Summer just isn’t complete without indulging in gluten free rollkuchen and watermelon at least once.
As many of you know, I grew up in a Mennonite household. We’re not talking Amish-like Mennonites – we had cars, tv’s, and all that stuff – but a Mennonite faith. Along with the faith though, comes a lot of great Mennonite food that my Grandma & Mom both made regularly while I was growing up. I’ve re-created a lot of those favourites to be gluten free, including perogies and keilke, but no Mennonite’s summer is complete without watermelon and rollkuchen.
For those not in-the-know, or maybe calling these something else (I’m sure there are other names for it, if you know any, please let me know), rollkuchen are a flat, rolled, deep fried bread that is great served with watermelon. We usually eat it with the watermelon as a meal, then if there are any leftovers, we eat the leftovers with strawberry jam, Rogers syrup, or honey – all are acceptable.
I first started playing with gluten free rollkuchen years ago, and I’ve tweaked the recipe over the years. I made some last week, and realized that I’ve never shared the recipe with you guys. Plus, now that it’s posted, my Mom won’t have to email me for the recipe every year when watermelon season starts.
So, whether your secret to picking the best watermelon is tapping it, thumping it, smelling it, lifting it – be sure to make up a batch of these gluten free rollkuchen once you’ve selected your perfect melon.
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup brown rice flour (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 cup millet flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together.
- In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir until combined.
- I like to wipe my counter with a wet cloth, then place plastic wrap down on the counter (if the counter is wet, the plastic wrap will stick better). Spoon half of the dough onto the plastic wrap, lightly sprinkled with extra brown rice flour. Flatten and turn the dough until it is still soft, but not sticky. Roll to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into rectangles, about 2x4-inches, with a slit in the middle (this allows it to fry more evenly).
- In an electric frying pan, preheat about 2-inches of your favourite high temperature frying oil (I use canola or peanut) to 375 degrees F. Be sure to use a thermometer so that your oil doesn't become too hot.
- Carefully place 3-4 rollkuchen in the hot oil, letting it cook until brown, then flipping to cook the other side until brown. Carefully remove from the oil using a metal slotted spoon, and place on a baking sheet lined with a few layers of paper towel. This will help absorb the oil. Repeat until you have rolled out, cut and fried all the rollkuchen.
- VERY IMPORTANT: When placing the rollkuchen into the hot oil, be sure to lay it in the oil, going away from yourself. So start placing it in the oil close to you, and carefully place it going away from you. That way, in case there is a splash, the hot oil will not be coming towards you. Always have a tight fitting lid or baking soda nearby when deep frying as well, and NEVER lift a pot with hot oil in it. Allow it to cool completely before moving it.
If you happen to know any other name for rollkuchen, or have tips on buying the perfect watermelon, please leave a comment and let me know!
MsGF says
Sounds delish. Never heard of this before. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Maria Henderson says
When I first saw the picture I thought they were sopapillas! Are they sprinkled with sugar?
Simone says
They look fantastic. Question, are there substitutions for the the dairy ingredients? I can’t have any dairy. =(
Jeanne L says
These are new to me, but look really yummy!
Susan Taylor says
I only use GFJules flour. Could I just use her flour instead of all the others(brown, millet & Tapioca starch)?
Dee Wilson says
Did you try? That’s the flour blend I use and was wondering?
Michelle ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says
So so nice to see a new blog post. I’ve missed your amazing new recipes! I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like these before! I’d love to try them! I’m not a watermelon fan (I know – weirdly my whole family doesn’t like them) but love the idea of enjoying these with jam or honey.
Cindy H says
When I saw them I first thought they might be an easy version of the Polish Crusciki. It looks similar but has no dairy in it. We consider it a Christmas cookie served on Christmas Eve. These look very yummy!
Eileen says
Yes it reminds me of Crusciki only we would put powdered sugar on them.
Debbie Krueger says
Rollkuchen used to be a summer tradidtion in our family, but that went by the board when I discovered I am celiac 15 years ago. I am SO excited to see this recipe. It is going to be a great surprise for my Mennonite husband! Thank you!
Jeanine says
Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Tina for Thetastyworld.com says
Well Jeanine you have done it..you will put a smile on many a face! I didn’t know about the trick of ‘lightly tickling’ them with a fork to puff them up more.
Just like any rollkuchen..they are best the day they are made and esp hot out of the pan!
If we aren’t pairing them up with sweet juicy watermelon..then it’s syrup, honey or jam.
Tina says
Are they kind of like our Canadian beaver tails?
Natalie says
Yum! I never heard of rollkuchen before but it seems delicious and I just have to try it!
Ana says
This looks awesome! Rollkuchen is my family tradition, so I’m glad there’s recipes for a gluten free one.
Whenever I’m picking watermelons, I always go by the rule that they should sound like when you knock on your chest. If they sound like when you mock on your head, they’re under-ripe. Also, a nice looking yellow spot that isn’t mushy is almost always a good deciding factor for the sweetest melons!
Sara says
Would love to see a gluten-free, dairy-free version. I miss being able to have them.
Norma says
I tried them for the first time this week. They were tasty but found them to be quite difficult to roll out thinly and not stick to the rolling pin. It seems the rolling pin does not want to hold rice flour like regular flour so was tricky. Do you have any tips for that problem?
Jeanine says
I dust my plastic wrap with extra rice flour, and then also sprinkle some on top before placing another sheet of plastic wrap over the top and rolling it out that way. You also can’t roll it super thin, like you can gluten filled dough. It’s a little tricky, but totally do-able.
Jessica says
I am dairy and gluten free. I used coconut creamer + lemon juice in place of the sour cream and some more coconut creamer in place of the milk. My rollkuchen turned out as per the reviews of people who ate both gluten free and non gluten free ones today. If you are dairy free, I would encourage you to try a similar approach.
Jeanine says
Thank you so much for sharing the changes that you made to make these Rollkuchen gluten AND dairy free, Jessica! I appreciate it!