Best Gluten Free Biscuits

 These are my favorite gluten free biscuits.  From King Arthur Flour

These gluten-free biscuits are flaky, buttery, and just plain good. Biscuits are particularly well suited to being frozen before baking. If you have a stash on hand in your freezer, you can pop them straight into the oven and enjoy fresh gluten-free biscuits with any meal; just be sure to allow for an additional 5 minutes of baking time.

Prep: 15 mins, Bake: 15 to 18 mins.  Yield: nine 2 1/2" biscuits

 

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups (259g) King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pats

1/2 cup (113g) buttermilk

2 tablespoons (35g) honey

INSTRUCTIONS

Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda.  Cut in the butter until it's in chunks about the size of a nickel using a biscuit cutter.

In a separate bowl stir together the buttermilk and honey and add, all at once, to the dry ingredients. Stir until the dough comes together with only a few dry crumbs remaining.  You may need to add another 1-2 tablespoons of buttermilk.  Take care not to overwork the dough.Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper that's been dusted with a little cornstarch.

Use the paper to fold the dough over on itself eight times, patting it to a thickness of 1/2" between folds.

After the last fold, pat the dough 1/2" to 3/4" thick, and cut with a 2 1/2" biscuit cutter. Stack the scraps on top of each other and pat down again, repeating the cutting process until all of the dough is used.  (Or make square shaped biscuits and cut into equal pieces with a knife).

Place the biscuits on a prepared baking sheet.  Brush the tops with some milk or buttermilk, and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

TO FREEZE:

To freeze for later:  place the cut biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, and place them in the freezer for 15-45 minutes.  Then wrap any extra biscuits once they're frozen, and bake them as you need them later on.  Remove the biscuits from the freezer while the oven preheats.  Brush the tops with milk or buttermilk and bake until golden brown abour 15 minutes.

Variation:

For gluten-free cheese biscuits, reduce the butter in the recipe to 1/4 cup; and add 1 cup of any grated cheese you like: cheddar, Parmesan, and pepper jack are all good choices.

Gluten Free Challah Bread

 Gluten Free Challah Bread

Delicious gluten free challah bread: soft and fluffy, delicious flavor, and a dough that handles beautifully so you can braid it!   Adapted from The Loopy Whisk.

Prep Time:1hour hour, Chill Time: 1 hour, Bake Time: 30 minutes, Proof Time: 1hour.  Total Time 3hours hours and 30minutes minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Gluten free challah dough:

▢20 g (4 tbsp) whole/rough psyllium husk (If using psyllium husk powder, use only 17g.)

▢345 g (1¼ cups + 3 tbsp) lukewarm water

▢215 g (1¾ cups + 2 tbsp) tapioca starch (You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.)

▢135 g (1 cup) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface (You can use an equal weight of finely milled/ground brown rice flour instead.)

▢80 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) oat flour (You can use an equal weight of sorghum flour, light buckwheat flour or white teff flour instead.)

▢50 g (¼ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar

▢8 g (2½ tsp) instant yeast (If using active dry yeast, use 10g.)

▢8 g (2 tsp) baking powder

▢7 g (2½ tsp) xanthan gum

▢7 g (1¼ tsp) salt

▢1 US large/UK medium egg, room temperature

▢2 US large/UK medium egg yolks, room temperature

▢40 g (3 tbsp) sunflower oil, or other neutral-tasting oil of choice

Later you will also need:

▢1 US large/UK medium egg, whisked, for egg wash

▢1-2 tbsp poppy seeds, for sprinkling the challah before baking (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Making the dough:

In a separate bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and lukewarm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer (if using), whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, oat flour, sugar, instant yeast, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.

Tip: If using active dry yeast instead, you need to activate it first. Mix it together with a tablespoon of the sugar and 120g (½ cup) of the water listed in the recipe (note that that means you'll use less water to make the psyllium gel). Set aside for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture starts frothing. Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the rest of the wet ingredients.

Add the egg, two egg yolks and oil to the psyllium gel and mix well to combine.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the psyllium gel-egg mixture.

Knead the dough using the dough hook of a stand mixer until smooth and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated, then knead for a further 4-5 minutes (if using a stand mixer) or 6-8 minutes (if kneading it by hand). Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour. Tip: This extra kneading time will make the dough EXTRA smooth, which is the key to a beautiful gluten free challah.

The final dough will be slightly sticky to the touch – that’s okay, you’ll be working on a lightly floured surface so it shouldn’t be a problem. Ideally, chill the dough in the fridge for about 1 hour before proceeding to the next step. This will make the dough firmer, less sticky, and therefore easier to handle.

Shaping & braiding:

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball, then divide it into four equal portions, each should weigh about 250g.  (NOTE: I like the 4 strand braid as posted in the original recipe, go to her post to see directions.  But I want to try the 5 strand braid next time I used to do with my regular glutenous challah bread).

