If you’ve been worried that giving up gluten means giving up great bread, relax. With a few techniques and some practice, you can make light, tender, flavorful gluten-free dinner rolls that rival traditional ones.
Here are practical tips for successful gluten-free dinner rolls:
- Gluten-free dough looks and feels different from wheat dough. It may appear wetter or more fragile—resist the urge to add extra flour. Allowing the dough to rest and rise will produce better texture than over-thickening it.
- Use room-temperature ingredients so yeast activity is consistent. If dry ingredients were refrigerated or frozen, let them come to room temperature the night before. Set eggs, milk, and other refrigerated items out a couple of hours before baking.
- Eggs add structure, moisture, and flavor, and they help gluten-free dough rise and hold together.
- Replacing water with carbonated water or a gluten-free beer can give extra lift and flavor to the dough.
- To boost richness and moisture, add about 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise to the dough.
Instead of xanthan gum, ground flaxseed or chia seeds make excellent binders. When mixed with hot water they gel and help hold the dough together, producing tender rolls without relying on gums.
Gluten-Free, Xanthan-Gum-Free Dinner Rolls
You’ll need:
15 grams ground flaxseed meal
15 grams ground chia seeds
60 grams boiling water
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup water, divided
100 grams gluten-free oat flour
100 grams blanched, finely ground almond flour
100 grams teff flour
85 grams potato starch
85 grams arrowroot powder
70 grams buckwheat flour
30 grams milk powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Begin by combining the ground flaxseed and ground chia seeds. Pour in the boiling water and whisk until the mixture becomes thick and gel-like. Set aside to cool.
Warm half a cup of the water to about 110°F (43°C). Stir together the sugar and yeast, add the warm water, and set the mixture in a warm spot until it becomes foamy and roughly doubles in volume—about 8 to 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together buckwheat flour, arrowroot powder, oat flour, almond flour, teff flour, and potato starch. Add the salt and milk powder and whisk again to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the apple cider vinegar. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, then add the cooled flax/chia gel and the activated yeast mixture. Mix thoroughly with a stand mixer or hand mixer until well combined.
Warm the remaining half cup of water to about 110°F (43°C). Add it gradually to the dough until you reach a slightly sticky but cohesive consistency—you may not need the full half cup. The dough should be wetter than traditional wheat dough; this is normal.
Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours. The dough won’t rise as high as gluten-containing dough, but it should become elastic and set.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). If you plan to bake on a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven while it preheats.
Divide the dough into eight equal portions (about three ounces each). Wet your hands slightly to prevent sticking and shape each portion into a smooth ball. Arrange the rolls on the heated pizza stone or on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until the rolls develop a golden crust and sound hollow when tapped. The internal temperature should reach at least 180°F (82°C).
This recipe yields eight tender, flavorful dinner rolls that are both gluten- and xanthan-gum-free.
Note on measurements: weights are provided for accuracy. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, investing in one is worthwhile for consistent gluten-free baking results.