These soft and fluffy gluten free dinner rolls are perfect for weeknight dinners, holiday spreads and everything in between. They’re easy to make and even easier to eat!
You don’t have to be gluten free to appreciate how good these gluten-free rolls are!
They make a perfect side to serve during a holiday meal, weeknight dinner, Sunday roast or anytime you’ve got a craving fresh bread (all the time, if you’re me!).
Fortunately, making your own homemade gluten free dinner rolls is fairly easy and similar to what you’d expect from a typical gluten-based roll.
The main difference? A few extra ingredients (psyllium husk & xanthan gum – more on those later) to add the structure & flex-ability that you’d normally get from gluten.
The end result? Light, buttery, and pillowy-soft gluten free dinner rolls that are ready to be slathered in butter and soak up whatever’s on your plate!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make this Homemade Gluten Free Dinner Rolls
Gluten-Free Flour
I tested out a few different options for you to choose from:
- option#1: Use a basic homemade or store bought all purpose gluten free flour blend.
- option#2: 1½ cup tapioca starch (180g), 1 cup millet flour (120g) and ½ cup sorghum flour (60g)
- option#2: 1½ cup tapioca starch (180g) + 1¼ cup white rice flour (175g)
I highly recommend you use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients if you want to mix your own flour blend! Ingredient amounts vary depending on how tightly they’re packed or scooped into measuring cups. These small variations can make a huge difference to how your baked goods turn out.!
Binders (for structure & elasticity)
- Psyllium husk adds binding & structure.
- Xanthan gum adds binding & flexibility.
Use both to create a soft & pillowy texture.
BTW: I recommend whole psyllium husk. If you want to use psyllium husk powder, use 1 tbsp + 1½ tsp psyllium husk powder or about 12 grams. Mix quickly into the waters as the powdered version clumps easily.
Leaveners (to help the rolls rise)
- Yeast: Use instant yeast (AKA: quick-rise or rapid-rise yeast) which you can mix right into your flour mixture without activating in water.
- Baking Powder: Helps promote even more rise in the oven – gluten-free breads need all the help they can get!
Liquids (to hydrate the dough)
Gluten-free doughs usually need about 20% more hydration than gluten-based doughs. It might look like a lot of liquids, but it’s neccessary!
- Milk: The fat and protein in milk helps improve the flavor, color and texture of the finished rolls.
- Water: Too much milk can make the dough too sticky and heavy. Add water to ensure you get enough hydration without the extra stuff.
Fat & Salt (for flavor & richness)
- Butter & Egg: Butter adds richness, the egg adds structure, both improve flavor.
- Salt: For flavor!
Make the Dough
- Psyllium gel: Mix psyllium husk + water together. Leave for a minute or two to thicken.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk in a large bowl.
- Wet Ingredients: Add psyllium mixture, milk, butter & egg to flour mixture.
- Combine: Mix into a thick, sticky dough – about 5 minutes in a stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand.
Shape & Proof
- Flour & Knead: Add the dough to a floured work surface. Sprinkle with more flour and gently knead until soft & only slightly sticky.
- Divide: Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, about 70g or 2.5oz each.
- Shape: Roll into balls then add to a greased baking dish. Leave space for rising.
- Proof: Cover dough balls then leave in a warm place to prove for an hour or until almost double in size.
↳FYI: Enriched bread dough like this should be a bit sticky!
The enriching ingredients (milk, butter & eggs) needed to make soft & fluffy bread also make for a wet dough.
When it’s time to shape the dough, work on a floured surface and keep a small bowl of extra flour near by. As long as you keep your hands floured enough, you should be able to shape and roll into balls without needing to add too much extra to the dough itself.
If you find the dough is simply too sticky to easily handle, cover it and place in the fridge for 1 hour. The chilled dough should be much easier to shape.
Bake Until Golden
- Egg Wash: Brush with whisked egg + water before baking to enhance color & shine.
- Bake: About 20-25 minutes until golden. Rotate in the oven, about halfway through cooking if needed.
- Butter Finish (optional): Brush melted butter over the top while the rolls are still warm.
