Soft & Fluffy Gluten-Free Sourdough Rolls

These gluten-free sourdough rolls are soft, fluffy, pillowy, chewy, and flavorful just like the "regular" good old dinner rolls! They can be made with starter discard if you add yeast. You can even use them instead of gluten-free slider buns for a tailgate party!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

- Texture. These rolls are incredibly soft, fluffy, and moist!

- Flavor. No grittiness here! Tastes just like a good old dinner roll. You can also use them as hamburger buns. For xanthan gum-free buns check out my sourdough buns recipe!

- Easy. These dinner rolls only need one rise before baking!

Note: you might also like my sourdough naan bread, bagels with discard, and sourdough soft pretzels!

What Is A Sourdough Starter?

A sourdough starter is a wild yeast that is used to bake sourdough bread. You can easily make it at home with flour, water, and a little bit of patience! For more details, read my gluten-free starter guide.

Psyllium husk - you can use whole husks or powder. There are two types of psyllium powder, one is finer than the other. Normally they won't tell you on the package which type it is but they do behave differently. If you are using the super fine type, you need less of it! To see the difference go to my psyllium husk instructions post.

Xanthan gum - I am using both psyllium husk and xanthan gum in this recipe for the best texture!

Egg - use a room-temperature egg.

Oil - I used sunflower oil.

Gluten-free sourdough starter - you can use a mature starter at its peak activity or starter discard with the addition of regular yeast.

Substitutions

Tapioca starch (same as tapioca flour) – you can use arrowroot starch. You can also use cornstarch/potato starch but your rolls might not be as chewy.

Brown rice flour – you can use millet flour instead.

Lentil flour – use gluten-free oat flour, sorghum flour, or white teff flour instead.

Sourdough starter – you can make these gluten-free dinner rolls with yeast instead of sourdough starter, for that, omit the starter and use 8g of active dry yeast.

Psyllium husk – there is no good substitute for psyllium husk other than psyllium husk powder. If using powder, use 8.5 grams and add it to the dry ingredients instead of the water. Do not reduce the water amount! You will need to let the dough sit for psyllium husk to absorb the liquids.

Xanthan gum – I am using both psyllium husk and xanthan gum in this recipe for the best texture. For the best results, use both.

Milk – use plant-based milk for a dairy-free version.

Egg – you can use ¼ cup of applesauce or a chia (or flax) egg.

Sugar – you can use honey or maple syrup instead.

Add psyllium husk, sugar, oil, milk, and water to a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for a couple of minutes for psyllium gel to form.

Add dry ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl) and whisk to combine.

Once psyllium gel is ready, add it to the dry ingredients along with the egg and the sourdough starter. If you are using starter discard, then add 7g of dry active/instant yeast or 20g of fresh yeast at this point.

Knead the dough for 5 minutes with a stand or hand mixer and 10 minutes if you are mixing by hand. Kneading for a longer time allows the rolls to have an extra smooth surface without bumps!

Grease a medium-sized baking dish with butter, margarine, lard, or oil and set aside. Turn the dough onto the floured surface. The dough will be very sticky! Avoid the urge to add more flour. Rather, grease your hands with oil to prevent sticking. Keep greasing your hands if the dough starts sticking again!

Separate the dough into 9 balls. I recommend using a digital scale to make sure all rolls are about the same weight. Mine are around 95 grams per ball.

Finally, grease your hands with oil and shape each piece of the dough into a ball in between the palms of your hands.

Place each ball into the greased baking dish, cover with a tea towel, and leave to rise for 3-3 ½ hours. The rolls won’t rise as much in this stage but they will puff up significantly during baking.

If you are using starter discard with yeast, let the rolls rise for only 1 hour.

30 minutes before the rolls are done rising, start preheating the oven to 375F/190C. Once the rolls are ready (they will puff up a bit, but not much), prepare the egg wash and brush the rolls with it to encourage browning.

To make the egg wash just whisk 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl, then brush the rolls with it using a silicone or a baking brush. Don’t use the whole egg, use just enough to cover the entire surface of the dough.

Place a medium-sized dish with water on the bottom of the oven. The steam will encourage the oven spring (rising) and prevent the crust from forming. Your rolls will be very soft!

Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the water and bake for an additional 5 minutes. In these last 5 minutes, the rolls will brown more and finish baking. The internal temperature of baked-through rolls is 210F/100C. A toothpick should come out without raw dough sticking to it (a couple of crumbs is okay).

As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, generously brush them with melted butter while they are still hot. You can eat the rolls right away, no need to wait for them to cool!

How To Store

The rolls are best on the day of baking but they can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days in a textile bread bag or a sealed container. You can keep the dinner rolls in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze them for up to 3-5 months.

To defrost, let them thaw at room temperature or warm them up in a microwave. If you are defrosting a few sourdough rolls at the same time, you can pop them into the oven at 375F/175C for 5-10 minutes or until ready. Brush with more butter for a better texture.

Expert Tips

- Use a digital kitchen scale for the best results. If you accidentally overpack or underpack the measuring cups (which is very easy to do, especially if you are in a hurry), you might end up with gummy or dense dinner rolls. A kitchen scale will also save you time (and dishes to wash!).

If you are using measuring cups, make sure to fluff up the flour in the jar first, then spoon it into the cups without pressing the flour into them, and then brush off the extra flour by swiping a knife over the top of the cup.

- Use an oven thermometer to avoid underbaking or burning. A lot of ovens run hot or cold (mine does!), so a thermometer allows you to have consistent results!

- Use a mature sourdough starter. If your starter is weak, only bubbles a little, or is not mature, the rolls will still be delicious, they just won’t have as many air pockets. A mature sourdough starter is a starter at its peak activity that is still bubbling (it hasn’t fallen flat yet). If you prefer using starter discard, add 7g of active dry/instant yeast or 20g of fresh yeast.

- If you want more sourness to your rolls, let them ferment overnight in the refrigerator.

- Keep greasing your hands if the dough gets sticky. The only time you need to use extra flour is to flour the working surface. Otherwise, avoid the urge to add flour!

FAQ