Gluten-free Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
You guys. I made gluten-free Hawaiian sweet rolls.
And they were amazing (totally scary for me as it was my first foray into gluten-free bread but I was blown away by how well they turned out) and pretty darn lovely looking, too.
My friend, Nicole, of Gluten Free on a Shoestring fame is coming out with her 3rd gluten-free cookbook and it is entirely dedicated to gluten-free breads.
Which is kinda sorta amazing because when I think “eating gluten-free” I think “how the heck do I get my carb fix?”
Nicole has you covered.
While I don’t eat gluten-free as a lifestyle, I’m all for giving new recipes a try and I’m loving on these Hawaiian sweet rolls.
I can’t believe how accessible making your own gluten-free bread can be! Nicole gives, like, one zillions tips and tricks and step-by-step pictures for everything from bagels to baguettes, tortillas to scones in this new cookbook.
It is revolutionary (like no other gluten-free bread cookbook in the universe, really). You don’t want to mess around with these recipes – Nicole has tested and tested and tested these babies to make them foolproof and following the ingredients and instructions to the letter will ensure fantastic results.
On a personal note, I can count other food bloggers I’ve actually become real, live friends with on one hand.
Nicole? She’s the real deal. She has been a breath of fresh air in the blogging world for me.
She tells it like it is (read: she doesn’t have one fakety fake bone in her body) and I love her blogging guts. I’m so proud of what she’s created here and so honored to help her get the word out about her book.
One Year Ago: Nutella Butterscotch Crumble Bars
Two Years Ago: New York-Style Crumb Cake
Three Years Ago: Sky-Is-The-Limit Pudding Pie
Gluten-free Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
Hawaiian Roll Dough:
- 3 cups 420 g Gluten-Free Bread Flour (recipe below), plus more for sprinkling
- 2 teaspoons 6 g instant yeast
- ¼ cup 50 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon 6 g kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons 56 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
- Egg wash, 1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Gluten-Free Bread Flour:
- 100 grams about 11 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour (71%) (read note above)
- 25 grams about 5 tablespoons unflavored whey protein isolate (18%)
- 15 grams about 5 teaspoons Expandex modified tapioca starch (11%)
High-Quality All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour:
- 42 grams about 1/4 cup superfine brown rice flour (30%)
- 42 grams about 1/4 cup superfine white rice flour (30%)
- 21 grams about 2 1/3 tablespoons tapioca starch (15%)
- 21 grams about 2 1/3 tablespoons potato starch (15%)
- 7 grams about 1 3/4 teaspoons potato flour (5%)
- 4 grams about 2 teaspoons xanthan gum (3%)
- 3 grams about 1 1/2 teaspoons pure powdered pectin (2%)
Make-It-Simpler All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour:
- 90 grams about 9 tablespoons superfine white rice flour (64%)
- 31 grams about 3 1/2 tablespoons potato starch (22%)
- 15 grams about 5 teaspoons tapioca starch (11%)
- 4 grams about 2 teaspoons xanthan gum (3%)
Instructions
- Place the flour, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer, and use a handheld whisk to combine well. Add the salt, and whisk to combine. Add the butter, egg, pineapple juice, and vanilla, and mix on low speed with the dough hook until combined.
- Raise the mixer speed to medium and knead for about 5 minutes. The dough will be quite sticky, but should be smooth and stretchy. Spray a silicone spatula lightly with cooking oil spray, and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl or proofing bucket large enough for the dough to rise to double its size, and cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap (or the oiled top to your proofing bucket).
- Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 5 days.
- On baking day, grease an 8-inch round baking pan and set it aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead until smoother as described below under general shaping tips. With a floured bench scraper, divide the dough into twelve pieces of equal size.
- Shape one piece into a round by following the directions for shaping small, round rolls below. Place the first roll in the prepared baking pan.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, placing the rolls less than an inch apart from one another. Cover the baking pan with oiled plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm, draft-free location to rise for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and brush the rolls generously with the egg wash. Allow the rolls to finish rising, uncovered, until fully doubled in size (about 20 minutes more).
