Description
These gluten-free dinner rolls are soft and tender, super easy to make (no kneading required!), come out perfect every single time, and are also dairy-free, but nobody would know! Make these gluten-free yeast rolls for your Thanksgiving dinner, holiday gathering, or anytime you want to tear into a warm, homemade roll. Great with butter, olive oil, or even on their own!
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water (approximately 105F to 115F)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- Egg wash, for brushing (optional)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free all-purpose flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, sugar and instant dry yeast. Whisk well to combine.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the warm water, beaten egg, apple cider vinegar, melted coconut oil, and mix very well until you get a thick and homogeneous mixture (which will look more like cake batter instead of normal bread dough).
- Shape Dough: Grease a 10″ x 7″ glass baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Use a large cookie scoop to scoop 12 equal portions of dough and place them in rows in the baking pan. Use greased hands to shape each portion of dough into small balls and place them in rows. Use wet fingertips to smooth the tops of each ball of dough.
- Let Rise: Cover the pan with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise for approximately 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place, until it has roughly doubled in size. In the meantime, as the dough rises, preheat the oven to 350F and adjust rack to the middle position.
- Brush: Once the dough has risen, brush the tops of the rolls with egg wash.
- Bake: Bake for 30 minutes until tops of the dinner rolls are golden brown.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let the bread rolls cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: For this gluten-free dinner rolls recipe, I highly recommend using a gluten-free flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches such as rice flour, corn starch, tapioca starch, or potato starch. This will ensure that you get a lighter and fluffier texture. I do NOT recommend blends that use heavier and denser flours such as garbanzo bean flour as it will result in a denser texture.
Xanthan Gum: I use an extra teaspoon of xanthan gum even though the flour blend already contains xanthan gum, because this replaces the role of gluten and helps the flours to bind better and creates better texture.
Baking Powder: I use baking powder in addition to yeast to give the rolls extra rise, which helps them to be a little lighter and fluffier in texture. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.
Sugar: The sugar is required for the yeast to work, as it acts as the “food” for the yeast feed on so it will be activated and produce the gases needed to make the dough rise. In this case, I’ve used light brown sugar, but you can also use white sugar, cane sugar or dark brown sugar if you prefer.
Instant Dry Yeast: I like using instant dry yeast in my baking because no proofing or activation is required. If you don’t have instant dry yeast, you can use active yeast, but make sure you dissolve the yeast in a mixture of warm water and sugar to activate it before using.
Warm Water: Make sure the water you use is between 105F to 115F. (It’s important that the water is neither too hot nor too cold. The warmth is required to activate the yeast, but if the water is too hot it will kill the yeast.) Alternatively, you may also use warm milk instead of water if you prefer.
Egg: This recipe requires the egg, without which it will come out dense and heavy. I haven’t tried it with egg replacers so I can’t guarantee it will work if you replace the egg.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Since yeast usually likes an acidic environment, adding apple cider vinegar (ACV) will help the yeast work better and give the bread a better rise. If you don’t have ACV, you can use any other vinegar you have.
Coconut Oil: I prefer using refined coconut oil for cooking because it has a more neutral taste (as opposed to extra virgin coconut oil which has a stronger coconut taste and smell). You may also use melted vegan butter if you prefer. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use melted butter in equal amounts.
Egg Wash: Brushing egg wash over the rolls before baking them will ensure that they turn out golden brown and have a nice shine. To make egg wash, beat an egg with 1 teaspoon of water and mix well. Alternatively, you can also brush the rolls with olive oil.
Storing/Freezing: To store, place the gf dinner rolls in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap the gluten-free bread rolls in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Heat up the rolls slightly in the microwave to thaw them before serving.
This recipe was originally published in November 2020, but has since been updated to include clearer step-by-step instructions.
Adapted from: Gluten-Free Baking
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
