If there is one thing I urge you to make this Christmas it is this. My Christmas tree gluten free tear and share bread.
I am smiling from ear to ear as I type and eat (oh whoops…that’s three in a row)!
This recipe is IT. For years I have wanted to eat a chelsea bun, or cinnamon roll that was like the real thing but without the gluten. Now, I have done it! I’ve created a soft, tasty un-rollable bun that utterly hits the spot.
And not only that, but it can be made in the shape of a Christmas tree to impress your friends and family.
My wholegrain gluten-free plain flour blend is the key. I’ve tried and tried to make these with numerous other blends with no success at all.
This is an incredibly flexible recipe.
Fill it with whatever takes your fancy; mincemeat would be awesome for an alternative to mince pies. You could try one of my recipes – amaretto and pear mincemeat, low FODMAP mincemeat or clementine and cointreau mincemeat…or you could reach for a jar you bought at the local shop.
You could make it savoury by removing the sugar from the bread and filling with something like ham and cheese or pesto, or all three!
Make a traditional cinnamon version or a chelsea bun version. I used a jar of homemade blackcurrant jam (because of it’s lovely red colour), but for Christmas day I think it will be Nutella (which isn’t dairy-free I must point out).
Decorate with a drizzle of icing, a scattering of cranberries, or how about some silver balls?
The world is your oyster. All you need to know is how to make the fabulous simple bread. Free from any ‘odd’ ingredients and without a preservative in sight, it really will make your Christmas.
Whatever you do please share your photos. I’d love to see how you makes yours stand out and shine.
I think breakfast is sorted on Christmas day! I plan to create the dough the night before, roll, shape and rise it before storing in the fridge over night. Then I’ll take it out and let it warm up for an hour or two while the stockings are being opened before baking it. I can’t wait. Can you tell I’m excited?!
If you’d like to watch a video of me making this then you can see a Facebook Live video here.
Gluten Free, Dairy Free Christmas Tree Tear & Share Bread
Ingredients
- 350 g gluten-free Free From Fairy plain flour
- 100 g potato starch
- 1 1/2 tsp psyllium husk powder or 3 tsp xanthan gum
- 40 g sugar or sugar alternative like Natvia
- 1/2 tsp sea or rock salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp dried active yeast
- 230 ml milk or dairy-free milk
- 50 g butter or margarine - melted OR 40g coconut oil plus 10g water
- 1 medium free range egg - beaten
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- FOR THE DRIZZLE TOPPING
- 50 g icing sugar or Natvia icing sugar
- 2 tsp orange or clementine juice or water depending upon your filling
Instructions
- Place the milk into a microwavable jug and heat for 30 seconds on high power. Add the yeast to the milk and whisk well to combine then set aside for 10 minutes
- Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and mix together well
- Add the egg, melted butter/margarine/coconut oil mixture and balsamic vinegar into the dry mixture
- Once the milk mixture looks frothy and smells yeasty add it to the dry mixture and beat well until a dough forms
- Place a large piece of cling film onto a clean work surface and place the dough on top
- With clean hands work the dough out into a rectangle measuring around 45cm x 20cm - the dough should be around 3-4mm in thickness
- Spread your choice of filling onto the rectangle - leaving about 5cm along the long edge furthest from you. Don't over fill or it will leak out!
- With the help of the cling film start carefully rolling the rectangle from the fully filled long edge, ending at the unfilled edge
- With a very sharp knife and without pressing hard (use a sawing action) cut pieces from your roll that are approx. 2cm thick. You'll need 10 to make a Christmas tree shape
- Place them on a well oiled baking tray (that you could serve it on) in a triangle shape with approx. 5mm gap between the pieces
- With the remaining piece, create the pot for the tree
- Rub the 'pot' gently with wet fingers to smooth it over and flick or spray a little water over the whole bake
- Cover with cling film and allow to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees, 160 degree fan for around 20 - 25 minutes or until golden
- To make the icing combine the sugar with the liquid and stir well
- Leave to cool slightly before drizzling with the icing and decorating
- Eat warm with a big smile
Pin the recipe on Pinterest so you don’t loose it!
I shared this with:
Julie McPherson says
Simply wow, it’s a real showstopper and very festive too. Commenting as BritMums Baking Round-up Editor.
Vicki Montague says
Thanks Julie. It really is so yummy!
