dough triple tested and a winner on all fronts.

DIRECTIONS

Directions:

  1.  Preheat the oven to 375F°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
  2.  Vegetable Filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-heat. Add the onions; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the mushrooms, red pepper, celery, salt, garlic and onion powder, paprika and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
  3. Pastry Dough: In a bowl, mix together the rice flours, tapioca flour, potato starch,  xantham gum and salt; set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the margarine, water, vinegar and yolks for 2 minutes. Slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing well until a dough is formed, about 5 minutes.
  5. Transfer the dough to a work surface. Divide into 2 equal sized pieces. Place each onto a piece of parchment paper. Shape each piece into a ball. With the palm of your hands, press each ball into a 2-inch thick disc. Sprinkle each disc with 1 Tbsp of potato starch. Flip each ball so that the floured side is on the bottom.
  6. Lay a piece of parchment paper on top of each ball of dough. Working with 1 ball at a time, roll out the dough to a 15-inch long by 12-inch wide rectangle.  Using a sharp knife, cut 4 vertical lines, cutting all the way through the pastry. Then cut 5 horizontal lines so that you end up with twenty 3-inch x3-inch squares. Mound a teaspoonful of vegetable filling in the center of each square. Fold the dough over the filling, forming a triangle. With the tines of a fork, crimp the edges of each triangle to seal. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with the remaining ball of dough and the remaining vegetable filling.
  7. Lightly beat together the egg and the water. Brush the beaten egg over each triangle. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, if using.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until slightly golden. Let cool in pans on rack.

 Yields 40 small turnovers.

Variation:

Potato Knish Log – After transferring the dough to a work surface, divide into 3 equal sized pieces. Working with one ball of dough at a time, lay the ball of dough onto a piece of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with potato starch. Top with another piece of parchment paper. Roll out to an approximately 12-inch long and 8-inch wide rectangle. Remove the top piece of parchment paper. Spread 1-1/2 cups of mashed potato down the center of the rectangle in a bar shape. Fold the top and bottom sides over the potato “bar” so that about 1/2-inch of the potato on each side is covered. Fold one long side of the dough to the center of the mashed potato “bar”. Fold in the other side just so that about 1-inch of it overlaps with the first fold. Seal well. Gently flip the entire rectangle so that it now seam side down on the piece of parchment paper. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the two remaining balls of dough and more mashed potatoes.

Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated 375F° for 45 minutes or until slightly golden.