Are you looking for a recipe for gluten free slider buns? Then this is the recipe for you! This recipe for gluten free slider buns is made with 8 common household ingredients including gluten free all purpose flour, butter, water, sugar, salt, and yeast. They are made without eggs, so they are also a great option for anyone with an egg allergy in the house.
This gluten free slider dough can also be used to make gluten free hamburger buns if that is more up your alley. All you have to do is make larger buns and fewer of them. This recipe will make around 8 – 10 gluten free slider buns or 5 – 6 gluten free hamburger buns.
What is in gluten free slider buns?
What is in gluten free slider buns? Here are all the ingredients you will need to make gluten free slider buns.
- Gluten free all purpose four. Gluten free all purpose flour is the main ingredient in this recipe for gluten free slider buns. You should use a gluten free all purpose flour mix rather than a single type of gluten free flour like rice flour or almond flour. We use Bob’s Red Mill flour or King Arthur flour and recommend using one of these brands for best results.
- Yeast. Yeast is the main leavening agent that is used to make these slider buns. You should make sure to use good, fresh yeast so that the buns rise and become nice and fluffy.
- Heavy cream. Heavy cream is the main liquid that is used in this recipe for gluten free slider buns. The heavy cream adds fat to the dough that helps to make the buns rich and flavorful.
- Water. A little water is also used in this recipe for gluten free slider buns. The water is mixed with the yeast and sugar in order to activate the yeast and make sure they are working. The water should be warm, but not so hot that you feel discomfort if you leave your finger in the water for 10 seconds.
- Butter. A little butter is used to add some more fat to these gluten free slider buns. The butter should be warmed to room temperature and softened, but not melted.
- Sugar. Some sugar is also added to these gluten free slider buns. The sugar serves two purposes. It provides some extra flavor to the slider buns and helps them develop a nice golden brown color.
- Flax meal. Flax meal is used in place of eggs in this recipe for gluten free slider buns. Before the flax meal is added to the gluten free slider dough, you should mix the flax meal with equal parts water and let it sit for a few minutes. We recommend using this Bob’s Red Mill flax meal. We always purchase our flax meal online because it is sometimes hard to find in grocery stores.
- Salt. Finally, some salt is added to the gluten free slider buns. The salt provides some extra flavor to the slider buns.
How to make gluten free slider buns
How do you make gluten free slider buns? Here are all the steps you need to take in order to make gluten free slider buns.
- Proof the yeast. The first step in making gluten free slider buns is to activate the yeast and ensure that the yeast are still alive. Combine about half of the warm water with the yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir the mixture a few times then let it rest for 5 – 10 minutes. The mixture should develop air bubbles and become frothy on the surface. If the mixture does not begin to bubble, that is a sign that your yeast are bad.
- Mix the flax egg. While the yeast mixture rests, you can combine the flax meal with equal parts water. Stir the flax meal and the water a few times and leave it to rest until you are ready to make the dough.
- Make the dough. Combine all of the ingredients for the gluten free slider dough in the bowl that the yeast mixture is in. The dough should be wet and tacky but not so sticky that you cannot handle it with floured hands. If you have any concerns, keep reading for advice on how to determine whether your gluten free slider dough is too wet.
- First dough rise. After you have made the dough, it is time to let the dough rise. Leave the dough in a warm area to rise for around an hour or until the dough doubles in size. If it is cold in your kitchen then it may take more time or the dough to double in size.
- Shape the buns. After the first dough rise, it is time to shape the buns. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and lightly dust it with flour. Lightly coat your hands in flour as well. Separate the dough into 8 equally sized pieces. Try to keep each chunk of dough in one piece and try not to combine different pieces of dough to create one chunk. When multiple pieces of dough are combined, it creates weak points along which the dough is more likely to split open when it cooks. Roll each chunk of dough into a ball then deposit it on the sheet of parchment paper.
- Second dough rise. Cover the gluten free slider buns with a few sheets of saran wrap then leave the buns to rise for around an hour.
- Brush with butter and honey. Melt the butter for the mock egg wash and combine it with the honey. Then brush the mixture over the surface of the buns. Make sure that the entire surface of the buns is covered with the mixture, this will help prevent the buns from drying out too quickly on the surface and cracking open as they cook.
- Bake the buns. After the buns have been covered with the mock egg wash, it is time to bake the buns. The buns should cook until they start to develop a light golden brown color. They will not get as dark brown as they would if a proper egg wash was used, so do not be concerned if the buns are a little light in color.
- Add sesame seeds (optional). After the buns are done cooking, it is time to add the sesame seeds. If you do not like sesame seeds on your buns then you can skip this step. If you have any of the mock egg wash remaining, we recommend brushing the tops of the buns with a little more of the mock egg wash to help the seeds stick to the buns. Then sprinkle the seeds on top of the buns.
How to tell if slider bun dough is too wet
How do you tell if slider bun dough is too wet? Gluten free doughs in general need to be more wet than their gluten-filled counterparts in order to achieve the same consistency when fully cooked. This slider bun dough is no different. This dough will be wet and if you have concerns that your dough is too wet then there are ways to check that.
