Gluten Free Multipurpose Bread Dough

This multi-purpose gluten free bread dough recipe is one I use so often, as it can be made into bread rolls, burger buns, pizza base, savoury scrolls, sweet scrolls. I even make ‘scones’ from it (not really like traditional scones, but when made in the same shape, covered in homemade jam and cream, who is going to argue?!)

It does make a lot of dough, but it can be kept in the fridge and used over the course of a week, or used as part of convenient meals for another time. It is pretty easy to make, as you do not need to knead this dough, there is no gluten to develop or work.

I make the burger buns in thin pieces with one for the top of the burger and one for the bottom, rather than a bulkier bun that gets cut in half. When making burger buns, I make and bake all the burger buns at once, knowing that half can be frozen (along with half the uncooked burger patties) for a quick dinner later on (the cooked burger buns defrost really well).

You can make several pizzas from it at once, and then freeze a few uncooked pizzas for a quick dinner another time (or even freeze cooked pizza bites or slices for the kids lunch boxes).

I make a big batch of scrolls (half savoury, half sweet) and they all get eaten within a couple of days time, because it is such a big treat for my husband and daughter (who have Coeliac disease) to have them. If I could manage to stop them eating them all, I am sure they would also freeze and defrost OK (a quick warm in the microwave would help to give them back some bounce).

Gluten Free Multipurpose Bread Dough

MAKES

About 4 to 5 pizza bases OR 16 burger buns (or 32 pieces) OR 24 scrolls

INGREDIENTS

  • 600mls lactose-free milk or water
  • 1 cup macadamia oil
  • 4 large eggs (240 to 280gm total)
  • 3 teaspoons fine salt
  • 2 tablespoon raw sugar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated yeast
  • 2 tablespoons xanthan gum
  • 2 cups tapioca flour
  • 2 cups corn flour
  • 1 cup maize flour
  • 1 cup white rice flour
  • Plus, 2 cups of extra gluten free flour (for rolling and dusting)

FOR PIZZA

FOR BURGER BUNS

  • Optional: Extra water or milk to brush over the bread dough before baking
  • Optional: 1/4 cup sesame seeds

FOR SWEET SCROLLS AND SAVOURY SCROLLS

  • For the sweet: 200gm chocolate, cut into pieces (or use choc drops/ chips)
  • For the savoury: 200gm bacon or ham, 2 to 3 cups grated cheese, 1/2 cup relish or sauce
  • Optional: Extra water or milk to brush over the bread dough before baking

METHOD

  1. In a food processor, combine milk (or water), oil and eggs, then blend to combine
  2. Add the salt, sugar, yeast, and xanthan gum, and blend again to combine
  3. Add the flours (except for the extra flour for dusting!) and blend again until combined, and smooth
  4. Oil a bowl (or two bowls) that are big enough to allow for the dough to double in size
  5. Transfer the dough (using wet hands) into the oiled bowls, and cover with lid on loosely or clean tea towel, and place in a warm spot for 2 hours to rise (if it is cold weather or you don’t have a warm place, use a warmed up heatpack placed near the bowls to assist in the rise).
  6. Meanwhile, prepare your toppings or fillings. Also have trays, lined with baking paper at the ready.
  7. You can roll this dough between pieces of baking paper, but as it is very sticky, I find you still need to flour it, as the dough will stick to the paper. If you don’t want to use baking paper, you can just sprinkle some of the extra flour on the bench or board you are using.
  8. Sprinkle some extra flour on top of the dough in the bowl. Then using hands dusted with some of the extra flour, take a portion of dough out of the bowl.
  9. Roll out, cut and bake as per instructions below, using more flour as needed to stop it sticking to your hands and baking paper. Note, it may seem like the thickness I recommend isn’t very thick, but this bread dough will still rise as it bakes, despite being gluten free.

