Fluffy Buckwheat Bread Rolls

These delicious soft and fluffy gluten-free buckwheat rolls are nut-free and can easily be made dairy-free! They are made without added starches which makes them richer in nutrition. I love to eat them with traditional Ukrainian borscht!

I have been baking with buckwheat flour a lot lately and these are so good you wouldn't tell they are made with only one flour type, unlike my buckwheat focaccia which needed some extra sorghum mixed into it.

These rolls are made with yeast, a non-sourdough version of my gluten-free sourdough dinner rolls. They are great with butter, homemade apple jam, homemade 5-minute peanut butter, or next to soups like this tomato soup, broccoli cheddar soup, or this butternut squash cream soup.

What is buckwheat flour?

Buckwheat flour is made by grinding buckwheat groats into fine powder which then can be used in bread like this buckwheat sourdough or buckwheat sandwich bread.

It's important to note that buckwheat is gluten-free (despite its name) and grain-free so it is perfect for people with gluten allergies or celiac disease.

You can make your own buckwheat flour by blending hulled buckwheat groats in a high-speed blender and sieving them to get rid of larger bits.

If you plan on buying buckwheat flour, make sure to get light buckwheat flour, not the dark one. Dark buckwheat flour has a coarser texture and a stronger flavor which can ruin your baked goods that rely on buckwheat as much as these buckwheat flatbreads or this buckwheat chocolate cake.

Ingredients

• Light buckwheat flour - I don't recommend using dark buckwheat flour because of its intense flavor and coarser texture.
• Psyllium husks - I prefer using whole husks because they don't clump in water and don't affect the color of your bread. You can use powder if that is the only thing you have!
• Xanthan gum is a crucial ingredient in this recipe. Without it, the buns will be drier and denser. You can use guar gum if necessary.
• Eggs - I haven't tested this recipe with egg replacement yet. Leave a comment if you tried it!
• Milk - I used rice milk but any other milk will work.
• Oil - I used sunflower oil but you can use any other oil for this recipe.
• Yeast - I recommend instant yeast because you don't need to activate it. Active dry yeast can be used as well, just make sure to use some water to activate it first.
• Baking powder - helps create air bubbles and fluffiness in the rolls.
• Sugar is partially added for flavor and partially for the yeast to feed on.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1. First, add the water and whole psyllium husks to a medium-sized bowl and whisk to incorporate.

Set the bowl aside for a couple minutes to let the gel form.

If you are using psyllium powder, add it to cold water and whisk vigorously to prevent clumps from forming.

Step 2. In the meantime add buckwheat flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, sugar, and instant yeast to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

If you are using active dry yeast, use the milk to activate it. Warm up the milk in the microwave and add the yeast to it. Let it sit until frothy.

Step 3. Add psyllium gel, eggs, milk, and oil to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix to incorporate.

You can mix using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer with dough hooks. The dough will be very sticky and wet but don't add any extra flour to it!

Step 4. Grease a square 8-inch (20cm) baking tin or round dish.

Divide the dough into 9 equal parts about 114g each. I recommend using a digital kitchen scale for this step to ensure all rolls are the same size.

The dough will be hard to work with, so grease or wet your hands each time the dough starts sticking.

Take each part and shape it into a ball. Grease or wet your hands before each ball. You might need to wash your hands a couple times during the process.

Place the balls into the baking dish, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and set them to rise for about 1 hour. The rolls will puff up but won't double in size.

The perfect temperature for proofing dough is 75F/24C. You can place the rolls into the cold oven with the light on to create that environment.

Step 5. Once the rolls are done proofing, brush them with an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or linseeds.

Whisk 1 egg with a fork until the yolk is incorporated with the white to make the egg wash.

Now, I like to bake buckwheat rolls from a "cold start" meaning I let the oven warm up to 375F/190C with the rolls inside. For that, you need to make sure the buns have been rising no longer than 50-60min because they will continue proofing during preheating.

Alternatively, you can preheat the oven to 375F/190C about 20 minutes before the buns are done proofing and bake the traditional way.

In any case, once the oven is heated to 375F/190C, bake the rolls for 20 minutes. Then, take the dish with the buns out and let them cool for 20-30 minutes before eating. Bush the buns with melted butter or olive oil right out of the oven for extra softness! Enjoy!

Storage

• Buckwheat rolls will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days if kept in an air-tight container or bag.
• To keep the rolls fresh, I recommend freezing them. To freeze, let buckwheat buns cool completely, then place them in a freezer-friendly container or bag, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.
• To defrost, place a bun or two into the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Expert tips

1. Use a digital kitchen scale if at all possible!
2. Grease your hands when shaping the rolls. You might need to wash your hands a couple times during the process.
3. Don't add extra flour to the dough, it is meant to be very sticky.
4. Don't leave out/substitute xanthan gum and psyllium husk. They both are essential to the recipe!
5. Don't open the oven during baking or the buns will deflate.
6. Make these into buckwheat hamburger buns by separating the dough into 8 equal rolls and baking them on a baking sheet instead.

Troubleshooting

The rolls didn't rise during proofing - remember that the buns aren't supposed to double in size. If they didn't rise at all, that means your yeast has expired or the temperature in your kitchen is too low. The perfect temperature for proofing bread is 75F/24C.

The buns rose during baking but deflated once taken out - this can happen if the crust didn't set all the way before you took the buns out. Make sure your oven temperature is correct (use an oven thermometer if necessary).

Another possible reason could be that you let your bread rise too long. The buns need about 50-60 minutes at 75F/24C before baking with the cold start and 60-70 minutes before baking in a preheated oven.

The dough is too wet to handle - the dough is supposed to be very sticky but possible to handle with greased hands. You can add extra buckwheat flour to the dough if you need to but the buns might turn out somewhat drier.

FAQ