Name: Gluten Free Crusty Bread Rolls
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Bread
Ingredients: 360ml warm water; 10g dried active yeast; 2 tsp caster sugar; 20g whole blonde psyllium husk; 1 tsp cider vinegar; 90g tapioca starch; 320g gluten free plain flour (I used FREEE by Doves Farm); 0.5 tsp fine salt; 1-2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing on the rolls

Gluten Free Crusty Bread Rolls

Jump to Recipe

Wonderful little gluten free crusty bread rolls, which golden crisp crusts and pillowy soft bread inside. They’re a bit like small ciabatta rolls, but with a finer crumb structure, and are perfect for lunchtime sandwiches and soups or as a dinner roll.

I adapted these rolls from my beloved crusty baguette recipe in my cookbook, Eat & Enjoy Gluten Free, so if you enjoy these gluten free crusty bread rolls I really think you’ll love my book! That baguette recipe has been getting the loveliest feedback, with people saying:

“Amazing baguette…I haven’t had one in 5 years. Even hubby enjoyed it and he isn’t coeliac!”

and

“I’ve just baked and eaten a baguette made from your recipe, what a surprise I had, not eaten one for over 10 years and I had to fight my wife (she’s not coeliac) off because it tastes so close to what I remember one tasting like.”

These rolls are my homage to that recipe, in my miniature form. So trust the reviews and give these delightful gluten free crusty bread rolls a go. It’s a nice easy recipe and they don’t take too long to make.

What Flour Do I Need for These Gluten Free Crusty Bread Rolls?

We’re using a combination of a gluten free plain flour blend (FREEE by Doves Farm) and tapioca starch for these rolls. If you live in a region where that blend is not available, I have a recipe in my book for how to make a similar blend from scratch, or you can try it using another plain flour blend. Do let me know if you have success with other blends and I can add details here. (Update: Australian readers, I’ve been told by lovely Robyn that the White Wings Gluten Free Plain Flour works perfectly for these rolls).

If you do not have tapioca starch you can buy it on Amazon or find it in health food shops, and even Ocado sell it. I buy it from Shipton Mill.

What is Psyllium Husk?

Ahhh I’m glad you asked! This is our magic ingredient for this recipe and it really essential – do not skip it. It is a naturally-dervived fibre and it helps to give flexibility to gluten free bread, acting as a binder and improving the final texture of your bake.

Whole psyllium husk is widely available online and from health food stores. I buy this variety of psyllium husk, rather than the powered variety as that acts slightly differently.

Are These Gluten Free Crusty Bread Rolls also Dairy Free/Egg Free/Vegan?

Yes – all of those :). The ingredients are gluten free plain flour, tapioca starch, pysllium husk, salt, water, cider vinegar, sugar and dried active yeast. Plus a little oil for brushing over the rolls at the end.

Which Yeast Do You Use?

Any dried active yeast is fine for these gluten free crusty bread rolls. I generally use the Allinsons Easy Bake Yeast, which is widely available in UK supermarkets. It is gluten free at the time of writing, but please always check the label.

Make sure that your yeast is still active – if you find it does not foam when mixed with water and sugar, it is dead. It may still be within date, but if you have had your yeast open for months it can quickly lose its potency. Storing your open yeast in the fridge is a good way of extending it’s shelf life.

5 gluten free crusty bread rolls on a cooling rack

Gluten Free Crusty Bread Rolls Recipe

This recipe will make 6 lovely gluten free crusty bread rolls. If you want to make more, simply double the ingredients and cut the dough into 12 portions and prove/bake on two trays.

If you need any help along the way or if you have questions, please do message me on social media (@myglutenfreeguide) or email me at laura@mygfguide.com. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

If you enjoy this gluten free crusty bread roll recipe, please do leave a review on the recipe card below. It makes a world of difference to me :). You might also like to check out my cookbook for lots more delicious gluten free bread recipes.

Laura xxx

Makes 6 Rolls

Gluten Free Crusty Bread Rolls

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Wonderful little gluten free bread rolls with a crusty exterior and pillowy soft bread inside. Perfect for lunchtime sandwiches and soups, or as a tasty side dish with dinners.

Ingredients

360ml warm water
10g dried active yeast
2 tsp caster sugar
20g whole blonde psyllium husk
1 tsp cider vinegar
90g tapioca starch
320g gluten free plain flour (I used FREEE by Doves Farm)
0.5 tsp fine salt
1-2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing on the rolls

Instructions

Add 160ml of the warm water, the dried active yeast and the caster sugar to a mixing jug or bowl and stir to combine. Leave to sit for around 10 minutes, or until a thick layer of foam has formed on top. If there is no foam, your yeast is dead and you'll need a fresh packet.

While the yeast is working away, add the psyllium husk to a small bowl and pour over the remaining 200ml warm water, mix to combine and leave to sit until the yeast is ready (about 5-10 mins). The psyllium will absorb the water and develop a thick gel consistency.

Add the gluten free plain flour, tapioca and salt to a stand mixer bowl and mix well, to combine.

Tip the contents of the yeast jug into the stand mixer bowl, as well as the psyllium gel and the cider vinegar. Mix on high speed for 5 minutes, until you have a nice ball of dough.

Very lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Pat it into a rectangle-shape about 5cm thick. Then use a dough cutter to cut it into 6 squares (see images below).

Line a large baking tray with a silicone mat or non-stick baking paper and move the rolls on it. Pat them into neat shapes and space them nicely on the tray to allow them space to grow during proving. Cover with a clean tea towel or cloth and leave to prove for about 1 hour, or until they have grown in size by 50%.

Preheat your oven to 200C (fan). Brush the tops and sides of the rolls with olive oil, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes.

Once baked, place on a cooling rack and either enjoy warm or leave to cool for later.*

Notes

*These rolls are best enjoyed fresh on the day of baking. However if you have any leftovers, you can either freeze them or microwave them (about 40 seconds per roll)/toast them.