- About 20 minutes before the rolls have completed their final rise, preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the baking pan on the lower rack of the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown, and the inside of the rolls registers about 185°F on an instant-read thermometer (about 20 minutes).
- Allow to cool briefly in the pan before serving.
Notes
General Shaping Tips:
Unless otherwise noted, always begin on a well-floured surface with floured hands.
1. With the help of an oiled bench scraper, keep moving the dough as you shape it, particularly if it begins to stick to the surface or your hands. The process of kneading the dough in this book will be done using the scrape-and-fold method: Scrape the dough off the floured surface with the bench scraper, then fold the dough over itself. Sprinkle the dough lightly with flour, scrape the dough up again, and fold it over itself again. Repeat scraping and folding in this manner until the dough has become smoother.
2. Keep the outside of the dough and the surface covered in a light coating of flour as you shape the dough. Handle the dough with a light touch to avoid kneading the flour into the dough, which might dry it out and result in a tight, unpleasant crumb.
3. It bears repeating: A light touch is the key. Repeat that to yourself as a mantra as you first learn to shape this bread dough. It’s the most important rule in shaping. More technique, less muscle.
4. You’ll notice that the recipes do not include instructions to allow dough that has been rising in the refrigerator to come to room temperature before shaping. Always begin with cold dough when shaping the dough in this book. It is much easier to shape.
Shaping Small Rolls:
1. On a well-floured surface, flatten the dough into a disk, then pull the edges toward the center of the disk and secure the edges together by pressing them between your thumb and forefinger.
2. Turn the dough over so that the gathered edges are on the bottom and cup your whole hands around the dough, to coax it into a round shape.
3. Place the round of dough on a lightly floured surface and cup only one palm around the dough with the side of your hand resting on the counter (the
side of your hand nearest your pinkie). Maintaining contact between the side of your hand and the surface, begin to move your hand in a circular motion
while gently coaxing the edges of the dough upward (toward the top of the round) with the tips of your fingers.
4. Slash the dough with a sharp knife or lame held at a 45 degree angle to the dough.
Recipe Source: from the book Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread: Biscuits, Bagels, Buns and More by Nicole Hunn. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2013.
*Giveaway provided by Da Capo Lifelong Books, all opinions expressed are my own!
I eat mostly gluten free, and I love the brown rice pasta products from Tinkyada. I haven’t had great success with making breads though, so these Hawaiian Sweet Rolls I will definitely try. The recipe looks a little complicated with all the ingredients necessary to make your own flour instead of buying GF flour. But maybe that’s what it takes for it to be successful.
I was very excited to read your post today. I have been cooking from your website for over a year now and have never been disappointed. I share your website with my friends, family, and patients. I discovered 3 months ago that I am allergic to gluten. It has changed my life; being both difficult and physically rewarding. This cookbook would be ingredably helpful. Currently when we have guest over I will make them bread or cornbread and then I will just eat GF crackers (and yes they are very chunchy and tastless). I would love to be able to learn how to made good GF bread. For Christmas I think I will ask Santa for a good GF grilled cheese sandwich.
Thank you Mel for your committment to cooking and your amazing website. You join us at the dinner table most nights of the week!!
I admit I have never tried my hand at anything gluten-free, but now with my sister-in-law’s diagnosis of celiac’s, I would really like to learn more… this cookbook would give me the perfect start!
My friend is gluten intolerant. We do a lot of get-together suppers and finding carbs or desserts that are safe is always a challenge. I’m always on the look-out for new recipes that aren’t going to cost an arm & leg AND taste good.
I’ve been gluten free (celiac) for about a year…I’ve mostly stuck to gluten free mixes because there are so many flours you have to buy to start from scratch. But, a surprisingly high percentage of things I’ve made have tasted good, so that’s encouraging to venture into the next step!
I have family that has celiac so were always looking for new recipes. My favorite gf sweet treat was coconut cake in the crock pot–it turned out yummy!
I don’t eat gluten free, but I’d love to try these recipes. These rolls sounds great!
I absolutely love gluten free on a shoestring! Variations on her perfect yellow and devil’s food chocolate cakes have made me a legend at office birthday celebrations! I need this book!!
