These gluten free bread rolls are easy to make and perfectly soft and squishy. Made in a tear-and-share way, these gluten free dinner rolls are best eaten fresh but also great for sandwiches or as burger buns. This recipe makes 8 gluten free bread rolls - you can halve it to make four but you'll need to use a smaller tin. These rolls can be frozen.
Measure out the milk into a small pan and warm it on a very low heat until it is at skin temperature - i.e. you can't really feel the heat when you dip your finger in. Remove from the heat and pour into a jug.
Stir the sugar into the warm milk and until dissolved, then add the yeast and stir again. Leave in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to activate. It should form a lovely froth on top when it's ready.
Add the gluten free bread flour, xanthan gum and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir to mix together.
In a separate mug or bowl, add the eggs, oil and vinegar and lightly whisk to combine.
Once the yeast/milk mixture is active (frothy), add it to the flour along with the egg/oil mixture. Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture together vigorously to combine it into a thick, sticky dough.
Oil a 23cm diameter round cake tin. Using a scoop or spoon, divide the dough into 8 pieces and arrange them with one in the centre of the tin and seven pieces evenly spaced around the edges. You'll want to make sure they have a little space between them. Dip your fingers in cold water and use them to gently shape the dough. The dough will be fairly sticky and difficult to handle but you can use wet fingers to smooth them into rough ball shapes. Don't worry about being too precious - I prefer the rustic look!
Loosely cover the tin with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm spot to prove. It will take about 40-45 minutes and the rolls should almost double in size.
Preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180'C / Gas Mark 6. Remove the clingfilm and brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter. Place the tin in the centre of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops of the rolls are golden brown. You'll know the bread is done if you tip it out of the tin and tap on each surface - it should sound hard and hollow. If you find the rolls go brown too quickly, cover with some tinfoil.
Leave the rolls to cool in the tin on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before eating. Best enjoyed while warm and fresh, or allow the rolls to cool completely then freeze them.
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Notes
These gluten free bread rolls is best eaten fresh from the oven (after 15 mins to cool) - otherwise it is best refreshed in the oven for 4-5 mins. You can also slice it up and freeze it to toast on demand!
If the yeast/milk mixture doesn't form a froth after 10 minutes it's likely that it is dead. Discard and test your yeast - if it still doesn't froth you'll need a fresh batch as it won't activate and rise.
See the blog post above for an illustrated step-by-step guide to forming the bread dough in the tin.