Take one portion of the dough and shape it into a ball (keep the others covered with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film or a clean dish towel to prevent them from drying out).

Roll it out into a rough rectangle – the exact dimensions don’t really matter, aim for a size of about 8x5 inches (20x12cm).

Working along the wider end, fold the dough over itself and press down gently to seal. Continue folding the dough over itself (and pressing down to seal), you’re essentially rolling it up into an approximately 8-inch (20cm) log. Pinch the seam together to seal it.

Use the palms of your hands to roll the dough back and forth until you reach a length of about 15-16 inches (38-40cm). While you’re rolling it, make sure that you also create a slightly tapered shape, with the ends of the rope/strand slightly narrower than the middle.

Repeat with the other three portions of dough, until you get four 15-16-inch (38-40cm) ropes or strands. Transfer them to a large sheet of parchment/baking paper – you’ll braid the challah on the paper, it’ll make it easier to transfer it to the baking sheet.

Braid the four-strand challah loaf. Always start with the strand farthest to the right and and weave it towards the left through the other strands using the pattern: over-under-over. Repeat this pattern, always starting with the strand farthest to the right, until you have a fully braided loaf.

Note that gluten free dough is a bit more fragile than regular dough made from wheat flour, so you do have to be a bit more gentleb with it. I usually start braiding at the top third of the braid, braid towards the bottom, then rotate the challah by 180 degrees and finish off the other end – this tends to give me the prettiest end result. (See the blog post for detailed step-by-step photos of the braiding process.)

Once you’ve finished the braid, tuck the ends underneath the braided loaf for a more polished final look.

Proofing:

Use the parchment/baking paper underneath to transfer the challah onto a large baking sheet (trim the paper as needed to make it fit the baking sheet).

Lightly cover the challah with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film (to prevent it from drying out) and proof in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

Tip: If your kitchen is on the cold side, put a cup of boiling hot water into your (turned-off) oven – that will create the perfect warm, slightly humid proofing environment.

Baking the challah:

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).

Once the challah has doubled in size, brush it gently with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).

Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 28-30 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown. If the loaf starts browning too much or too quickly, you can cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil, shiny side up.

I like to check the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf, much like you would with a cake: if your toothpick comes out with raw dough on it, the challah needs a bit longer in the oven.

Immediately transfer the baked gluten free challah to a wire rack to cool – this prevents any condensation from forming underneath.

Enjoy warm or cooled completely to room temperature.

Storage:

This gluten free challah is definitely at its best fresh, on the day of baking, but it also keeps well for 3-4 days at room temperature in a closed container or well wrapped (to prevent it from drying out). I recommend toasting or reheating it on days 3 and 4.

Softest Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

The Softest Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls adapted from The Loopy Whisk recipe.

These are the softest, squishiest, gooiest gluten free cinnamon rolls you’ll ever make – in fact, they’re so ridiculously good that even non-gluten-free folks will love them. The dough handles beautifully: you can knead it and roll it out without any problems whatsoever. And there’s also an overnight, make-ahead option, so you can prepare them the night before and have them for breakfast the next day!  You can double the recipe to make 12 cinnamon rolls that fit perfectly into a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Prep Time 45minutes mins plus 30-60 minutes of chill time, Cook/Bake Time 35minutes minutes, Proof Time 1hour hr 15minutes minutes, Total Time 3hours hours 35minutes mins

INGREDIENTS:

Gluten free enriched dough:

▢15 g (3 tbsp) whole/rough psyllium husk (If using psyllium husk powder, use only 13g.)

▢180 g (¾ cup) warm water

▢160 g (1⅓ cups + 1 tbsp) tapioca starch (You can use an equal weight of arrowroot starch, cornstarch or potato starch instead.)

▢135 g (1 cup) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface (You can use an equal weight of finely milled/ground brown rice flour instead, but your rolls might be slightly less fluffy.)

▢25 g (3 tbsp) sorghum flour (You can use an equal weight of light buckwheat flour, white teff flour or oat flour instead. Use the latter only if you're not sensitive to oats.)

▢50 g (¼ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar

▢6 g (2 tsp) instant yeast (If using active dry yeast, use 8g.)

▢6 g (1½ tsp) baking powder

▢5 g (2 tsp) xanthan gum

▢5 g (1 tsp) salt

▢100 g (⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp) whole milk, warm

▢1 large egg, room temperature

▢35 g (2½ tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

Cinnamon Filling:

▢85 g (¾ stick) very soft unsalted butter (The ideal butter texture is somewhere in between softened and melted butter – it should be quite soft and easily spreadable, but not completely liquid.)

▢100 g (½ cup) light brown sugar

▢1 tbsp ground cinnamon

For baking the cinnamon rolls:

▢½ tbsp unsalted butter, softened, for buttering the skillet or baking pan

▢100 g (⅓ cup + 2 tbsp) heavy/double cream, warm

Icing:

▢3 tablespoons (43 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature

▢6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, softened to room temperature

▢1 ¼ cups (143 g) powdered sugar

▢¼ to ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or I like mix 1/4 teaspoon maple extract and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla).