I haven’t tried much gluten free cooking myself, but my sister in law made some GF brownies once that were delicious!
I’m still kind of new to gluten free eating and cooking. I seem to do well when it comes to cooking basic meals and stuff. But baking is a another story! It’s been very hit or miss…I feel like I’m doing a science experiment every time I try. Never sure what the results will be 🙂 But these rolls look amazing! I would love to explore the cookbook and see what other tempting things it contains!
Mel – My family does not need to be gluten free. Would this recipe work with bread flour? Would you use the same quantity as g-f flour? Thanks so much and thanks for the wonderful recipes you develop.
Beth
My dad has gone gluten-free, and it’s a challenge to find a bread recipe that holds together – especially for toasting. Thanks for the chance at your generous giveaway! 🙂
Over the last year and a half, I9 have learned a lot about cooking gluten free. Really, a lot of recipes are hit or miss.
We are a Gluten Free household and we have our 4 year old daughter to thank! She cried the first year of her life non-stop! One year later we found out it was gluten. We rarely eat out, so I make all her food from home and after two years Gluten Free breads are NOT my specialty and quite honestly scare me. I would love this book!
I am very interested in GF – though I haven’t tried any recipes yet – I would love to start trying some – and this book looks like a wonderful start!
There are a lot of great gluten free recipes and some that are just mediocre. The hardest thing for me to give up has been bread items (bread, buns, scones, donuts) though. I’ve tried tons of recipes, some I thought were nasty, others were okay, and some I’ve loved. Along with the taste, finding something that looks “normal” so other people don’t criticize the gluten free diet has also been challenging. As an adult, I can stand the heat, but it’s very hard for kids to be seen eating anything deemed “different” around their peers. Any recipe that tastes great and can help a child lead as normal life as possible while gluten-free is amazing in my book!
I’ve only made gluten free microwave brownies and peanut butter cookies. They were both good though. My dad is celiac and my mom has become a great GF baker over the last 25 years. She has been baking bread (GF and Non) for close to 40 years so I’d love to win this cookbook for her!
Haven’t gotten too into it, but with a cookbook, I just might 🙂
Looks like a really wonderful resource for those of us who live a gluten-free life!
My husband has celiac disease, and he has finally given up ever finding a good bread substitute. I used to make bread all the time, but I’ve quit doing that since it seems cruel to make the house smell so good when he can’t eat any. It would be a miracle to find a gluten-free bread recipe that I could make with good results and that he actually liked.
Baking gf for me has been pretty mediocre, especially breads. I have been anticipating this book for months in hopes that my favorite gf food blogger can guide me in her ways!
We have a GF daughter. We have found that baking GF can be tough! It’s nice to find tried and true recipes that we know will work.
I’ve had pretty good success…once I stumbled upon Nicole’s blog! Her recipes are amazing and I love that I can use my own GF AP flour
I’ve been experiencing with gluten free recipes this fall as my 4 year old was diagnosed gluten intolerant. I haven’t had much success and would love tried and true recipes for our family.
Hi Mel,
I plan to try this recipe. Can you tell me where to find the whey isolate and expandex tapioca starch? A health food store? I gave on on making GF bread many years ago, but this recipe is worth a try.
I’ve been gluten free for almost 4 months now and have tried a few recipes. Some were winners and some were gross! I’d love to get this book!
I haven’t tried any GF baking only cooking so I would love to win this to give baking a try too.
I gave up on GF recipes after a couple of fails. I would love to give it another try with better recipes.
I used to buy GF flour mixes, but now I mostly use a brown rice, potato starch and tapioca starch mix for recipes calling for all purpose gf flour. It works pretty well. Other than that, I also use a lot of almond flour. It gives cookies a great flavor 🙂
I had become quite skilled a baking, then came the gluten issues, I tried so hard to make the transition but so far nearly every attempt has been an epic fail.
I went GF just over a year ago to minimize the effects of my thyroid disease. I’ve found it’s not so bad! There are lots of great substitutes, and I’m still able to cook most of my favorite recipes (including the ones from here!) with just a little tweaking.
