Recipe Information
Ingredients
Directions
Preparation:
Before starting, gather the following:
medium glass bowl or measuring cup, stand or electric mixer, medium bowl for dough to rise, 2 gallon-sized ziploc bags, rolling pin, 11×7 inch baking pan (or round or square cake pan), sharp knife, towel to cover dough/rolls, wire cooling rack.
Time:
15-20 minutes to mix dough; 1 hour for first rising; 10-15 minutes to roll out dough and spread with cinnamon sugar mixture; 1 hour for second rising; 15-20 minutes to bake; 15 minutes to cool.
Mix together gelatin, yeast, water, and sugar in a medium glass bowl or measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy.
While the yeast mixture stands, mix together brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or electric mixer.
Add applesauce, rice/soy milk, oil, vanilla, and yeast mixture. Mix to combine, then beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Use the paddle or cookie dough attachment, not a dough hook. A soft dough should form, pulling slightly away from the sides of the bowl. It will not look as “dough-like” as a wheat bread dough, but should be firmer than cookie dough.
Grease a medium bowl with shortening, margarine, or cooking spray, and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place.
Cut apart two gallon-sized ziploc bags along the sides, making two long rectangles. Place one bag on a counter top, put the dough on top of it, and cover with the second bag, in the same orientation as the first bag. Using a rolling pin roll out the dough into a rectangle the size of the bags, approximately 10×20 inches. The dough will be slightly sticky to the touch, but should not stick to the plastic bags. Occasionally pull back the plastic bag, gently, to make sure it isn’t sticking. If it is, sprinkle with brown rice flour.
Gently pull off the top bag from the dough rectangle, replace, and flip over the dough. Then gently remove the other plastic. Mix together filling ingredients. Spread it evenly over the dough, all the way to the edges.
Lightly grease an 11×7-inch pan with shortening, margarine, or cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. You can alternately use a square or round cake pan, but they will be more closely packed together. Cut the rolls into 10 equal pieces using a sharp knife, and place into the prepared pan, swirl side up.
Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour. Bake at 400 °F for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bread in the middle of the pan is done.
Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, until the pan is cool enough to handle. Turn out onto a serving tray or platter, serve warm.
You may make the rolls ahead of time. After they have completely cooled, place them in a tightly sealed container. Before serving, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and heat at 350 ° until warmed through. They may also be frozen in a tightly sealed container and warmed in the same way.
Notes
Challenger’s statement:
I have always had a weakness for a good cinnamon roll. I grew up with homemade rolls, I ate one every time I went to the mall, and I always chose them first at any brunch. When I brought food to a brunch buffet, 8 times out of 10 I would bring cinnamon rolls.
Adapting to a gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free diet meant that my love for cinnamon rolls had to be put on hold. They were one of my most missed foods, so after a while of practicing gluten-free baking, I decided to tackle cinnamon rolls. This competition provided me with the motivation to perfect the recipe, and now I am enjoying wonderful cinnamon rolls again. You can serve these rolls with pride at any brunch gathering.
You can eliminate the first dough rising and go directly from mixing the dough to rolling it out. The rolls will not be as fluffy, but will still taste wonderful.
An oven preheated for 45-60 seconds is the perfect warm environment for raising dough, especially in a cool or drafty house.