Buns!!!

 Success at last!  I was determined to find a recipe for hamburger buns and I recently received my August/September issue of Living Without.  I have thoroughly enjoyed being subscribed to this magazine and all of their recipes are delicious!  With a few slight changes to one of the recipes I was able to make hamburger buns!  I used these as buns for dinner that night and buns for breakfast the next morning. Scrumptious!  I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did.

What you will need:

2 cups rice flour (possibly more)*

1 cup cornstarch (possibly more)

1 cup tapioca flour/starch (possibly more)

3 teaspoons xanthan/guar gum

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 extra large egg + 1 extra large egg white **
2 cups warm milk (any milk will work)

*I say possibly more because it depends on the altitude you are baking at, the humidity, and the consistency of the dough.  Add more if it needs it, don't add more if it doesn't.  :)

** I don't buy extra large eggs.  I used a large egg and a large egg white.  I didn't seem to need more, but if yours does, put a tablespoon of mushed up banana in.  It will be enough to act as an egg but not too much to change the taste.

What to do:

Step One: Spray two baking sheets and set aside.
Step Two: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment place the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour/starch, xanthan/guar gum, cream of tartar, and salt.  Mix on low speed until well combined.  Add the yeast and mix again until well combined.

Step Three:  Add the oil, honey, and eggs, and mix until wet ingredients get incorporated into dry mixture.
Step Four:  With the mixer on low, add milk to the mixture in a slow, steady stream.  Once the mixture has started to come together, turn the mixer up to half speed and beat for about 6 minutes.  The dough should be thick and smooth, but tacky to the touch.  If it seems too wet, add more flour by the tablespoon and mix well until you reach the right consistency. It is about here that I realized my dough was not thick and smooth or tacky.  I started adding in tablespoon by tablespoon alternating between my three flours/starches.  2 rice:1starch:1starch.  I ended up adding in the equivalent to about 3/4 cup more flour.  But after doing that the dough was thick, smooth, and no longer "sticky" but tacky.

This is before I added any extra flour.

Step Five: Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured flat surface.  Pat down the dough into a mound about 1 1/2 inches tall and divide into ten balls.  Roll each ball between wet palms (which worked wonderfully) to make a proper ball.

Step Six:  Divide the balls of dough between the two prepared pans, spacing them evenly.  They will be relatively close together.  Cover the pans with sprayed plastic wrap (spray the "bun side" of the plastic wrap with vegetable oil spray so that it doesn't stick) and place them in a warm spot.  Allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes or until the rolls are about 1 1/2 times bigger than originally.

Step Seven: While the rolls are rising preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step Eight: Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until they are lightly browned.
Step Nine: Enjoy!