Do You Need A Recipe for Gluten Free Rolls?

I am a baking fool. Not in a bad way, mind you. I've been baking up a storm, as I mentioned in my last post. Partly out of what has become an unwavering desire to have delicious tasting gluten free bread and partly because I've been invited to teach a gluten free baking class next Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Fallon Clinic Celiac Support Group of Central Massachusetts Fall meeting (when you click on the link, scroll down the page to find the link to the flyer). If you're in the area and want to attend, call 508-852-6175 for further information.

Meanwhile, the oven is working overtime, the vent fans are blowing, the counter is full of gluten free breads and rolls and I'm trying not to eat too much of the booty for fear of not fitting in my jeans!

Don't you miss being able to reach into the bread basket when you go to restaurants? I always have a silent pity party when that happens. In my mind I stomp my feet and throw a tantrum. Still. Even after 3 1/2 years. Yes, there's lots of good food to eat without eating bread. But I can't help it. I love bread.

We've eaten numerous times at a wonderful restaurant in Boston called Burton's Grill. They have a wonderful and varied gluten free menu and they serve the best french fries I've ever eaten, par none. Sometimes, when the waitstaff realizes I'm ordering from the gluten free menu, they bring gluten free rolls to the table. They're never good. They always suck, to be blunt. I don't get it. Come on, folks. Put a little effort into it. My new roll recipe is so easy to make. And the rolls are delicious. And I'm not a chef or an experienced or trained baker. Sorry. I'll get off my soapbox. It's just frustrating when they could go the extra mile and make bread or rolls that are really delicious and not just a poor excuse for bread.

Pre-gluten free, did you ever eat the kind of rolls that were shaped like three leaf clovers? I think they usually came from one of those cans that you hit on the counter - the Pop-n-fresh doughboy would jump out and help you make the rolls - you know the kind I'm talking about, right?

That was what I was going for. These rolls are soft and tender and a bit flaky. I made them with fresh rosemary, but they'd be equally good with other herbs, or with garlic butter melted and spread on top before baking or cinnamon sugar. Sky's the limit.

Oh, and by the way, you might notice that the rolls look like muffins. Well, that's because the dough was pretty soft and was just begging to be plopped into a muffin tin for baking purposes. It worked quite well, but for the record, they're rolls, not muffins.


Savory Gluten Free Clover Rolls
Recipe created by Ellen Allard

Servings: Makes 12 rolls

1/3 c. white rice flour
¾ c. + 1 tbsp. brown rice flour
¾ c. + 1 tbsp. potato starch
1/3 c. + 1 tbsp. millet flour
1/3 c. sorghum flour
1/3 c. tapioca starch
2 tbsp dehydrated potato flakes
1 tbsp potato flour (not potato starch)
2 tbsp. evaporated cane juice (or sugar)
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. guar gum (or use 2 tsp. xanthan gum)
1 tsp. salt
1 package active dry yeast
½ tsp. sure-jel (you can find this with canning supplies)
¼ tsp. agar powder (not flakes) or unflavored gelatin
2 eggs
1 ½ c. warm water (110 degrees)
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
1 tbsp. fresh, chopped rosemary (or use dried)

Heat oven to 200 degrees for five minutes then shut off. This is where you will place the dough to rise.

Spray muffin tin with vegetable spray.

Place white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, 2 tbsp dehydrated potato flakes, potato flour, evaporated cane juice (or sugar), xanthan gum, guar gum, salt, yeast, sure-jell, agar powder (not flakes) in a medium-sized bowl and blend well with a whisk.

Place eggs, warm water, mayo, and oil in a bowl and mix until blended (stand or hand mixer). Slowly add dry ingredients, including rosemary, and increase speed to medium for 4 minutes.

Spray an ice cream scoop (the type with the spring-loaded thumb mechanism) with vegetable spray. Place one scoop of dough into each muffin cup. If you have more dough than muffin cups, add the extra dough to each or some of the already-filled cups. You can do this by spraying either a tablespoon or your fingers to manipulate the extra dough.

Cover the muffin tin with a cotton kitchen towel and place in oven to rise. This should take 20 minutes. When they’ve risen, remove from oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place muffin tin into oven and bake for 20 minutes. Thermometer should reach 200 degrees when stuck inside one of the rolls.

Remove from oven and let the entire pan cool on a rack before removing rolls. After about 10 minutes, remove each roll and place on cooling rack. Do not eat the entire pan at once!

Click here for printable recipe