In order to determine whether your slider dough is too wet, you should first grab a small sheet of parchment paper and dust it with a light coating of gluten free all purpose flour. Then grab a small ball of dough. Put the dough on the parchment paper then let it rest for a minute or two. After a minute or two, remove the ball of dough from the parchment paper. If the dough is too wet to remove from the parchment paper and only part of the dough comes off, that is a sign that your dough is too wet.
If your dough is too wet, that just means that you need to add a little flour. Add more gluten free all purpose flour 1-2 tbsp at a time and repeat this test until you are able to remove the ball of dough from the parchment paper. If you can remove the dough from the parchment paper at this stage, then you should also be able to remove it after the dough is done rising.
How to cut slider buns
How do you cut slider buns? Slider buns are made from a soft dough that is light and fluffy. That means that it is easy to crush the buns if you apply too much pressure to them when you are cutting them in half. You should make sure to use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut these slider buns in half. We use a Victorinox serrated knife and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a knife that will cut through bread like butter.
How to store gluten free slider buns
How should you store these gluten free slider buns? These gluten free slider buns can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for up to a few months. If you store the slider buns in the freezer, it is important that you use a tightly sealed container such as a gallon sized freezer bag to store the slider buns.
How to reheat gluten free slider buns
How do you reheat these gluten free slider buns? If you store the buns in the refrigerator, then you should take the buns out of the refrigerator an hour or two before you use them to let them warm up to room temperature. You can also cut them open and toast them on the grill or in a pan if you want to heat the buns up faster.
If you store your slider buns in the freezer, the buns will need to thaw before you can use them. You can either move the buns from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before you use them, or you can heat the buns up in the microwave before you use them. We recommend heating the buns in the microwave for 20 – 30 seconds so that they thaw enough to be cut open then cutting the buns open and toasting them on a grill or in a pan.
Troubleshooting slider buns
- Slider buns are dense. Are your slider buns more dense than you would like? That means that the dough did not rise enough. Next time, make sure to wait until the dough doubles in size for each rise. This may take longer than an hour depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen. Adding 1 tsp of vinegar to your gluten free slider dough might also help the buns rise faster.
- Slider buns are mushy and undercooked. Are your buns still a little mushy on the inside? That likely means that the buns are a little undercooked. Different ovens hold different temperatures even when the same settings are used and our oven might be a little warmer than yours. If you cut a slider bun that has already cooled open and it seems undercooked, try popping it back in the over for 5 – 7 minutes. If your buns are still warm, let them cool as they may firm up more as they cool.
- Slider buns have small cracks and craters on the surface. Did your buns form small cracks as they cooked? Buns that are made with gluten free dough tend to form craters and cracks on the surface because there is not a network of gluten to hold the dough together. That being said, the buns will be more likely to form small cracks if the surface of the buns dries out and forms a crust before the interior of the buns is done cooking. Next time, use more honey and butter or add the honey and butter before the second dough rise to prevent the surface of the dough from drying out. You can also brush the buns with a coating of heavy cream or milk before you apply the honey and butter for extra moisture.
- Slider buns have large cracks. Do your slider buns have large cracks in them? This most likely means that multiple pieces of dough were combined together to make one bun. If the dough is not combined well enough, weak points along which the dough is more likely to burst open can form. If this was not the case, follow the same instructions as you would for handling small cracks and craters.
Gluten free slider buns
Ingredients
- sesame seeds (optional)
Slider dough
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 packet yeast
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flax meal (plus 1 tbsp water)
- 1 tsp salt
Mock egg wash
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- Take the butter for the slider dough out of the refrigerator to soften.
- Combine the warm water with the yeast and the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir the mixture a few times then let it rest for 5 - 10 minutes until it becomes frothy on the surface. The water should be warm, but not so hot that it is uncomfortable to leave your finger in it for 10 seconds.
- Mix the flax meal with equal parts water and put it to the side until you are ready to make the dough.
- Add all of the ingredients for the dough to the bowl with the yeast mixture and mix well. The butter should be softened, but not melted.
- Cover the dough with a sheet of saran wrap and let the dough rise for 1 hour until it doubles in size.
- Prepare a workspace to shape the buns. Lay a sheet of parchment paper out on a large baking sheet and lightly dust it with flour. Coat your hands in a thin layer of flour.
- Separate the dough into 8 pieces then roll each piece of dough into a ball. Place the balls of dough on the parchment paper and leave around 2 inches between each ball. The dough will be tacky, so you may need to apply more flour to your hands as you go.
- Cover the dough with saran wrap and let it rise for around an hour until it doubles in size.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Melt the butter for the mock egg wash. Mix the butter with the honey, then brush the mock egg wash over the tops of the buns. Make sure to thoroughly cover the buns with the mock egg wash.
- Bake the slider buns for 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees. The buns should be a light golden brown on the top when they are done. These buns will not be as dark as traditional buns that are made with wheat flour and an egg wash, so do not get too concerned if they are a little light in color.
- Brush any remaining mock egg wash over the top of your slider buns then sprinkle the sesame seeds on top of the buns. If you do not like sesame seeds on your slider buns, you can skip this step.
Notes
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