Easy Gluten-free buns! (with Rice flour and Chia seeds)
Your quest for a wholesome, gluten-free bun ends here! I’ve tried numerous brands of gluten-free buns and several recipes and this Gluten-free bun recipe with Rice flour and Chia seeds with a nice airy texture and delicious bite is the hands-down winner!
Why are some gluten-free Buns gummy?
A lot of gluten-free recipes use starchy flours which may make the bread/ bun texture gummy. The trick is to use the right balance of gluten-free grain flours and starches so that the bun has a nice airy texture and is not gummy. This recipe uses the perfect balance of gluten-free grain flours, white rice and sorghum with the starches, potato and tapioca for a beautiful non-gummy texture.
How do you keep the dough for gluten-free bun/ bread together?
Gluten is the binding agent that keeps the dough together while using regular flours. In gluten-free baking, the use of a binding agent is absolutely necessary to keep the dough from falling apart. Some of the popular binding agents in gluten-free baking are:
- Xanthan gum
- Psyllium Husk
- Chia seeds
- Flaxseeds
What is the role of Chia seeds in this recipe?
While Chia seeds aren’t as effective as a binding agent if used alone, in this recipe they are used along with psyllium husk. They serve as the magic ingredient as they –
- Act as a binding agent
- Keep the bun moist
- Add a crunch to the bun
How to make Gluten-free buns
How to keep your gluten-free bun dough from expanding sideways while proofing?
The gluten-free dough doesn’t have gluten which adds structure to the dough. The binding agents help create the structure, to support the structure we need to make sure we knead the dough after the first proof and create tension while shaping the buns. Another easy technique is to use muffin liners (like I’ve used) in this recipe.
How do I know the (gluten-free) buns are fully cooked?
Don’t worry! You’ll have both visual and aromatic signs to tell you the buns are cooked. You’ll see that the buns have a nice golden brown color and the aroma of freshly baked bread will fill your kitchen! You can also lightly tap the top of the gluten-free buns and it should spring back up indicating that they’re done.
What ingredients do I need to make gluten-free buns?
Although the list of ingredients seem long, if you consider them as groups it’ll be easier to remember:
Flours:
- 1 cup White Rice flour
- 1/2 cup Sorghum flour
Starches:
- 1/4 cup Potato starch
- 1/4 cup Tapioca starch
Leavening agent:
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
Seasoning and flavors:
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp Sugar
Yeast:
Instant Yeast
Topping (optional):
- Sesame seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
Binding agents:
- 2.5 tbsp Psyllium husk
- 1 tbsp Chia seeds
- 2 Egg whites
Fat:
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/3 cup Milk
- Olive oil
Acid:
White Rice vinegar
Product Recommendations:
Step by Step process of making gluten-free buns
Preparation:
- Make sure the butter, eggs and milk are at room temperature. Separate out the egg whites and set aside.
- Warm milk (1/3 cup) and water (200 ml) in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds until warm to touch.
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve white rice flour, sorghum flour, potato and tapioca starch, and baking powder. Add in , sugar, yeast, salt, psyllium husk and chia seeds and whisk together.
- Add the egg whites. Mix using a hand blender. Add in white vinegar, warm milk and water mixture alternating with olive oil.
- Blend in the softened butter.
Mix with a hand mixer or a stand mixer on medium setting for 4-5 minutes. At this stage the dough looks slightly thicker than cake batter.
First Proof:
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and using a spatula give it a nice mix folding in the dough. Unlike a regular flour dough, the dough is sticky.
- Cover the mixing bowl with a plastic wrap. Then, wrap a kitchen towel/ thin blanket around the bowl (depending on the kitchen temperature.
- Place it in a draft-free place for 1 hour. This is our 1st proof.
Shaping and second proof:
- After an hour, the dough rises and becomes light and fluffy (almost doubling in size).
- Unwrap the mixing bowl and using a spatula, fold in the contents. Apply some oil to your hands and take a small portion of the dough.
