Aran Goyoaga is a fourth-generation Basque baker, cookbook author, food stylist, and photographer who has become the leading voice in gluten-free baking.

Aran Goyoaga

Crisp croissants. Decadent pain au chocolat. Towering napoleons layered with strawberries and cream. The tempting treats that populate the shelves at your favorite French bakery are all made with one very special food: puff pastry. And for a long, sad time, gluten-free folks had to pass on the puff. But those dark days are over—thanks to Aran Goyoaga, the brains behind the beautiful Cannelle et Vanille. Born in Bilbao, Spain, Goyoaga went gluten-free a few years back, and she’s spent the interim developing innovative techniques for glutenless versions of everything from <a href="/activities/gluten-free-chocolate-olive-oil-cake-with-aran-goyoaga-of-cannelle-et-vanille">chocolate cake</a> to squid ink pasta. For a gluten-free puff pastry with plenty of stretch and smoothness, she adds the binder xanthan gum to the mix and employs a light hand with the dough to avoid ripping or overworking it. Once you have conquered the recipe, you can use it to make everything from savory tarts and beef Wellington to palmiers and <a href="/activities/kouign-amann--2">Kouign-Amann</a>. Just be sure to follow the recipe exactly as it appears here and, again, be gentle with that dough. The flaky, buttery results will prove well worth your while. *OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS: A New Series from ChefSteps

At ChefSteps, we love to cook. And we love to share our top tips and techniques with you. But we’re not the boss of everything, and we learn from our friends and colleagues every day. That’s why we created Other People’s Ideas, a new series starring our favorite subject experts. These talented folks are here to help you tackle everything from soup dumplings to pizza pie—and have a ton of fun along the way. You down with OPI? Yeah you are. Let’s do this.*

Gluten-Free Puff Pastry, With Cannelle et Vanille’s Aran Goyoaga