Cinnamon Rolls, Gluten-Free

FROM: Art of Gluten-Free Baking

http://artofglutenfreebaking.com

Special Equipment Needed

-9″ x 13″ baking pan

-rolling pin

-a stand mixer is very handy, but a hand mixer will do

-a Silpat mat is very handy, but plastic wrap will do

Ingredients

For the Dough

3 C/435 g Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix

2 tsp xanthan gum (in addition to what's in the flour mix)

4 tsp aluminum-free double-acting baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 TBL/50 g granulated sugar

2 TBL active dry yeast (I use Red Star)

1 1/4 C/300 ml warm but not hot milk (about 110 degrees F/43 degrees C)

2 tsp vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)

1/4 C/60 ml neutral-tasting vegetable oil (I use rice bran oil)

2 extra large eggs

extra tapioca flour for rolling out dough and for pan

extra butter for pan

For the Filling

1/4 C (1/2 stick; 55 g) unsalted butter

3/4 C/160 g dark brown sugar

2 TBL Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix

1 tsp cinnamon

-combine ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over low heat to melt butter. Stir to combine. Take off of heat and set aside.

For the Frosting

1/4 C (1/2 stick; 55 g) unsalted butter, softened

4 oz (1/2 bar; 115 g) cream cheese, softened

3/4 C/85 g powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

-combine ingredients in a small bowl and beat until combined and smooth; set aside

Butter and flour your pan with extra butter and tapioca flour; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt,and 3 TBL sugar; set aside

-in bowl of mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together eggs, oil and vinegar until just combined

-in a small bowl (or a glass measuring cup), whisk 1 TBL sugar into milk until sugar is dissolved

-add yeast, whisk until dissolved. Set aside to proof (will look foamy on top when it's ready)

-once yeast mixture is foamy on top, add it to the wet ingredients in the bowl of stand mixer

-add dry ingredients

-with paddle attachment, beat dough on medium high for 3 minutes (dough will be very stiff)

Prepare your work surface: if you have it, place Silpat mat on work surface (or use a large piece of plastic wrap--at least 12" x 18 inches). My Silpat mat is 12" x 16.5". Generously sprinkle with tapioca flour (surface should be completely covered). This will ensure that the dough won't stick to the surface.

After it has been beaten for 3 minutes, scrape out the dough onto tapioca-sprinkled work surface. The dough will be stiff and sticky. Liberally sprinkle dough and rolling pin with tapioca flour. Adequate coverage will ensure that the dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin

-roll out dough until it is 12" x 15" rectangle (you can also use your fingers to push it out here and there into the correct shape). It will be about 1/4" thick.

Sprinkle filling mixture over top of dough. Leave a 1/4" margin on the long sides and on 1 of the short ends, and a 1 inch margin at the other short end. This will help you to roll and seal the rolls. You may have to work a bit to get the dough evenly covered with filling. I use a butter knife to scrape the filling over to parts that don't have filling.

-with a pastry brush, brush the 1" margin of dough on the one short side with water. This make it a bit sticky and will help your rolls seal at the end.

Starting at the short end that does not have the 1" margin, carefully roll the dough into a fairly tight cylinder. This should be fairly easy if you adequately floured your work surface before placing the dough on it. If the dough sticks to the work surface, gently pick up the end of the Silpat mat (or the plastic wrap) and use that to help you push and roll the dough. Carefully and steadily roll into a cylinder, and when you reach the end (the side with the water brushed on) press this part of the dough carefully but firmly to the body of the cylinder. You should now have a roughly 12" long cylinder (don't worry if it's a bit longer or shorter). You can pat the open ends in a bit to make them more even.

Cut your rolls: I usually sprinkle more tapioca flour onto the work surface and carefully pick up the cylinder and place it into the middle of the work surface so I have room to cut the rolls. Starting at one of the open ends, and using a ruler and a sharp knife, mark dough in 1" increments. You should now have 12 marks. With your knife, carefully cut the dough along the marks. I wipe off the knife after each cut. Place each roll cut side up into your prepared pan. You will have 12 rolls. The rolls should be slightly touching, but will have a bit of room around them. This is purposeful. I have found that the rolls bake best if they are not tightly squished together in the pan. If you don't have a 9"x13" pan, experiment with using 2 8"x8" pans.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Let the rolls rise until almost double in bulk (this usually means about 30 minutes for me in Seattle this winter). I place the pan on top of the preheating stove to take advantage of the heat to help the rolls rise.

Once sufficiently risen, the rolls will be touching each other on all sides. Brush the top of each roll with melted butter.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes (the tops will be tinged with brown here and there but not totally brown).

Remove from oven. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. You may frost your rolls with the frosting at any point. Just be aware that the warmer the rolls are, the more the frosting will sink into the rolls (which isn't necessarily a bad thing!). I usually frost some rolls and leave the others unfrosted. Both ways are terrific!

Enjoy!