Dinner Rolls or Slider Buns

As sad as it may be, there are many times that a really tasty dinner roll with a little butter and salt have been the highlight of a meal for me. Which isn’t to say the meals were bad…. I just LOVE bread. With the summer grilling season in full swing, these can step up to the plate as slider buns (or bratwurst buns as pictured) or wow the guests of your next dinner party. If you want soft crust for buns, make the night before and store in a zip-top bag. If you want them to keep the crispy crust and chewy crumb like a great baguette, make within a few hours of serving a leave uncovered.

*Update 1/20/2021 – I’ve added the Alternate Directions that develop a little more flavor and allow you to form the rolls in a more traditional method. Be very careful not to over-handle the dough; the lack of gluten means they can very easily lose their shape and become sticky.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Sorghum Mix
• 6 ounces White Rice Flour
• 3.9 ounces Tapioca Flour
• 0.25 ounces Potato Starch
• 0.75 ounces Xanthan Gum
• 0.35 ounces Yeast
• 0.35 ounces Salt
• 1.5 ounces Sugar
• 3 Large Egg Whites
• 1 Large Egg (whole)
• 2 Tbsp Butter (melted and cooled)
• 1 tsp White Vinegar
• 1.5 cups Warm Water

Directions

1. Mix dry ingredients
2. Add wet ingredients and mix on high speed (speed 6 on my Kitchenaid) for 3 minutes.
3. Place dough into a zip top bag. Cut off the corner to form a hole roughly 1 inch in diameter.
4. Pipe the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper into balls roughly 1.5 inches in diameter. Allow room for the dough to double in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 375F(400F) and allow the dough to rise, covered, for one hour.
6. Bake for 40 mins.
7. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a rack.

Alternate Directions

1. Combine the dry ingredients EXCEPT the yeast in the mixing bowl with the eggs, butter, and vinegar.
2. Add approximately 75% of the water and, using the dough hook, begin mixing while slowly adding the remaining water IF NECESSARY. The dough should clean the bowl but remain very stiff by GF bread dough standards.
3. Add the yeast and mix on medium to high speed for 3 minutes, ensuring that the yeast is fully distributed throughout the dough.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled/greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 6-12 hours.
5. Remove from the refrigerator and turn out on to a floured surface.
6. Using a bench scraper/dough divider or knife, separate the dough into the desire number of rolls. Weigh the dough if consistent size is important. They should be loosely ball shaped at this point. Dusting your hands with flour will allow you to more easily handle the dough.
7. Loosely cover the rolls and allow to rest for 15-30 minutes.
8. Dusting your hands in flour, you can form the rolls into round balls using the traditional method. The size of your hand will vary the details, but basically, with your palm on top of the dough and your finger(s) firmly against the counter, move the dough in a circular motion ensuring the top always stays up (you’re not “rolling” it). This should pull the sides down under the bottom. Starting at about 2:30, this video shows this nicely. His rolls have gluten – you need to be more gentle.
9. Preheat the oven to 375F(400F) and allow the dough to rise, covered, for one hour.
10. Bake for 40 mins.
11. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a rack.