The Softest Gluten Free Dinner Rolls

Step 1

Activate the yeast: In a small bowl, mix together the yeast, 10g (about 1 tablespoon) sugar and warm milk. Set aside for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture starts frothing.Tip: If using instant yeast, you don’t need to activate it. Instead, just add it straight to the dry ingredients along with the sugar. Add the milk that would be used in activating the active dried yeast to the dry ingredients along with the psyllium gel, egg and melted butter.

Step 2

Make the psyllium gel: In a separate bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and warm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.

Step 3

For the following steps, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. You can also make the dough by hand, but the mixer makes it much easier and results in a smoother dough.

Step 4

In the bowl of the stand mixer, whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and the remaining sugar.

Step 5

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the egg, melted butter, yeast mixture and psyllium gel.

Step 6

Knead the dough until smooth and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated, then knead for a further 5 minutes (if using a stand mixer) or 8-10 minutes (if kneading it 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 will make the dough EXTRA smooth, which is the key to dinner rolls with a nicely smooth, rounded surface without any cragginess.

Step 7

The final dough will be slightly sticky to the touch – that’s okay, you’ll be working on a lightly floured surface so it shouldn’t be a problem. Resist the temptation to add more flour to the dough, as that can make the final rolls too dense and dry.Tip: If you find the dough too sticky to easily handle (even on a floured surface and with floured hands), you can chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour before proceeding to the next step. This will give the flours in the dough time to properly hydrate and also firm up the butter in the dough – both of these factors will make the dough firmer, less sticky, and therefore easier to handle.

Step 8

Get an 8 inch (20cm) square baking tin ready to have on hand. You can either grease it lightly with some butter or line it with parchment/baking paper.

Step 9

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Step 10

Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces (each piece should weigh about 76g). Tip: I recommend using a digital food scale to get all pieces the same weight, as that will ensure that they all bake at the same rate.

Step 11

On a lightly floured surface, shape the pieces of dough into balls, as follows:First, flatten a piece of dough. Then, take the corners and bring them in towards the middle, until you get something resembling a pouch. Pinch the ends together. Turn the piece of dough upside down, so that the seams face downwards. Form your hand into a “claw” over the piece of dough and move it in a circular motion on the surface (this will essentially rotate the dough in place, which will help to form a perfectly round ball and also seal the seams together).Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces.

Step 12

Transfer the rolls to the prepared baking tin. The rolls should only just touch at this point (see the blog post for photos).

Step 13

Proof the dinner 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 on the cold side, you can proof them in a lukewarm oven (the ideal proofing temperature is around 79ºF/26ºC).

Step 14

While the rolls are proofing, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).

Step 15

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 it onto the rolls.

Step 16

Once the dinner rolls have doubled in volume, gently brush them with the egg wash.

Step 17

Bake them at 375ºF (190ºC) for about 20-22 minutes or until golden brown on top. You can check the doneness of the rolls by inserting a toothpick or skewer into the centre of the middle roll: it should come out clean with no under-baked dough attached.Tip: I like to spray the rolls with a bit of water (3-4 times with a spray bottle) as they go into the oven, just to give them a bit of extra oven spring.

Step 18

Immediately out of the oven, while the dinner rolls are still piping hot, brush them generously with melted salted butter. Tip: This will keep their crust nice and soft, as well as make them even richer and more buttery.

Step 19

Serve while the gluten free dinner rolls are still hot or warm.

Step 20

These rolls are best served while they’re hot or warm. So, unlike with many other gluten free bread recipes: you don’t need to wait for them to cool.

Step 21

They're at their best on the day of baking, but you can keep them in a closed container for up to about 2-3 days, and reheat them before serving.I usually reheat them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. If you’re reheating several dinner rolls at once, you can pop them into a hot oven instead. You could also toast them or fry them on a bit of butter!