The Softest Gluten Free Dinner Rolls

Pillowy-soft, buttery gluten free dinner rolls from a psyllium + xanthan binder blend -- ready in under 2 hours including proofing

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Yield: 9 dinner rollsPrep: 30 minCook: 20 minTotal: 1 hr 50 minSource: The Loopy Whisk (Katrin Nurnberger)-The Softest Gluten Free Dinner Rolls

Gluten Free Enriched Dough

IngredientEnglish1x2x3x4x
Active Dried Yeastif using instant yeast, use 8 g10 g (2 1/2 tsp)10 g20 g30 g40 g
Caster Sugarsuperfine or granulated25 g (2 tbsp), divided25 g50 g75 g100 g
Whole Milk90 g (1/3 cup + 2 tsp), warm90 g180 g270 g360 g
Whole Psyllium Huskif using psyllium husk powder, use only 8 g10 g (2 tbsp)10 g20 g30 g40 g
Warm Water150 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)150 g300 g450 g600 g
Tapioca Starchequal weight of arrowroot, cornstarch or potato starch works160 g (1 1/3 cups + 1 tbsp)160 g320 g480 g640 g
Millet Flourplus extra for flouring the surface; equal weight of finely milled brown rice flour works but may be slightly less fluffy130 g (3/4 cup + 3 1/2 tbsp)130 g260 g390 g520 g
Sorghum Flourequal weight of light buckwheat, white teff or oat flour works (oats only if not sensitive)25 g (3 tbsp)25 g50 g75 g100 g
Xanthan Gum5 g (2 tsp)5 g10 g15 g20 g
Salt5 g (1 tsp)5 g10 g15 g20 g
Baking Powder8 g (2 tsp)8 g16 g24 g32 g
Egg1 US large/UK medium, room temperature
Unsalted Butter20 g (1 1/2 tbsp), melted20 g40 g60 g80 g

Egg Wash and Finish

IngredientEnglish1x2x3x4x
Egg1 US large/UK medium, for egg wash
Salt1/4 tsp0.25 tsp0.5 tsp0.75 tsp1 tsp
Salted Butter30 g (1/4 stick), melted30 g60 g90 g120 g

Pantry swaps

OriginalSwap1Swap2Swap3Swap4Swap5
Active Dried Yeast1 package (1/4 ounce) or 1 scant tablespoon active dried yeast
Caster Sugar1 cup firmly packed brown sugar1–3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (makes baked goods less crisp)1 cup superfine sugar
111.751
Whole Milk1/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk plus 3/4 cup water1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water3/4 cup 2 percent milk plus 1/4 cup half-and-half
10.3330.50.75
Millet Flour1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cake flour (not advised for cookies or quick breads)1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder and salt from recipe)Reader suggestion:\xa05/8 cup potato flour1–1/4 cups rye flour or coarsely ground whole-grain flour1 cup cornmeal
1111.251
Sorghum Flour1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cake flour (not advised for cookies or quick breads)1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder and salt from recipe)Reader suggestion:\xa05/8 cup potato flour1–1/4 cups rye flour or coarsely ground whole-grain flour1 cup cornmeal
1111.251
Baking Powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
10.25
Egg2 yolks plus 1 tablespoon cold water3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus 1 tablespoon water (for baking)3 tablespoons mayonnaise (for cakes)2 1/2 tablespoons of powdered egg substitute plus 2 1/2 tablespoons water, or 1/4 cup liquid egg substitutehalf a banana mashed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Unsalted Butter1 cup margarine1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup shortening7/8 cup vegetable oil
1110.87510.875
Salted Butter1 cup margarine1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup shortening7/8 cup vegetable oil
1110.87510.875

