Try This Tasty Recipe for Gluten-Free Serbian/Croatian Nut Roll (2024)

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Teri Gruss, MS

Teri Gruss, MS

Freelance writer and nutrition expert Teri Lee Gruss, M.S. has written hundreds of recipes focusing on healthy gluten-free cooking.

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Updated on 02/9/22

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Try This Tasty Recipe for Gluten-Free Serbian/Croatian Nut Roll (1)

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Our accomplished Eastern European Food Expert, Barbara Rolek recently contacted me to ask if I could develop a gluten-free version of her very popular Serbian / Croatian Nut Roll recipe.

Barbara defines Eastern European Food as "the culinary and cultural traditions of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine."

When I think of the cuisine of the Eastern European countries, delicious traditional baked goods are the first food visions that come to my mind. That's why I am so excited to develop some gluten-free versions of classic Eastern European recipes, like Barbara's Serbian / Croatian Nut Roll for our readers.

I am happy with how my gluten-free version of this recipe turned out. The recipe calls for simple gluten-free ingredients that should be easy for most cooks to find at their local grocery.

Any baker who's worked with gluten-free yeast breads before understands the challenges inherent in coaxing gluten-free flours and starches into free-form shapes without the stretchy, expandable nature of gluten in the mix.

As you can see, our gluten-free nut roll, rolled up jelly-roll style and baked free form on a large baking sheet held its shape nicely. This recipe doesn'trequire a special baking pan for structural support like other gluten-free yeast breads do. The nut roll freezes beautifully and best of all, this is a delicious and attractive gluten-free sweet roll recipe.

As always with gluten-free baking recipes, I highly recommend using the exact ingredients specified in the recipe, weighing the flours and starches instead of using measuring cups and using both guar gum and xanthan gum for their synergistic properties.

The ideal tool for mixing gluten-free dough is a stand mixer with a paddle attachment - not a dough hook. If you don't have a stand mixer, use a powerful electric hand mixer.

Ingredients

For the Nut Filling:

For the Dough:

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • 1/2 cup sour cream, or Greek yogurt

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast

  • 1 cup (128 grams) brown rice flour, such as Bob's Red Mill

  • 1/2 cup (74 grams) sweet white sorghum flour, such as Bob's Red Mill

  • 1/2 cup (62 grams) tapioca flour, such as Now Foods

  • 1/4 cup (42 grams) potato starch, not flour, such as Frontier Coop

  • 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

  • 3/4 teaspoon guar gum

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 cup gluten-free flour, or as needed, for dusting surface to roll dough

  • 1 tablespoon warm water

Steps to Make It

To prepare filling:

  1. Put nuts in a food process and pulse for about 15 seconds or until nuts are finely ground and have the texture of sawdust.

  2. Place the ground nuts, milk, sugar, egg and butter in a heavy saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Stir constantly to avoid scorching. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to cook and stir for about 3 more minutes or until the mixture is thick and bubbling. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To prepare dough:

  1. Separate egg whites from yolks. Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Put one yolk in a heavy saucepan. Place the remaining egg yolk in a small bowl to be used in the egg wash.

  2. Add 4 tablespoons milk, sour cream, butter and sugar to the saucepan with the egg yolk. Stir to blend and cook over medium-high heat, constantly stirring until mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat. When the mixture is lukewarm, sprinkle dry yeast over the top and let sit for about 5 minutes. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast!

  3. For the very best results use an accurate kitchen scale to weigh rice flour, tapioca, sorghum flour and potato starch. Add xanthan and guar gum, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to blend dry ingredients.

  4. Beat egg whites in mixing bowl on high until frothy but not stiff. Add dry ingredients and then the lukewarm wet mixture. Beat on high for about 4 minutes. The dough should be stiff and will form a slightly sticky ball when removed from the mixing bowl.

To assemble the nut roll:

  1. Scrape the dough onto a large cutting board that is lightly dusted with gluten-free flour. You can use any of your gluten-free flours for this. Shape the dough into a rectangle log. Dust a rolling pin and roll the dough evenly until it is 1/4-inch thick and forms a 15 by 10-inch rectangle. Be careful not to roll the dough too thin as this can cause cracking during baking. See Cook's Note below.

  2. Use a spatula to evenly spread the cooled nut mixture on the dough, leaving about 1/2-inch uncovered on all sides. Roll up jelly roll style starting at the long side closest to you. Roll gently and evenly until to the opposite edge.

  3. Lightly press in on the seam. Carefully transfer the log to a large baking sheet covered with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Place the seam side down and use your hands to even up the dough on the pan.

  4. Preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C. Cover the nut roll lightly with plastic wrap and place the baking sheet in a warm location. Let the roll rise for about 1 1/2 hours. Add 1 tablespoon warm water to the reserved egg yolk. Whisk with a fork. Brush evening over the nut roll. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool before cutting into 1 or 2-inch slices.

