Finally - I've perfected a gluten free dinner rolls recipe based on my grandma's go-to honey buns!
Made with yeast, a homemade flour blend, and NO xantham gum, this recipe makes a small batch of fluffy rolls that pair perfectly with a pat of butter or generous spread of jam.
One Thanksgiving, my grandma showed me how to make her classic honey rolls that have shown up at every family gathering since I can remember. After we walked through the recipe (which, of course, she has memorized and no longer uses measurements) and I diligently wrote down all her notes and tips, I set out to making a gluten free version.
That's harder than you'd think - one important aspect of most baked good is, you guessed it, GLUTEN. But, I was determined to make a delicious gluten free replacement, preferably without a lot of obscure modified flours and gums involved.
With many tests and a few adjustments along the way, I've finally made a gluten free dinner roll without xantham gum!
How to make gluten free dinner rolls with yeast
Like most yeasted baking recipes, you'll start out by dissolving the yeast in some warm water and sugar (or honey, in this case).
Meanwhile, you can start beating the egg, remaining water, remaining honey, and melted butter together. You'll add about half the flour plus the psyllium husk (the secret ingredient for creating the chewy texture in these gluten free rolls). This should be about the texture of cake batter at this point!
Once the yeast mixture has almost tripled in size, you can add it to the batter and stir until incorporated. Add more of the flour blend until the dough has mostly come together, although it will be stickier than traditional bread dough.
Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a dishtowel, and place in a warm place to rise.
Once the dough has risen (I usually wait 1-2 hours), prepare your baking pan. For these rolls, since the dough is stickier than traditional dough, I found that using a loaf pan or pie pan works well here. You want the rolls to be touching, so they won't spread out to much on the second rise and turn more into discs that buns.
After that, you'll let them rise again and then you're ready to bake!
Make sure you pick a gluten free yeast!
Definitely worth pointing out here - not all yeasts are gluten free! Be sure to look at the ingredients on the package before you buy and bake.
I use Red Star Active Dry Yeast - one package (approx. 2 ¼ teaspoons) per batch.
My go-to gluten free flour blend for yeasted breads
I tested a few different homemade flour blends for these dinner rolls. This one rose the best while having the best texture and flavor at the end.
You'll need:
- 2 cups white rice flour
- 1 cup potato starch
- 1 cup arrowroot flour
- 1 cup fine almond flour
More gluten free baking recipes to explore
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Dinner Rolls
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Proofing Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
See the notes OR the post above for the gluten free flour blend recipe. Leftovers are best when heated in the oven or for 15-20 seconds in the microwave!
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water, divided
- 3 tablespoons honey, divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Active Dry yeast (or one .25 ounce package)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, ghee, or olive oil, melted
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups + ½ cup gluten free flour blend, divided (see NOTES)
- 1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder
Instructions
- In a medium glass measuring cup or bowl, combine ½ cup warm water and 1 tablespoon of honey, stirring until dissolved. Gently stir in the yeast and set aside until the yeast has doubled to tripled in size.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup warm water, 2 tablespoons honey, sea salt, melted butter, and beaten egg. Whisk until combined. Add about 1 cup of the flour blend plus the psyllium husk, stirring until smooth. It should be the consistency of cake batter.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the batter and stir. Add another cup of the flour blend. At this point, the mixture should have come together in a sticky batter. Grease your hands with a little oil and start to knead, pulling the dough from the front to the back and using the heel of your hand to press down. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add more of the flour blend a tablespoon at a time at the edge of the dough and work it into the dough as you knead. Keep kneading for about 5 minutes, until the dough is elastic and bounces back when pressed with your finger. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the dough to prevent it from drying out. Cover with a dishtowel and place in a warm area to rise.
- After an hour or two, the dough should have doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan or cake pan with oil. Sprinkle some extra flour in the pan and rotate to distribute around the pan, then turn it over and tap to get rid of excess flour. Pinch a golf ball-sized portion of the dough, roll it in your hands to form a ball, and place in the greased pan. Repeat, placing the dough balls about an inch apart until you run out of dough. Cover again and let rise for at least an hour.
- Brush the tops of each bun with olive oil or melted butter and bake for 25 minutes, until lightly browned on the top. Let cool completely before separating the buns.
Notes
Gluten free flour blend: 2 cups white rice flour, 1 cup arrowroot flour, 1 cup potato starch, 1 cup almond flour
To make the blend, use the "spoon and sift" method - spoon each flour into the measuring cup and level with the back of a table knife before adding to a larger container to blend with the other flours.
Kayla Goebel says
oooohhh I really want to try these! They look yummy!!!