Method

Making the dough

  1. Activate the yeast: in a small bowl, mix together the yeast, 10 g (about 1 tbsp) of the sugar and the warm milk. Set aside for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture starts frothing. If using instant yeast, skip this step: add it straight to the dry ingredients along with the sugar, and add the milk with the psyllium gel, egg and melted butter instead.
  2. Make the psyllium gel: in a separate bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and the warm water. After about 30-45 seconds a gel will form.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or a large bowl if making by hand), whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and the remaining sugar.
  4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the egg, melted butter, yeast mixture and psyllium gel.
  5. Knead the dough until smooth and all ingredients are evenly incorporated, then knead for a further 5 minutes with the stand mixer (or 8-10 minutes by hand). Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour. Tip: this extra kneading time makes the dough EXTRA smooth, which is the key to dinner rolls with a smooth, rounded surface without any cragginess.
  6. The final dough will be slightly sticky to the touch – that is okay, you will be working on a lightly floured surface. Resist the temptation to add more flour, as that can make the rolls too dense and dry. If the dough is too sticky to handle easily, chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour before shaping; this hydrates the flours and firms up the butter, making the dough easier to handle.

Shaping the dinner rolls

  1. Get an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking tin ready. Grease it lightly with butter or line it with parchment/baking paper.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
  3. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces (each piece should weigh about 76 g). Tip: use a digital food scale to get all pieces the same weight, so they all bake at the same rate.
  4. Shape each piece into a ball: first flatten the piece, then bring the corners in towards the middle until you get something resembling a pouch. Pinch the ends together, turn the piece upside down so the seams face downwards, form your hand into a claw over the dough and move it in a circular motion on the surface (this rotates the dough in place, forming a perfectly round ball and sealing the seams). Repeat with the remaining pieces.
  5. Transfer the rolls to the prepared tin. The rolls should only just touch at this point.

Proofing the dinner rolls

  1. Proof the rolls in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until about doubled in volume. Lightly cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap (cling film) to prevent them from drying out during proofing. Tip: if your kitchen is cold, proof them in a lukewarm oven – the ideal proofing temperature is around 26 C (79 F).

Baking the dinner rolls

  1. While the rolls are proofing, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat the oven to 190 C (375 F).
  2. For the egg wash, whisk the egg with the salt. Tip: the salt makes the egg wash less viscous and more runny, making it easier to brush onto the rolls.
  3. Once the rolls have doubled in volume, gently brush them with the egg wash.
  4. Bake at 190 C (375 F) for about 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer into the centre of the middle roll: it should come out clean. Tip: spray the rolls 3-4 times with water as they go into the oven for a bit of extra oven spring.
  5. Immediately out of the oven, while the rolls are still piping hot, brush them generously with the melted salted butter. Tip: this keeps the crust nice and soft and makes the rolls even richer and more buttery.
  6. Serve while still hot or warm.

Notes

Servings: 9 dinner rolls (1 roll per serving). Per roll (estimated): ~210 kcal, ~4 g protein, ~7 g fat, ~2.4 g fiber. Macros are estimates summed from USDA per-100 g values for the listed ingredients – the source does not state nutrition. Fiber comes mostly from the psyllium husk and xanthan gum. The egg wash egg is counted, though a portion of the wash can remain on the pan.

The psyllium husk + xanthan gum combination is the key to the soft texture: the mixture of both binders gives a softer, more delicate crumb than psyllium alone, and the baking powder adds extra softness and fluffiness closer to regular wheat rolls. Do not skip either binder.

The rolls are best served hot or warm on the day of baking. They keep in a closed container for up to 2-3 days; reheat before serving (microwave 15-20 seconds, a hot oven for several rolls at once, or toasted/fried on a bit of butter).

The dough can also be prepared ahead: make the dough and keep it in the fridge overnight in a closed container or covered bowl, then shape, proof and bake the next day.

Source: The Loopy Whisk (Katrin Nurnberger), “The Softest Gluten Free Dinner Rolls”, published 2022-03-25. https://theloopywhisk.com/2022/03/25/gluten-free-dinner-rolls/


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