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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Bread rolls are those fancy two-bite pieces of bread served at restaurants and high-browed dinners. They’re the nicest way of serving bread — they’re fluffy, tender and additive when straight out of the oven.
Well, here’s some good news, making bread rolls is just as easy as making bread. The only difference is that you’re rolling the dough into small balls instead of baking the entire dough in a loaf pan.
The problem with bread rolls is that they have gluten, which comes naturally in wheat flour. If you want gluten-free bread rolls, you need an alternative.
To make these rolls, we’re using gluten-free flour — the stuff has become increasingly more accessible and easier to find, and it works just fine for all types of bread.
And although you can attempt to make your own gluten-free flour, you’ll need to combine many ingredients, including rice flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, potato starch and a few others. I use store-bought.
You’ll also need instant yeast, milk, sugar, eggs and butter. The key ingredient here is xanthan gum, and a little goes a long way; it makes the bread fluffier as it makes the dough stretchier.
This one’s easy. Any dish with a flavorful sauce is perfect for bread rolls, including creamy sauces, Italian tomato sauce, barbecue, ribs and curries. The rolls will help you scoop up every last drop of sauce.
Bread rolls are also lovely with hearty dinners, for example, when you make breakfast sausages or the tomato-based shakshuka. Every meal tastes better with freshly made bread.
Grease an 8″ round baking pan. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the yeast with the milk and set aside.
In a stand mixer, combine the flour, xanthan gum and sugar. Once combined, tip in the milk and the eggs one at a time. Fold until you get a smooth dough.
Let the dough sit for 30 minutes, covered with a kitchen towel.
Let the dough sit for 30 minutes, covered with a kitchen towel.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Knead the dough for 10 minutes and use your hands to form two-bite-sized balls (around 8).
Place the dough balls in the baking pan and brush with the melted butter.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Cool down until manageable before serving while still warm.