  5. When completely cool the nut roll can be tightly wrapped and frozen.

Tip

  • Sometimes nut rolls crack in the oven. While many cooks aren't bothered by this and find it adds to the homemade quality of nut rolls, cracks and splits can be annoying. To avoid baking nut rolls that crack, make sure not to roll your dough out too thin and also make sure your oven temperature is accurate. Thinly rolled dough and overly hot ovens are the primary cause of nut rolls splitting or cracking during baking.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
271Calories
14g Fat
33g Carbs
5g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 14to 16
Amount per serving
Calories271
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g18%
Saturated Fat 5g23%
Cholesterol 51mg17%
Sodium 125mg5%
Total Carbohydrate 33g12%
Dietary Fiber 2g7%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg2%
Calcium 38mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
Potassium 160mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • gluten free
  • dessert
  • eastern european
  • christmas

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Try This Tasty Recipe for Gluten-Free Serbian/Croatian Nut Roll (2024)

FAQs

Are nut rolls gluten free? ›

ALLERGY INFORMATION: CONTAINS PEANUTS, MILK AND SOY. GLUTEN FREE.

Will gluten free dough rise with yeast? ›

It is often said that gluten-free yeast dough should only be allowed to rise once. This is what I also believed for a long time, but it is not true. There are enough recipes in which the dough is successfully risen twice. I could go on and on for hours about gluten-free yeast dough.

What is nut roll made of? ›

A nut roll is a pastry consisting of a sweet yeast dough (usually using milk) that is rolled out very thin, spread with a nut paste made from ground nuts and a sweetener like honey, then rolled up into a log shape.

What makes gluten free flour rise? ›

Does gluten free dough rise? - Quora. yes it can. as long as the flour blend contains one or more binding agents including eggs, ground flaxseed, chia seed, psyllium husk and xantham or guar gum to start with. it will also need a rising agent.

Why are nuts not gluten-free? ›

Plain nuts don't contain any gluten, but dry roasted nuts often contain wheat flour in the coating so check the label or opt for plain or salted nuts.

What nuts can celiacs eat? ›

Yes, all single-ingredient nuts are gluten-free. That means the label will list just one ingredient, the nuts. Gluten-free nuts include (but are not limited to) peanuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, pine, macadamia and Brazil nuts.

What is the trick to making good gluten-free bread? ›

Tips and Techniques to make better Gluten Free Bread
  1. Use psyllium husk powder.
  2. Let the dough rest (not exactly the same as a bulk proof)
  3. Mix or knead thoroughly.
  4. Use less yeast.
  5. Bake in a tin with tall sides.
  6. Bake for longer, often at a lower temperature.
  7. Create steam in the oven.
  8. Use the tangzhong or scalded flour method.

What flour is best for gluten-free bread? ›

Rice flour(s): A combination of brown rice flour and white rice flour, with their ideal balance of protein and starch, provide bulk and mildly sweet, neutral flavor. The rice flours are finely ground so they absorb liquid quickly and evenly.

Why do you put vinegar in gluten-free bread? ›

The addition of vinegar and sour cream helps the dough to be a bit more flexible when rolling out and also to brown slightly more easily when baked in the oven. Rice wine vinegar doesn't have a strong taste so it is useful for this dough, but it can be replaced with other acids.

What are the different types of nut roll? ›

Major types or forms of nut roll are: rolled log, loaf made via a bread pan, a bun form, and a "crazy loaf" style with a unique texture. Traditional Nut Rolls in the US are made with walnuts, poppyseed, and/or coffee.

Why does my nut roll crack when baking? ›

Dough cracks or splits – If your nut rolls split open while baking, there may be too much filling or the dough was too dry or didn't rise. It may not look good, but it should taste fine!

Why is my nut roll splitting? ›

Nut rolls will crack or have a 'blow out' when the dough is rolled too thin, especially on the final roll. Keep the dough just above ¼ inch in thickness.

What is the secret of baking with gluten free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

What happens if you add yeast to gluten free flour? ›

In fact, baker's yeast reacts well with gluten-free all-purpose flour and other gluten-free flours like rice flour for baking gluten-free bread recipes and pastries. It's not so much the yeast you have to worry about when sticking to a gluten-free diet.

Can I just replace flour with gluten free flour? ›

If the original recipe calls for 260 grams of all-purpose flour, substitute with 260 grams of your blend. Beat the batter more. Because gluten-free flours provide less structure than all-purpose, the batter or dough you make with them may require more beating than that which you are accustomed.

Does nut butter have gluten? ›

Living gluten-free can be a challenge. It's important to know that peanuts, peanut butter, peanut flour and peanut oil are considered naturally gluten-free foods. Gluten is a form of protein found in wheat, barley and rye (2).

Can celiacs eat spring rolls? ›

Spring rolls are not gluten free, as the wraps are usually made with wheat flour. It's fine if they are made of rice or corn flours. Make sure before you eat.

Are nut mixes gluten-free? ›

1 But many brands of nuts are not safe on the gluten-free diet, because nuts often are processed and packaged on lines shared with gluten-containing products. In addition, many nuts are sold in mixes that include gluten-containing ingredients, such as pretzels and crackers.

Are spring rolls always gluten-free? ›

Traditional spring rolls are wrapped in flour wrappers, making them not gluten-free. For a gluten-free spring roll, you will want to use either rice flour wrappers or tapioca flour wrappers. You will typically find that a rice wrapper is more common that tapioca flour wrappers.

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