The Softest Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

• servings: 7 servings
• active time: 45 minutes
• total time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

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

135 g (1 cup) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface

25 g (3 tbsp) sorghum flour

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 US large/UK medium egg, room temperature

35 g (2½ tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

85 g (¾ stick) very soft unsalted butter

100 g (½ cup) light brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

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

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

115 g (½ cup) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature

55 g (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened

90 g (¾ cup) powdered/icing sugar

½-1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1-2 tsp vanilla extract)

pinch of salt

Directions

Gluten free enriched dough:

To make the dough, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. You can also make the dough by hand, but the mixer makes it much easier and results in a smoother dough.

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

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 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.Tip: 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.Tip: If you find the dough too sticky to easily handle (even on a floured surface and with floured hands), you can chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour before proceeding to the next step. 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.Tip: 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 (25cm) skillet or round baking pan, and set aside until needed.

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.

Dollop on the cinnamon filling and spread it 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. 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.

Proofing 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.Tip: If your kitchen is on the cold side, you can proof them in a lukewarm oven (the ideal proofing temperature is around 79ºF/26ºC). I usually place a cup of hot water inside the oven, to maintain a fairly humid environment.

Baking the cinnamon rolls:

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.Tip: 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 aluminium foil. Tip: You don’t need to cover it super tightly, just enough so that most of the steam generated during baking will get trapped by the foil. But arrange it so that it’s fairly easy to remove later on, without having to necessarily remove the skillet or pan from the oven, if at all possible.

Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350ºF (180ºC) covered with the aluminium foil for 20 minutes.Tip: The aluminium foil traps the steam generated during baking, which prevents a crust from forming on top of the cinnamon rolls. This allows them to expand much more during this first part of baking, so they’ll end up even softer and squishier.

After the 20 minutes, remove the aluminium 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.

Cream cheese icing:

In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. (You can do this by hand with a balloon whisk, with a hand mixer fitted with the double beaters, or with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.)

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt, and whisk well until evenly combined, smooth and creamy.

Spread the cream cheese icing over the cinnamon rolls while they're still hot or very warm. You can use all of the icing, or spread just ¾ of it over the rolls and set the rest aside for anyone who wants extra with their cinnamon roll.Tip: The warmth/heat from the cinnamon rolls will cause the icing to partially melt into all the nooks and crannies, and it will make the cinnamon rolls even more decadent and luxurious.

Enjoy the cinnamon rolls while they're still warm.

Serving and storage:

These gluten free cinnamon rolls are best served while they’re warm.

They're at their best on the day of baking, but you can keep them in a closed container for about 2-3 days. Just before serving, re-heat them briefly in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. This will return them to their original pillowy softness.

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 – and then, pour over the heavy/double cream and bake according to the recipe.