by Gill Jennings

Created on: June 09, 2009   Last Updated: June 11, 2009

Gluten free bread rolls.

We recently discovered that a member of our family has a number of food sensitivities, among them gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats). We have tried commercially-produced gluten-free bread, but to be honest it's pretty dry and dusty stuff, due to the gluten being the substance that usually gives bread its elasticity and softness! We tried making our own bread from commercially-produced gluten-free flour, but again the results were less than satisfactory.

Some way in to our experiments, we found that one of the foods we have to avoid is potato. This is a major problem, as virtually all commercially-produced gluten-free flours and bakery products contain potato starch! From this discovery it became obvious that our only recourse was to experiment with our own mixes of gluten-free flours, and various different bread recipes.

After a few weeks of experiments (most of which ended up in the bin!) we finally arrived at the following recipe, which produces a close-textured but soft brown roll. It has a nutty flavour, similar in some ways to oatcakes, which we find delicious. This recipe is not only gluten-free and potato-free but also dairy-free, egg-free, yeast-free and soya-free, and suitable for vegetarians and vegans! In fact I think the only people who might find it indigestible would be those with intolerance or allergy to legumes (beans and peas). I hope you find it useful.

To begin with you will need to make up a self-raising gluten free flour mix, as follows - take
8oz rice flour
8oz buckwheat flour
8oz gram (chickpea) flour
8oz maize flour (also known as maize meal or masa harina) N.B. This is NOT cornflour, which is white: maize flour is pale yellow.
4 tbsp baking powder
4 tsp xanthan gum

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar. This flour mix can be used as a substitute for self-raising wheat flour in many recipes: just remember you will need to add extra liquid as non-wheat flours are more absorbent.

To make 8 rolls, you will need:
8oz self-raising gluten free flour mix (as above)
1/2 to 1tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1oz non-dairy margarine
8 fl oz non-dairy milk plus a little extra if required
a small quantity of vegetable oil

mixing bowl
sieve
1 pint heatproof bowl or measuring jug
wooden spoon or spatula
baking tray or bun / muffin tin

Method:
1. Lightly oil the baking tray or bun / muffin tin.
2. Set the oven to Gas mark 4 / 350 Fahrenheit / 180 Centigrade / Moderate.
3. Sift the flour into the mixing bowl.

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