Jennie says
Hi, This looks amazing! I’m dying to make this on Christmas morning, would I be able to pre-prepare it in some way on Christmas eve as I wont have too much time in the morning?
Vicki Montague says
Hi Jennie, I haven’t done it yet but I plan to make them the night before and leave them to rise. Then rather than bake them I’ll put them in the fridge (pray there is room!). In the morning bring them to room temperature (probably 1-2 hours or speed it up by putting a tray of boiling water in the bottom of a cold oven – if the turkey isn’t in there!) then bake. Mine will be done with nutella as an extra special treat. A small amount of dairy doesn’t seem to bother Roo too much these days! Let me know how it goes. I made a dairy free (with coconut oil) version this weekend…filled with dairy free pesto. It was amazing!!
Nicola Young says
Oh my gosh I have such as weakness for cinnamon rolls, but my one and only attempt at making gluten free ones, came out dreadfully. I will give this one a go.
Vicki Montague says
Hi Nicola, I really hope you like them. My previous attempts were not good either but these are spectacular. I daren’t make any more for fear of eating them all at once!! The next ones I make will be savoury at least!
Ceri says
Hi Vicki,
I’ve just discovered your flour and am SO excited to try out some of your recipes! I too suffer from IBS (as well as gluten and dairy intolerances, amongst many others) and so try to keep my consumption of refined flour to a minimum as it upsets my tummy, as well as being not very nutritious!
I am reluctant to use a dairy-free margarine because of all the chemicals and additives they contain, so would coconut oil be a good substitute and this recipe still work?
Vicki Montague says
Hi Ceri, I don’t usually use margarine either but had run out of coconut oil. I think if you used 30g of coconut oil it would be perfect but you may need to add a little more dairy free milk or water. Let me know!
Ceri says
Great, thank you!
emma amoscato says
Great minds think alike! This would look great at a buffet and would make a lovely savoury dish too. #freefromfridays
Vicki Montague says
Yes indeed! I realised that I had named it badly after I posted it but it’s a Paul Hollywood copycat recipe and that’s what he called it! Doh. Hope you enjoy it x
Vicki Montague says
Thanks Renee. That means a lot coming from you…the queen of baking!
Mel says
Wow Vicki, it looks absolutely amazing. As it’s only got one egg, do you think it’s worth me trying it with a flax egg? Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays again! xxx
Vicki Montague says
Hi Mel, recently a reader tried my bread recipe using aquafaba and she said it came out beautifully so I see no reason not to use a sub in here too. In fact I was thinking about you when I put it in but an enriched dough does make it that much more decadent. However, I am certain it would work with an egg sub.
Mel says
Ooooh, exciting, will try it!!!
Rebecca Smith says
Oh my, these look divine. I also broke into a smile when I saw the cross section of the bun, so light and fluffy. Sigh! Another one to go on my list to bake in 2017…I’m going to end up being a little porker…unless I keep a conveyor belt of friends and family popping in for coffee 😉
Vicki Montague says
Oh yes…keep the visitors coming. Good excuse!
Midgie says
Sooo pretty! Definitely going to have to have a go at these!
Vicki Montague says
Oh yes…you must. So easy too!
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Wow Vicki, you’re an absolute marvel! What a great gluten free bake, it looks great.
Angela x
Vicki Montague says
Ah that is very kind of you to say! I have to admit to being extremely pleased with this one!
Kate - glutenfreealchemist says
Well done you. Sounds perfect for Christmas morning xx
Vicki Montague says
Thanks Kate!
Lauren Renlund RD says
Yum!! I’m so excited to do some X-mas baking 🙂
Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com says
This sounds lovely and I love the Christmas tree shape – the perfect Christmas breakfast!! Eb x
Vicki Montague says
I’ve promised the kids nutella so I’ll have to do it now!
Julia says
This recipe looks amazing! I plan to try it for sure.
2 questions:
1: where can I get potato starch? Quick look on Ocado and they don’t sell it…is potato flour the same thing?
2: how would you make a cinnamon version? How would you make the filling? I love cinnamon rolls!
Thank you as always for your fab recipes X
Vicki Montague says
Hi Julia…you should be able to get potato starch in a health food shop (or Amazon dare I say it). I’m surprised Ocado don’t have it. Having looked they do have it but they are calling it potato flour (which it isn’t…they are selling potato starch)! Just follow any recipe for cinnamon rolls for the filling. It is usually just sugar and cinnamon.