- Shape the dough into a small ball and place on a muffin liner*. Place the dough balls on a baking tray.
*Optional: Placing the dough in muffin liners helps prevent the dough from spreading sideways.
- Cover the baking tray with a plastic wrap, then with a kitchen towel to proof for about 20-25 minutes. This is our second proof.
- Halfway through the proofing time, you can preheat the oven to 375 deg F.
Topping and Baking:
- After the second proof, the buns are doubled in size and now it’s time to top them.
- Lightly brush the top of the buns with some milk or beaten egg add a topping of your choice. Pumpkin seeds, white and black sesame seeds are my favorite toppings.
- Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Serving & Storing:
- After turning off the oven, take out the buns from the oven after 1-2 minutes. Let them cool down for about 10-15 minutes on a wire rack.
- Add some melted butter for an extra shiny top. You can slice them and enjoy them as a sandwich with a tofu patty or a turkey patty. I also like to enjoy them with some fresh berry compote.
- You can enjoy these gluten-free buns for 2-3 days at room temperature or upto a week in the refrigerator.
Related Recipes:
Easy Gluten-free buns! (with Rice flour and Chia seeds)
Equipment
- 1 Hand mixer
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Flours
- 1 cup White rice flour
- ½ cup Sorghum flour
Starches
- ¼ cup Potato starch
- ¼ cup Tapioca starch
Fats
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- 1/3 cup Milk
Binding agents
- 2 Egg whites
- 3 tbsp Psyllium husk
- 1 tbsp Chia seeds
Acid
- 1 tbsp White Rice vinegar
Yeast
- ½ tbsp Instant yeast
Seasoning
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp Sugar
Leavening
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
Topping
- 1 tsp White sesame seeds
- 1 tsp Black sesame seeds
- 1 tsp Pumpkin seeds
Instructions
Preparation
- Make sure the butter, eggs and milk are at room temperature. Separate out the egg whites and set aside.
- Warm milk (1/3 cup) and water (200 ml) in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds until warm to touch.
Mixing
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve white rice flour, sorghum flour, potato and tapioca starch, and baking powder. Add in psyllium husk, sugar, yeast, salt and chia seeds and whisk together.
- Add the softened butter and the egg whites. Mix using a hand blender. Add in warm milk and water mixture alternating with olive oil.
- Mix with a hand mixer or a stand mixer on medium setting for 3-4 minutes. At this stage the dough looks slightly thicker than cake batter.
First Proof
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and using a spatula give it a nice mix folding in the dough. Unlike a regular flour dough, the dough is sticky.
- Cover the mixing bowl with a plastic wrap. Then, wrap a kitchen towel/ thin blanket around the bowl (depending on the kitchen temperature). Place it in a draft-free place for 1 hour. This is our 1st proof.
Shaping and second proof
- After an hour, the dough rises and becomes light and fluffy (almost doubling in size). Unwrap the mixing bowl and using a spatula, fold in the contents. Apply some oil to your hands and take a small portion of the dough. Shape the dough into a small ball and place on a muffin liner*. Place the dough balls on a baking tray.
- Cover the baking tray with a plastic wrap, then with a kitchen towel to proof for about 20-25 minutes. This is our second proof. Halfway through the proofing time, you can preheat the oven to 375 deg F.
Topping and Baking
- After the second proof, the buns are doubled in size and now it's time to top them. Lightly brush the top of the buns with some milk or beaten egg add a topping of your choice. Pumpkin seeds, white and black sesame seeds are my favorite toppings.
- Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Serving & Storing
- After turning off the oven, take out the buns from the oven after 1-2 minutes. Let them cool down for about 10-15 minutes on a wire rack.
- Add some melted butter for an extra shiny top. You can slice them and enjoy them as a sandwich with a tofu patty or a turkey patty. I also like to enjoy them with some fresh berry compote.
- You can enjoy these gluten-free buns for 2-3 days at room temperature or upto a week in the refrigerator.