by Nancy Baker
Author of Globally Gluten-Free

Imagine a flaky, delicious crescent roll — gluten-free! This month we are excited to feature Nancy Baker’s on-line cooking class on making gluten-free crescent rolls. Nancy will take you step by step through the process and soon you too can enjoy perfect gluten-free crescent rolls in the comfort of your own home. So roll up your sleeves and let’s get started!

Techniques & Tips you will learn in this class: Proofing yeast Preparing the crescent roll dough Folding & kneading the dough Cutting the dough Rolling the crescent rolls Proofing the crescent rolls Baking the crescent rolls

Due to the required steps of chilling the dough and proofing the rolls you should expect these rolls to take a couple of days to prepare. You could make them in one day, however it will be much easier if you plan on preparing the dough and letting it chill over night before you proceed with the final proofing and baking.

Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons of yeast
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 3/4 cup of potato starch
• 1 1/2 cup of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoons of sweet rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 beaten egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of COLD butter
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of rice flour in reserve for kneading
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of corn starch in reserve for kneading

Step 1: Dissolve sugar and yeast in milk. Set aside until bubbly.
Step 2: Combine most of the dry ingredients: cornstarch, sweet rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients: milk, egg, and vegetable oil. Add dry ingredients slowly into the dry ingredients. Add proofed yeast and milk. Stir; add a bit of rice flour to make the dough less sticky — you will need to be able to handle the dough. (this will require you to make a choice as to how much rice flour that you will need and since butters, egg size, and milk fat all can play a part in the dough, this is a unique combination and decision — add slowly — you can always add more, but it is difficult to take any back). Set aside.
Step 4: Prepare the butter. Beat it with your rolling pin on a floured surface to soften it and form a rectangle 6 by 8-1/2 inches or cut into small squares. Place it between parchment paper or plastic wrap and set aside.
Step 5: Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a board sprinkled with rice flour, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into approximately a 10 by 15-inch rectangle 1/4 - inch thick. Place the shorter side of the dough parallel to the front of your body on the work surface. Place the butter in the middle, long-ways.
Step 6: Fold the bottom up over the butter and brush off any excess flour and then fold the top down over the butter to overlap and encase the butter. Press down lightly with the rolling pin to push all the layers together and make sure they have contact. Continue rolling the layered dough to form a new 10 by15-inch rectangle, patching any holes with a dusting of rice flour where butter may have popped through.
Step 7: Fold into thirds, like a letter, brush off any excess flour.
Step 8: Wrap well in plastic and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
Step 9: Roll out into a 10x15 inch rectangle. Dust with rice flour. Fold into thirds. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Do this again at least, three more times, alternating dusting between with rice flour and starch. After the last turn, chill for at least one hour or you can let the dough chill overnight.
Step 10: Roll out the dough to a 13 by 24-inch square that is a little less than 1/4 -inch thick. Cut it with a sharp large knife into 6-inch strips then cut them into triangles, 4 inches wide at the base of the triangle. Roll the triangles up towards you starting at the wide end and place them 2 inches apart on with the tip tucked under and the ends slightly curved in to make a crescent shape.
Step 11: To proof the crescent rolls, place them in a warm environment. Set aside to proof for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours until puffed up and spongy to the touch.
Step 12: To bake: spritz a preheated 425°F oven with water, close the door, and get the crescent rolls. Place the crescent rolls in the oven and spritz again, close the door and turn the oven down to 400°F. After 10 minutes, rotate your pan if they are cooking unevenly and turn the oven down to 375°F. Bake another 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown.

-Enjoy!

Nancy Baker, the mother of two sons, the oldest with Celiac disease, currently resides in Madrid, Spain. Nancy is the wife of a diplomat and as such has had the opportunity to live in Budapest, Prague and now Spain. Nancy has compiled a fabulous collection of gluten-free ethnic delights from all over the world, offered in her first book, ‘Globally Gluten Free’. Globally Gluten Free focuses on international recipes, techniques and ingredients. For more information about Nancy’s new book please contact Nancy at globallyglutenfree@yahoo.com.

Nancy is currently compiling a point and click database of gluten free resources: restaurants, stores, bakeries, support groups, etc. Although at the beginning stages, her website is up and running (look at Washington and Illinois for a view of what will come). Her book is also available on the website. Your ideas and suggestions are most welcome! www.theceliacsite.com.