I haven’t baked any GF bread yet – so many crazy ingredients, but these rolls have me pretty convinced I should try!
I always have a hard time finding gluten free recipes that I like, or would want to eat. I have high hopes for this cookbook!
Honestly, I have never tried baking gluten free. It seems a little scary! I am going to try this recipe!
My husband just found out he is celiac and just trying to fix his food has rocked my whole world after 28 years I am having to start all over again. The thing I have had the hardest time with are the breads they all have horrible texture and taste so I would really appreciate this book !!!!
So far I have not tried yeast baking gluten-free. The brownies turn out best; the cookies, regardless of whether I use butter or coconut oil, have refused to spread. Tasty but not the texture I was looking for (but the consumers are well pleased). The banana bread recipes have been spotty – again, personal preference as to texture. I love being able to bake, and everything comes out edible (if not beautiful). Thanks, Nicole, for being my stepping stone into gluten-free – 18 months and counting! And thanks, Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, for the giveaway and recipe posting!
Have only tried a recipe or two, but very interested in trying more. Wondering if it would help with my auto immune issues.
While we have other allergies in our home, I have always been thrilled that gluten isn’t one of them. However, we do have friends with gluten allergies and sensitivities. We try to have friends over often and I always feel limited in what I can offer them. I’ve tried a few things here and there and been pleased. But having a helpful book that didn’t make me feel like I was “being good” by using their recipes would help me out immeasurably.
My two teenagers jumped on the gluten-free train about a year ago for health/fitness reasons. Have successfully made various GF recipes and have had success with cakes, cookies, and brownies, but the breads…………can you say “YIKES” and gag at the same time! Would love this new cookbook as I use Nicole’s other cookbook “Gluten-Free on a Shoestring” frequently. 🙂
My experience with GF baking has been mostly good! I’ve had some major flops, but also some really good success. I even had a GF, low-carb, sugar-free bakery on Etsy.com for over a year before the stress of it made me quit. 😉
At one point, the doctors thought my husband might be gluten intolerant because he has several sisters that are gluten intolerant/allergic. I tried to bake some of the breads and they always came out horrible. I’d like to try something for his sisters. And, luckily, he is not gluten intolerant.
I am on a new healthy food quest on a meager budget and am constantly looking for recipes to help me. It would be such a boon to have this cookbook to draw inspiration from. Thanks!
My husband has several siblings that are GF — Gluten Free. At one point they thought he would be too. I started to bake some breads from recipes that I found, but they were really horrible. I’d love to try and make some breads for others in my family. My husband, luckily, does not have to be GF like his sisters.
I have never had good results making bread with gluten free flours. The results were always dry and dense. I would love to try new recipes that have proven successful.
Haven’t tried gluten free recipes but would like to start trying!
I am new to gluten free cooking, but everything I’ve tried making so far either tastes bad or has a lot of crazy ingredients that are hard to find in my area. I’d love to get some new, tasty recipes to try though!
I’ve had the hardest time with gf breads, so this cookbook would be perfect!
I’ve had great success with cooking GF, just haven’t ventured into bread making yet…it looks rather intimidating! LOL! This book will help with that, so if I don’t win, I’m putting this on my Christmas list!:)
My family misses homemade bread…and so do I! BTW, your chocolate cake made with quinoa is STILL a family favorite! Soooo good!
I have tons of allergies and sensitivities, and trying to blend flours on my own and make tasty breads isn’t easy. I made some gluten/corn free pumpkin bread (I can’t eat corn) and it was a bit too grainy, kind of like a solid block of pumpkin flavored cream of rice! (rice flour was the main flour…) I can use all the help I can get, and if it is less expensive and I can do it myself, great!
While I’m not celiac, I do have a wheat sensitivity (as does my granddaughter). I’ve been experimenting with gf baking, and other than one dismal failure (the chickens wouldn’t even eat them…) I’ve been pleased. I’m looking forward to this book – I can work things out for myself, but I’d rather just be able to bake!!
I personally don’t have a ton of experience coking gluten-free, at all! …particularly baking. However, my sister recently found out she has a gluten allergy. I would love to be able to give her this cookbook!!! 😀