Make Ahead & Freeze for Later
Freeze baked rolls:
- Cool completely to room temperature then store in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temp.
- Reheat in a microwave from frozen: cover with a damp paper towel and cook about 1 minute or until heated through.
- Reheat in the oven from frozen: wrap rolls in foil or baking paper and bake for about 20 minutes or until piping hot at 300°F (150°C)
Freeze unbaked rolls:
- Prep then shape dough as normal.
- Place the dough balls in a baking dish or sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover well with plastic wrap and foil and freeze, about 3-4 hours or until solid.
- Transfer dough balls from the pan/dish to a freezer safe bag. Label and date the bag. Use within 2 months.
- When you’re ready to prep & bake: Defrost dough at room temp for a few hours or in the fridge overnight. Once they’re fully thawed, cover in a greased baking dish and set aside in a warm environment to rise. Bake as usual.
More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes
- Homemade Gluten Free Pizza Dough
- Easy Gluten Free Bread Recipe (Dairy Free)
- Easy Gluten Free Focaccia Recipe
- Homemade Gluten Flour Flour Tortillas
- Gluten Free Breadsticks (Olive Garden Style)
- Gluten Free Manakish Za’atar
- Gluten Free Soft Pretzels
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try these Gluten Free Dinner Rolls! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Gluten Free Dinner Rolls Recipe
Soft, buttery gluten free dinner rolls that are easy to make and perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp whole psyllium husk (15g)
- ⅔ cup room temp water (160ml)
- 2 ½ cup + 1 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour (360g)
- 2 tbsp white sugar (28g)
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (8g)
- 1 tsp salt (8g)
- 2 tsp xanthan gum (6g)
- 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
- ⅔ cup whole milk, room temp (160g)
- 3 tbsp softened butter (42g)
- 1 egg, room temperature
Egg Wash & Butter Topping
- 1 egg + 1 tbsp water (optional for color & shine)
- 2-3 tbsp salted butter, melted (optional for buttery flavor)
Instructions
- Mix water and psyllium husk together in a medium bowl. Set aside to thicken into a gel.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk: flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum.
- Add psyllium gel, milk, butter and egg to the flour mixture. Mix on a medium speed with the dough hook or paddle attachment. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make no flour pockets remain. Continue mixing for about 5 minutes to ensure it's evenly mixed. The dough will look sticky and wet, but should easily clump together when you scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place within reach of your dough so you can add dough balls to it as you work.
- Add dough to a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a little bit of flour top of the dough to make it easier to shape, then divide into 12 equal pieces (about 70g each).
- With floured hands, roll each piece of dough into a ball then place inside the prepared dish. Leave a bit of space in-between each dough ball so that they are barely touching or almost touching.
- Cover with plastic wrap, foil or a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm, place to let the dough rise for at least 1 hour or until the dough balls have doubled in size - no more space in between.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Whisk egg and 1 tbsp water together then brush over the rolls after rising.
- Bake, uncovered, in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Brush melted butter over the tops of the rolls right after they come out. Wait a few minutes to cool then serve and enjoy.
Notes
- For best results: Use a kitchen scale to weight ingredients. Small weight variations can make a big difference!
- Dairy Free: Use softened vegan block butter in place of butter & unsweetened dairy free milk.
- Egg Free: Add 2 tbsp milk (30ml) + 1 tbsp oil (15ml).
Freeze for Later
- Freeze baked rolls: Cool and store in an airtight container up to 3 months.
- Freeze unbaked dough: Freeze shaped dough balls in a baking dish for a few hours until frozen solid. Cover the pan well with plastic wrap and foil. After frozen solid, remove balls from pan and transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw and bake within 2 months. Thaw at room temp for a few hours, then cover and let rise in a greased pan as usual.
Flour Blends I Tested That You Can Use Instead
- DIY Flour Blend #1: Whisk 1 ½ cup tapioca starch (180g), 1 cup millet flour (120g) and ½ cup sorghum flour (60g).
- DIY Flour Blend #2: 1 ½ cup tapioca starch (180g) + 1 ¼ cup white rice flour (175g)
Leave a Review!