Gluten free baking is a labor of love. Where my pantry once held just a few types of flour, there is now an array of grains, flours and starches. Yes, you know I use gluten free all-purpose flour [1], but sometimes I get the best results by mixing my own flour blend from scratch.
Today’s featured ingredient is Arrowroot, a staple in my gluten free pantry. One look at these rolls and you will see why I love this starch. They have the soft, buttery texture of old-fashioned pull apart dinner rolls and you would never guess that they are gluten free. I loved them so much that I decided to make them a part of my holiday breadbasket.
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Ingredients:
- 2-1/4 tsp. instant yeast [2]
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 cup 1% milk
- 65 g. arrowroot powder [3]
- 55 g. white rice flour
- 50 g. brown rice flour
- 30 g. tapioca starch
- 16 g. sweet white rice flour [4]
- 1.5 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1 egg
- additional sweet rice flour, for sifting
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
Preparation:
Line a 1 lb. loaf pan [5] with parchment paper.
Microwave the milk for 30 seconds, then add the yeast and sugar. Set aside to proof for 10-15 minutes.
Whisk together all the dry ingredients. Place the egg, canola oil and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk in the proofed yeast.
Switch to the paddle attachment and gradually add the flour mixture. Beat for 3 minutes.
Fill a flour sifter [6] with sweet rice flour and keep it handy. Generously flour a cutting board, turn out the dough and sift more flour over the top.
Using a bench knife, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece of dough in the flour to form a ball. Arrange in the loaf pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls proof for an hour. Preheat the oven to 350º and brush the rolls with 1 tbsp. of melted butter.
Bake for 24 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175º. Check with a thermometer. Brush with the remaining tbsp. butter.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift up the sides of the parchment and place the rolls on a cooling rack. Rest for 5 minutes, then remove the parchment. Let the rolls set for 10-15 minutes before pulling them apart.
They are best served immediately, but leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for several days. They freeze beautifully, so this is a great recipe to make ahead for the holidays.
Notes ♪♫ Arrowroot is a starch, like potato or tapioca that works well in gluten free baking. It also makes a great roux, never lumpy! You can likely find it locally, sold as arrowroot starch, or arrowroot powder. If not, you can get it here [7] on Amazon.