Pillowy Soft 1-Hour Gluten-Free Rolls

Roux

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  2 tablespoons
  (18 g)
  gluten free all purpose flour,
  I recommend Cup4Cup brand

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  3 tablespoons
  (45 g)
  water

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  3 tablespoons
  (45 g)
  milk

Rolls

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  1 ½ cups
  (214 g)
  gluten free all purpose flour,
  Cup4Cup gluten free flour highly recommended – see recipe notes for optional milk powder addition

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  3 tablespoons
  (31 g)
  potato starch

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  3 tablespoons
  (38 g)
  granulated sugar

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  1 tablespoon
  (11 g)
  psyllium husk powder,
  (what is psyllium husk?)

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  1 packet
  (7 g)
  (2 ¼ tsp) instant rapid rise yeast,
  see recipe notes for active dry yeast

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  1 teaspoon
  
  baking powder

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  ½ teaspoon
  
  salt

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  ¾ cup
  (184 g)
  warm milk (110°F),
  microwaved for 30-45 seconds

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  1
  
  large egg,
  room temperature

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  2 tablespoons
  (28 g)
  melted butter,
  slightly cooled

Butter for tops

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  2 tablespoons
  (28 g)
  butter

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  ¼ teaspoon
  
  salt

• Before you start preparing the roux, preheat your oven to 200°F. Once it reaches temperature, immediately turn the oven off. This will create a warm, yet not too hot, environment that serves as an excellent spot for the rolls to begin their initial rise. While the oven warms, generously grease an 8×8-inch baking pan and set it aside.
  2 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour,
  3 tablespoons water,
  3 tablespoons milk
• As your oven is preheating (and then turned off), prepare the roux. In a small saucepan, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of gluten-free flour with the specified amounts of milk and water. Cook this mixture constantly over medium heat, continuing to whisk until you observe a thick trail separation at the bottom of the pan when you drag your whisk through it. This usually takes only about a minute. Once achieved, remove the saucepan from the heat and set the roux aside to cool slightly.
• In the large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, combine all the dry ingredients for the rolls: the remaining 1 ½ cups of GF flour, potato starch, granulated sugar, psyllium husk powder, instant rapid rise yeast, baking powder, and salt. Use the paddle attachment on low speed to thoroughly combine them.
  1 ½ cups gluten free all purpose flour,
  3 tablespoons potato starch,
  3 tablespoons granulated sugar,
  1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder,
  1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) instant rapid rise yeast,
  1 teaspoon baking powder,
  ½ teaspoon salt
• To the dry ingredients, add the warm milk (approximately 110°F), the room temperature large egg, the slightly cooled melted butter, and your prepared roux. Begin mixing on low speed until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and no dry streaks remain. Then, increase the mixer speed to high and beat the dough vigorously for 5 minutes. During this beating process, stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, ensuring everything is incorporated evenly. The resulting dough will be notably stiff but should still maintain a sticky consistency – this is perfectly normal and desired for gluten-free rolls.
  ¾ cup warm milk (110°F),
  1 large egg,
  2 tablespoons melted butter
• To shape the rolls, first generously grease a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper with cooking spray. Similarly, liberally spray a ¼ measuring cup and your hands with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop out a portion of dough that is slightly less than ¼ cup – this should yield an approximate 2-ounce dough portion, ideal for a single roll. Gently dump the scooped dough into your greased hands and roll it into a smooth, uniform ball. If you prefer the alternative method, dump the dough directly onto the greased baking mat or parchment paper, flatten it slightly with your greased fingers, then gather and pinch the edges up to form a ball. Smooth the top of the roll and place it into your prepared 8×8-inch baking pan, ensuring the pinched ends are facing down. Repeat until all dough is used.
• Cover the baking pan containing the shaped rolls tightly with plastic wrap. Place the covered pan into the pre-warmed, turned-off oven for an initial rise of 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and allow the rolls to continue rising at room temperature for an additional 20 minutes. During this time, preheat your oven to 350°F. This two-stage rising process helps achieve maximum fluffiness.
• While the rolls are completing their rise, prepare the butter topping. Melt the additional 2 tablespoons of butter and stir in the ¼ teaspoon of salt. Once the rolls have finished rising, carefully remove the plastic wrap and gently brush the tops of the rolls with about half of the salted butter mixture. Reserve the remaining butter to brush on after baking.
  2 tablespoons butter,
  
  ¼ teaspoon salt
• Bake the rolls in the preheated 350°F oven for 20-22 minutes. They are ready when their tops are beautifully lightly browned and an internal temperature measured with an instant-read thermometer reaches between 195-200°F. Immediately upon removing the pan from the oven, brush the tops of the hot rolls with the remaining melted butter. Serve them warm for the absolute best taste and texture experience.

Enhance with Milk Powder (Optional)

This is a recent addition to the recipe and is entirely optional, but it significantly boosts the moisture content of the bread, leading to an even softer crumb. Since Cup4Cup recently removed milk powder from their formulation, I now typically remove 1 ½ tablespoons of the main GF flour quantity and replace it with 1 ½ tablespoons of gluten-free certified milk powder. You can apply this clever trick to any gluten-free flour blend you use, not just Cup4Cup, for an added layer of richness and moisture.

Important Serving Tip for Best Texture

If you are serving rolls that have been frozen, it is crucial to thoroughly defrost them first. If they are even slightly chilled when eaten, they can become crumbly. For the absolute best taste and softest texture, always warm them slightly in the microwave (or oven) before enjoying them again!

Using Active Dry Yeast? No Problem!

If you only have active dry yeast on hand instead of instant rapid rise yeast, you’ll need to activate it first. Simply mix the active dry yeast with the warm milk (110°F) and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes foamy. This indicates the yeast is active. Once activated, proceed by adding this mixture to your dry ingredients as instructed.

Dairy-Free Modification

For those needing dairy-free dinner rolls, suitable substitutions for both milk and butter are straightforward. Replace cow’s milk with your preferred non-dairy milk, such as almond milk or soy milk. For the butter, use a high-quality plant-based vegan butter alternative.

A quick note on salt: Since many dairy-free butter alternatives contain more salt than unsalted dairy butter, it’s advisable to cut the amount of salt in both the dough and the butter used for brushing in half. This prevents the rolls from becoming overly salty.

Expert Baking Tips to Remember

• Room Temperature Eggs: If you forget to bring your eggs to room temperature, a quick trick is to place the whole egg (still in its shell) in a bowl of hot tap water for about 5 minutes.
• Doubling the Recipe: To make a double batch, simply double all the ingredient quantities. For baking, arrange the larger quantity of dough balls in a 9×13-inch baking pan for rising and baking.
• Temperature Control: An instant-read thermometer is an invaluable tool in yeast baking. Use it to accurately measure the warm milk temperature to ensure proper yeast activation. It’s also incredibly helpful for taking the guesswork out of knowing when your rolls are perfectly baked; the interior should register between 195-200°F when they are ready to be pulled from the oven.

Serving, Storing, and Freezing Tips

These rolls are best enjoyed fresh and warm. While they may be wrapped tightly and left at room temperature for up to 24 hours, they will begin to lose their optimal taste and signature soft texture quickly.

For longer storage, freezing is recommended. Ensure the rolls have completely cooled (at least 2 hours) before wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and then placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to enjoy them, pull them from the freezer and allow them to defrost at room temperature.