Jan’s Molasses Rolls

Yeast Mixture:

2 Teaspoons Dark Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup pure Sweet Butter Milk (room temperature)

1/4 Cup luke warm water

2 Tablespoons Dry Active Yeast

Remaining ingredients:

3 ½  Cups good quality Gluten Free all purpose flour

Note: If you use another flour that does not have xanthan gum, then you must add it. Using GF Better Crocker flour alone also needs ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum added.

½ Teaspoon Salt

½  Teaspoon Baking Soda

2 Tablespoons Gluten Free Baking Powder

1 Cup Pure Egg Whites (or about 5 whole eggs)

1 Stick of Salted Butter (melted)

1 Banana (mashed)

½ Cup Pure Molasses ( I use Grandma’s brand, it is un-sulfurized)

Mix yeast in medium glass mixing bowl by adding sugar, butter milk, & water. Stir to dissolve sugar.  Add yeast and mix with plastic whisk. Set aside and let it foam about 15 minutes while you make the dough.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In food processer, blend together eggs, butter, banana, and molasses until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture and blend until there are no lumps. Then add yeast mixture and blend again for 25- 30 seconds or until all is mixed. Do not over mix. It can make rolls rubbery.

If you want to roll out dough to make cut out type rolls, place dough back into bowl that you mixed the flour in, cover and place in refrigerator until cold. Or you can even leave it in fridge overnight.

To make large rolls, oil your hands with olive oil and dip out dough ( about the size of a tennis ball) and pat dough into a ball. Place each ball into a greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Brush dough with melted butter and set in a warm place to rise for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 325* Add a baking pan filled half way with water to bottom rack of oven. This will keep rolls moist while baking.

When ready to bake, place pan on middle baking rack and bake for 30 – 35 minutes for large rolls. For smaller cut out rolls bake 25- 30 minutes or until rolls are set in the center. Insert toothpick in center roll, if it comes back clean, they are done.  (about half way through baking time, slide pan of water over to the side, so bottom of rolls will brown)

Remove from oven and butter again while warm. Lightly cover rolls with foil that you have pierced with a fork, ( so rolls do not sweat) until you are ready to serve.

These freeze very well! If you make ahead and freeze, make sure you pull them apart before freezing. Then to thaw, just place in the microwave and heat individual rolls for 25- 30 seconds. If you heat more than one at a time, it will take longer.