Gluten free rolls for burgers or sloppy joes are a bit of a problem; store ones are too hard and too thick; can barely taste my burger for them and the price is ridiculous for what you get. I haven’t found a sandwich roll I truly like, not until last week.  So….I was reading the comments on line for a French bread recipe I use a lot; at food.com. I was looking at how others modified it, always curious.  I made several changes for my version.  So I wanted to see what else could be done.  Someone said they made rolls out of it!  Bingo.  A must try solution for the quandary of edible gf rolls for burgers. The base recipe always tastes great, is easy to create and I’ve been making my version of it for over three years.  Tasty  as dinner bread but what I need so often is a decent roll that takes the hot stuff like a burger or sloppy joes.  I use cloud bread for cold sandwiches and love it but burgers need something sturdier as cloud bread pretty much dissolves with contact to hot food.

The only addition I made for this burger rolls recipe is some flax seed meal and if you don’t want that; leave it out; flax seed bits adds flecks of tan color and a wholesome flavor.  Good for you too. I used olive oil instead of melted butter; worked fine and is healthier.  They aren’t high and puffy like store buns but I have to say they do the job of a burger bun very nicely with their great flavor and texture.  They may be skinny but they are a great solution for rolls.  Actually I think you could slice them in half right down the middle and use as an English muffin!

You really need the right baking pan; a muffin top pan; very shallow but wide depressions; about 1/3 inch deep; my pans are Teflon.  You can buy them on line from Amazon.

This dough is very easy and quick to mix up if you have a stand mixer as it needs a serious beating!  You need to keep an eye on the rising process; your pans should be in a warm but not hot location.  So I turn on my oven and let it heat to 105 degrees upon which I turn it off and put in the bread. Just opening the door to put in the pans will lower the temperature to about 90 degrees; perfect. Just warm enough and no drafts inside there.  Be watchful; as for all gf yeast doughs: don’t over rise it or your rolls will deflate; disaster! Once the pans are getting close to ready you need to preheat the oven; take the pans out first if yours is rising in there… I plan to keep working on this recipe and see if I can get the rolls to rise a bit higher…got some ideas.  Will update when I have an even better roll to share.

The rolls are still tasty the next day. I froze most of them. Actually, you can make a half batch; mix all the dry ingredients well in a bowl then remove half; 1 ½ cup plus 2 ½ tsp. of dry mix and put it in a baggie.  When you want to make each half batch add the wet ingredients and beat up per the recipe: ¾ cup warm water, 1 1/2 tsp yeast, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 egg, and ½ tsp vinegar.

Gluten Free French Burger Rolls

Makes twelve rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour

3 tsp. xanthan gum

3 tbsp. flax seed meal

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp. sugar

1 ½ cups lukewarm water; about 90-95 degrees

1 tbsp. yeast

2 tbsp. melted butter or mild olive oil

2 eggs, room temp.

1 tsp. cider vinegar

Poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)

Directions: Put the flours, gum and salt in bowl of stand mixer, blend.

In two cup measuring cup or small bowl dissolve yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water; let stand 3-5 minutes until foamy.

Dump into the dry ingredients; add the butter or oil, eggs, and vinegar.  Beat on high for 3 minutes.

Spray depressions in your pans with cooking spray and dust with yellow cornmeal.

Glop in the bread dough; it will be like soft putty.  Smooth the top with your fingers that you dampened in water.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if desired.

Let rise for 30 to 40 minutes until doubled.  Bake in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. They won’t be hugely high but enough for slicing in half for sandwiches or burgers.  Cool before slicing.  The rolls don’t have to be stone cold to slice but cutting any gf bread hot is a bad idea; gets all gummy….not a good thing.  They work quite well as gf English muffins.