▢pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

Gluten free enriched dough:

Make the psyllium gel: In a small bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and warm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.  Set aside.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, sugar, instant yeast, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.  

Tip: If using active dry yeast instead, you need to activate it first. Mix together the active dry yeast, 1-2 tbsp of the sugar and the warm milk. Set aside for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture starts frothing. Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the psyllium gel, egg and melted butter.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the psyllium gel, warm milk, egg and melted butter.

Knead the dough until smooth using the dough hook and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated, then knead for a further 5 minutes (if using a stand mixer) or 8-10 minutes (if kneading it by hand). Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour. This extra kneading time will make the dough EXTRA smooth, which is the key to beautiful gluten free cinnamon rolls.

The final dough will be slightly sticky to the touch – that’s okay, you’ll be working on a lightly floured surface so it shouldn’t be a problem. Resist the temptation to add more flour to the dough, as that can make the final rolls too dense and dry.  Ideally you will chill the dough for 1 hour in the fridge to make it easier to handle.  This will give the flours in the dough time to properly hydrate and also firm up the butter in the dough – both of these factors will make the dough firmer, less sticky, and therefore easier to handle.

Cinnamon filling:

In a bowl, mix together the very soft butter, light brown sugar and ground cinnamon until you get a soft, spreadable paste.  (If it's too thick to spread easily, you can soften it slightly in the microwave (in 2-3 second bursts, mix in between). If it's too runny, you can chill it briefly in the fridge until it thickens to the right consistency. Set aside until needed.

Assembling the cinnamon rolls:

Lightly butter a 10-inch round baking pan, and set aside until needed.  (If doubling the recipe use a 9x13 inch pan). Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Roll it out into a roughly 11×15-inch (28x38cm) rectangle.Spread the cinnamon filling out into an even layer across the rolled-out dough, all the way to the edges.

Cut the rectangle lengthways into seven 1½-inch (4cm) wide strips, so that they’re 15 inches (38cm) long.  (If doubling the recipe you will make 12-14 rolls). I like to use a pizza cutter for this, but a sharp knife will also work well. Roll up each individual strip into a roll – this will give you the perfect swirl. Arrange the cinnamon rolls in the buttered skillet or baking pan, they should only just touch each other.  Then proof the cinnamon rolls: Proof the cinnamon rolls in a warm place for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until about doubled in volume. Lightly cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film to prevent them from drying out during proofing.  You can proof them in a warm oven, or even add a cup of hot water inside the oven.

While the rolls are proofing, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).  Once the cinnamon rolls have doubled in volume, pour warm heavy/double cream evenly all over them.  The addition of cream makes these gluten free cinnamon rolls extra rich and soft. It’s important that you use warm cream (not cold from the fridge). Cover the skillet or baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350ºF (180ºC) covered with the aluminum foil for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and continue baking until the cinnamon rolls get golden on top – about 15 minutes more. Allow the baked cinnamon rolls to cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the cream cheese icing.

Icing

To make the icing, beat the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl, whip until creamy. Add the milk or cream and vanilla (and maple extract). Mix again. Add about half of the powdered sugar mix.  Scrape down the sides.  Add the rest of the powdered sugar and whip until light and creamy.  Spread the warm rolls with icing.

OVERNIGHT, MAKE AHEAD OPTIONS:

Option 1: You can prepare the dough and then keep it in the fridge overnight (in a closed container or in a covered bowl). You can then roll, shape, proof and bake the cinnamon rolls the next day.

Option 2: You can make the dough and shape the cinnamon rolls, and then keep the tightly covered skillet or baking pan in the fridge overnight. The next day, bring the rolls to room temperature. If they haven’t doubled in size by the time they’ve reached room temperature, proof them for a while longer –this took almost 3 hours for me.  Once double in size, pour over the heavy/double cream and bake according to the recipe.  

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

This tastes just like the classic.  Best served the same day or freeze any leftovers.  Recipe is easily double.  Makes 2 dozen.

 INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I use Jiff for this recipe)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 cup gluten-free 1:1 all purpose flour blend (I have used King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill Baking Blend successfully with this recipe, if your gluten free flour blend does not have xanthum gum, add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthum gum.
• 3 Tablespoons of granulated sugar, reserved
• 24-30 Hershey Kisses

Mix shortening, softened butter, and peanut butter.  Add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla and mix until well blended and lighter in color.  Add baking soda, salt, and baking powder.  Mix.  Then mix in the flour.

Put the 3 T of granulated sugar in a small bowl.  Scoop the dough and roll into small balls (1/2-3/4 T each).  Roll each dough ball in the sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet with parchment of a silpat.  Bake at 375 degrees for 9-10 minutes.  Don't over bake.  Right as the cookies come out of the oven add a Hershey's kiss on top.