Soft White Rolls

Bread... the number one thing I can't live without and initially probably the hardest thing I found to cut out of my diet. I am not a fan of shop bought gluten-free bread as I find it to be quite bland and a disaster to handle. Home-made gluten-free bread however is far superior to shop bought. The right blend of flours and inclusion of xantham gum are key to making the perfect bread, whether it be a loaf, soft rolls or any other kind of bread. 

After a few experiments, (which I strongly suggest you do try - you'd be surprised what great results you can come out with just be experimenting a little bit), I settled for an easy recipe for soft white rolls with a yummy final product. These rolls are great for making sandwiches and can even be used as burger buns. 

When I make these rolls I tend to make double the amount and freeze these in batches for later use. Admittedly, if you do not consume these within 24 hours they do then to go a little bit hard. Freezing them however is the secret. Whenever I need some bread I just grab some rolls out of the freezer and pop them in the microwave on defrost setting for a minute or so. This makes the rolls super soft again. 

A little secret I learnt: baking rolls under a roasting tin makes them crisp on the outside whilst remaining nice and soft on the inside. Try it. 

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Ingredients: 

- 450g white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

- 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast 

- 1 tsp xantham gum 

- 1/2 tsp salt 

- 300ml milk, plus extra for glazing

- 2 tbsp caster sugar 

- 1 egg 

- 2 tbsp veg oil, plus extra for greasing 

Method: 

Sift the flour, yeast, xantham gum and salt into a large bowl. Heat the milk in a small pan until lukewarm then add the sugar, egg and oil and whisk together. 

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ones and mix until you have a soft, workable dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about five minutes until smooth. If the dough is just a little bit sticky - don't panic, that is the way it is supposed to be. Whatever you do, do not add more flour as this is what results in rock hard rolls! 

Divide the dough into 8 balls and place well apart on a floured baking tray. (Don't be afraid to play around with the shapes and sizes of the rolls - I like to be creative and have fun with it - you should try it too). Flatten each roll slightly and cover with oil clingfilm. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 

Once doubled, brush the bread rolls with milk and dust with a little bit of flour. If you like, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for extra flavour. Cover the rolls with an upside down roasting tin and bake for 15- 20 minutes or until the rolls have risen. (Note: if using a convection oven then the baking time would be less). Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Recommendation: Serve within 24 hours or freeze for later use.