For pizza

  1. Roll out about 2 to 3 cups of dough to make a base to about 1cm thick, on a piece of baking paper (easier to transfer the pizza bases and paper to your baking tray or BBQ stone, and each base/ topped pizza can stay on its own piece of baking paper, whilst waiting for its turn in the oven/ BBQ) in a round or rectangle shape. Repeat to use up all the dough.
  2. Top with pizza sauce, toppings and cheese, and bake for about 25 to 45 minutes in a moderate oven (depending on how many toppings you used, how thick you made your base etc) until cooked through and the cheese is golden brown
  3. You can freeze uncooked pizzas in a large container, with baking paper between each. You can freeze cooked pizza slices in containers with baking paper between each layer of pizza pieces.

For burger buns

  1. Roll out about 2 cups of dough to about 1/2 cm thick, depending on your preference, but we like thin burger buns (one used at the top, one as the bottom), like the Low Carb SuperBuns at Grill’d).
  2. Using a cookie cutter, cut out dough circles and carefully (using floured hands) transfer them to a baking or cookie tray, with baking paper.
  3. Scoop up unused dough, form back into a ball (it will be easier after the first time, as the flour makes it less sticky) and roll out again, to cut more buns. Repeat for remaining dough.
  4. You can brush water or milk on the top of each dough circle to wash off flour, and create a smooth bun. You can also also sprinkle sesame seeds on half the buns at that point too (the seeds stick to the wet bun).
  5. For thin burger buns, bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a moderate oven, until golden brown on top.

For scrolls

  1. Make half the dough using the sweet toppings, and half the dough using the savoury toppings. Of course, you can make the whole batch sweet, or the whole batch sweet, just double each of the amounts listed above per your sweet or savoury preference.
  2. Roll out about 2 to 3 cups of dough into a rectangle, about 1cm to 2cm thick, and about 20 x 30cm dimensions (approximately). The batch will make about 4 rectangles of this size.
  3. Top two rectangles of the dough surface evenly with chopped chocolate, and two with sauce (if using), then with bacon or ham, and cheese. Cover most of the dough except for about 2 inches at short end.
  4. Brush the uncovered end with milk or water (to help the dough stick to itself once you’ve rolled the rest of the scroll/ log up).
  5. Start at the opposite end, and using the baking paper to help you roll, start to roll up one long log (bit like making sushi), heading towards the uncovered/ wet end. Press the dough onto the filling as you go, lifting back the baking paper, to then roll again, until the whole log is rolled up.
  6. Then using a floured knife, cut segments along the log (about 3cm in width), to form pieces of individual scroll
  7. Transfer the pieces to a baking tray with baking paper on it, lay each piece on its side (scroll side up), then brush the tops of the scrolls with milk or water if you prefer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden on top.

NOTES

  • This recipe is based on the Gluten Free Brioche recipe by Zoe and Jeff from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day (I have the original book!) Another bread recipe I like and use is their Gluten Free Crusty Boule recipe. I adapted these recipes to make it low in FODMAPs (no honey), and use flours more readily available in Australia. If you are looking for sorghum flour to follow their original recipes, check out Indian Grocery stores.
  • You can use another neutral/ mild flavoured oil if you don’t have macadamia oil. I have tried this with 1/2 cup macadamia oil and 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil, with success.
  • I have tried not using the cornflour (because I didn’t have any one time!) and instead using 2 cups tapioca, 2 cups maize and 2 cups white rice flours, which worked but it does give a better result by using cornflour (corn starch)
  • This dough is very sticky, and requires a generous coating of flour initially to make it easier to work with. When making gluten free crusty boule, using wet hands to scoop out and shape the bread works well, as it is limited steps and handling. As we want to roll out this dough, cut it, re-work it etc. I find that using extra flour makes that so much easier! However, that can leave a flour on the finished product, so wash it off with milk or water and a basting brush, if you prefer.
  • This dough can be kept in the fridge for a week, taking small amounts out to raise (for 45 minutes) and bake as needed, but although that is convenient (more convenient than making bread dough every day!) I don’t have time for that (and we don’t make our own sliced bread for toast and sandwiches). You easily make daily bread rolls, by scooping out small amounts of dough with wet hands, shaping them quickly, letting them raise for 45 minutes on a baking tray, and then baking.