Gluten-Free Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

(A guest post from Kayla) Kelli asked me to share the recipe for gluten-free dinner rolls on the blog. They were a big hit and we will refer back to this post frequently! If you’re gluten free..you will too!

In July, after nearly a year of tummy troubles (read: Life-interrupting abdominal pain), Kelli went gluten free. Since then her symptoms completely reversed and she feels incredible.  To celebrate her first gluten-free Thanksgiving I set out to make her dinner rolls.

As a culinary arts teacher I am always talking about gluten.

“Don’t mix the muffins too much or the gluten will make tunnels.”

“Use the cake flour for a fluffy texture.  Too much gluten in the all-purpose!”

“Keep kneading! You have to develop the gluten!”

Gluten is incredibly important in baking.  The success of most baked goods lies on the stretchy properties of gluten and whether it is overworked or underworked. Baking with no gluten posed quite the challenge for me!

This recipe for pull-apart rolls was absolutely fantastic. I had no idea that gluten-free yeast bread was even possible!

I made only a few changes to the recipe:

• I used my own high-protein flour blend that I keep on hand.  I mix it by the batch: 50 grams each of soy flour and brown rice flour and 100 grams each of potato starch, tapioca starch, and white rice flour. The batter will have a strong soy flavor but it bakes out of the finished product.
• I buy bulk active dry yeast so I did not bother with rapid rise.  That meant I had to let the rolls rise a bit longer than the recipe called for.
• I did not have xantham gum so I used guar gum instead. I had guar gum on hand because I use it in place of gelatin in pie recipes.
• I used a flax seed egg replacement: Mix 3 TBSP warm water with 1 heaping TBSP ground flax seeds and allow to sit for about five minutes or until the flax seeds create a gel. The ground flax gave a “wheaty” look to the bread.
• I used canola oil in place of the butter throughout the recipe.

Before bringing the rolls to Thanksgiving I tested them on my ever-picky husband. He loved them! I enjoyed them too.  I have never been able to get such soft dinner rolls with wheat flour.

Even more importantly, Kelli loved the rolls and is excited to make them for herself.  I am still in denial about my own suspected gluten issues, so I have a sneaky suspicion these rolls will become a staple in my home too.