Dinner Rolls

These low-FODMAP dinner rolls swap wheat for a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend and use lactose-free milk, so you get a soft, pull-apart holiday bread without onion, garlic, or excess lactose.

Prep 25 min

Cook 20 min

Serves 12

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (375g) gluten-free 1:1 flour blend, spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your blend already lists it)
• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp / 7g) instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 2 tbsp (25g) cane or white sugar
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup (240ml) lactose-free milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
• 4 tbsp (55g) unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tbsp for brushing
• 2 large eggs, room temperature

Instructions

Mix the dough

1. Grease a 9-inch square or 9x13-inch baking pan with a little butter.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), yeast, sugar, and salt.
3. Warm the lactose-free milk until it feels like bath water, not hot. Whisk in the melted butter and the eggs.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a sturdy spoon or a stand mixer with the paddle for 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky, closer to a thick batter than a kneadable wheat dough. That texture is correct for gluten-free bread.

Shape and rise

1. Scoop the dough into 12 even portions using a large cookie scoop or two wet spoons. Drop them into the prepared pan in a 3x4 grid, leaving small gaps.
2. With wet fingertips, smooth the tops so each mound is rounded. Wet hands keep the sticky dough from tearing.
3. Cover the pan loosely with a clean towel and let the rolls rise in a warm spot for 40 to 50 minutes, until puffed and nearly touching. Gluten-free dough rises once, so do not punch it down.

Bake

1. Near the end of the rise, heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and the centers read about 200°F (93°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
3. Brush the hot rolls with the reserved 1 tbsp melted butter. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then pull apart and serve warm.

Tips & Substitutions

• Pick the flour blend carefully. Choose a gluten-free 1:1 blend built on rice, potato, tapioca, or sorghum, and skip any that list inulin, chicory root fiber, soy flour, or amaranth, which can push up the FODMAP load.
• Handle the xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is low FODMAP and gives these rolls their structure. If your flour blend already contains it, leave out the extra teaspoon so the crumb does not turn gummy.
• Keep the milk warm, not hot. Milk hotter than about 115°F (46°C) can kill the yeast. If it stings your wrist, let it cool before mixing.
• Make a dairy-free version. Swap the butter for a plant-based butter and use a low-FODMAP milk such as almond or rice milk in place of the lactose-free milk. The rise and bake times stay the same.
• Wet your tools. Gluten-free dough sticks to everything. A damp scoop, spoon, and fingertips make shaping quick and keep the tops smooth.
• Watch your serving. Gluten-free rolls are low FODMAP in modest amounts, but portions add up. Stick to 1 to 2 rolls per sitting and check the Monash app for current tested serving sizes on your specific ingredients.

Why This Works

• No onion or garlic. These rolls skip the aromatics entirely, so there are no fructans from onion or garlic bulb. The flavor comes from butter, salt, and a light sweetness.
• Gluten-free flour instead of wheat. Wheat flour carries fructans that add up fast in bread. A rice- and starch-based 1:1 blend keeps the fructan load down while still giving a soft crumb.
• Lactose-free milk and butter. Lactose-free milk removes the lactose that regular milk would add, and butter contains only trace lactose, so both fit within a low-FODMAP plan.
• Yeast and cane sugar are fine. Baker's yeast is low FODMAP, and the small amount of cane sugar (sucrose) feeds the rise without adding fructose or polyols.

Storage

Store cooled rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat thawed rolls in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes to revive the soft texture, or microwave a single roll for about 15 seconds. Gluten-free bread stales faster than wheat, so warming before serving makes a noticeable difference.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.