Cut 250 g cold unsalted butter into 1 cm cubes and return them to the fridge while you measure dry ingredients. Keep a bowl of ice water at hand.

Line your work surface with a large piece of parchment to keep things tidy.

In a large bowl, whisk together 250 g plain gluten-free flour, 1.5 tsp xanthan gum (unless your blend already contains it), and 1 tsp salt.

Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or two knives to chop them into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter bits.

Pour in 150 ml ice cold water gradually and gently fold until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass. Don’t overwork it; bits of butter should remain visible.

Shape the dough into a rough rectangle, wrap in plastic or parchment, and chill in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.

Lightly flour your parchment with gluten-free flour and place the chilled dough on it.

Press into a rectangle about 20 x 15 cm and roll into a long rectangle roughly 40 x 20 cm.

Fold the top third down over the center, then the bottom third up over that (a letter fold). That’s one 'turn'.

Rotate the dough 90 degrees, wrap in parchment or plastic, and chill for another 20–30 minutes.

Do 3 more turns: roll, fold into thirds, rotate, and chill between each turn.

After the final fold and chill, roll out to your desired thickness (about 3–4 mm for tarts or 5–6 mm for turnovers).

Cut and shape the dough for your recipe: squares for turnovers, circles for tart bases, or strips for cheese straws.

Seal edges with a little egg wash or water for filled pastries.

Preheat your oven to 200–220°C (390–430°F) for 10–15 minutes before baking.

Brush with egg wash if using, sprinkle toppings if desired, and bake until puffed and golden (typically 12–20 minutes).

Let cool briefly on a rack.

Wrap the rolled dough tightly in parchment and foil. It keeps well for up to 2 months.

To use from frozen, unwrap and place on a lined baking tray; bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.