This is a gluten-free, dairy-free AND refined sugar-free recipe. All Mila’s Meals recipes are.
Ah the braai – a South African institution!
Otherwise known as a barbecue in the rest of the world, the braai is a meal that celebrates meat, salads and sunshine – and is usually an easy sell for picky eaters.
Unless they are gluten-free of course! Then the thought of a braai with it’s boerewors rolls (hot dogs) and braai-broodjies (toasted cheese sandwiches) induces one of those ‘cold-sweat’ moments for us moms.
It broke my heart to tell Mila she couldn’t enjoy a boerewors roll (which kid doesn’t love a piece of white bread!), so I set about creating a recipe for gluten-free bread rolls.
My previous bread recipe’s excluded yeast as I was following an anti-Candida diet. I realize, in hindsight, this made the job of creating a light, fluffy and edible bread that much harder. What joy to have yeast available as an ingredient! These rolls are so light and fluffy – a very close resemblance to the store bought ones – with the added benefit of not having any GMO soy (South African bread is full of it) or any strange preservatives.
(PS I am still not entirely comfortable using dry active yeast in my baking too frequently. Traditional sourdough bread is really the way to go.)
A quick word about store-bought bread
Please read the ingredient label of your store-bought bread! Here is an example of what you are likely to find:
White bread wheat flour (wheat, gluten), water, yeast, salt, sugar, soya flour (soy), vegetable fat (palm fruit), preservative: calcium propionate, emulsifiers, flour improvers, mineral salts (electrolytic iron and zinc oxide) and vitamins.
Recipe Notes
Mama’s Notes:
Even though these rolls are ‘free-from’ in terms of refined sugar, gluten and dairy, I wouldn’t offer them to Mila everyday. The flour is refined and likely to spike the blood sugar levels and the rolls aren’t exactly nutrient-dense. But, just like with birthday party food, when there is an occasion that calls for a certain food (like National Braai Day), well then – I am glad that my free-from child can partake in the feast and this recipe is very useful.
Chef’s Notes:
Ideally these should be made with a hot dog bun pan to ensure an even shape – but I haven’t been able to find one in South Africa
Key: gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, nut-free, great for adults too
Prep Time: 50 minutes (including 25 mins proofing)
Cooking Time: 35 mins
Makes: 16 mini bread rolls or 8 adult-sized ones
Mila reckons they are finger licking good!
The "Yes you can eat bread" Recipe
Gluten-free Bread Roll Recipe
Ingredients
Wet Mix
- 430 ml preservative-free Coconut Milk, warm
- 2.5 tbsp raw honey
- 2.5 tsp dry active yeast
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 60 ml coconut oil melted
- 2 organic eggs
Dry Mix
- 3 cups gluten-free flour mix
- 1/4 tsp guar gum
- 4 tsp baking powder aluminium-free
- 1/2 tsp salt desert or sea
Additional
- 1/2 cup boiling water for proofing
Instructions
- Turn your fan oven on to 180°C (375°C).
- Grease a deep baking tray (or hot dog bun pan should you have one). Mine measured 31cm x 20,5cm x 3,5cm.
- Pour the warm coconut milk into a small mixing bowl. Stir in the honey and the yeast. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, sieve together the dry ingredients (gluten-free flour, guar gum, baking powder and salt).
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the apple cider vinegar, coconut oil and eggs. Add the yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
- Using an electric beater on medium-high speed with one dough hook fitted, add the dry ingredients to the wet while beating.
- Beat for 3 minutes. The mixture will be a wet, thick cake-like batter.
- Scrape the batter into your prepared baking tray – spreading in evenly and smoothing off the top. (These rise A LOT – so the batter should come half-way up the pan to allow space for this.)
- Now to shape the rolls!
- Wet your hands (to prevent the batter from sticking to them). Using your finger make lines / indents where you want the rolls to separate. You can also shape the rounded tops. (This is where a hot dog roll pan would be far more convenient).
- Pour the boiling water into a small bowl and place alongside the baking tray in a draft-free place to proof. I have a double oven – so while the one is getting warm for the baking, I place the baking tray and the boiling water in the other one. The boiling water will help the mixture rise.
- Proof for 25 minutes.
- Place the baking tray in the pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes cover the baking tray with tin foil (leaving 2 ends open) to prevent the rolls from burning on top – they tend to brown on top before the are fully cooked.
- Bake for another 15 minutes. (Please note: all ovens are different – a knife or toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.)
- Remove the rolls from the oven an allow to cool on your stove top for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before separating them.
- Leftovers are best stored in the freezer.
To Make The Boerewors Rolls
- Simply slice open, add a perfectly cooked piece of (gluten-free) boerewors, spread on some All Good Tomato sauce (recipe in Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics) –and there you have it!
Notes
And if you are braaing today – don’t forget to braai some marshmallows 🙂
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