I was browsing my local Whole Foods when I passed by the freezer case and saw that Udi’s now has frozen Classic French Dinner Rolls that are gluten dairy soy and nut free.
Please note that they are not egg free (they contain egg whites and they do contain processed ingredients like cultured corn syrup solids (supposedly a natural mold inhibitor) and fumaric acid. Note that they do NOT use cornstarch and the corn in them appears to be minimal.
I am admittedly spoiled in the dinner roll category. We can eat eggs so I can make my own bread from a mix. In addition I live between Rose’s Wheatfree and Deerfield’s Bakeries, so I can get amazing egg-free rolls pretty easily.
That said, I find checking a suitcase full of rolls very annoying and nothing assures a TSA search of your luggage like traveling with your own flour, so anything I might be able to buy at my final destination is worth a look.
These rolls are soft on the inside and crisp on the outside when prepared according to package directions. They are not chewy and in no way resemble a baguette. They have the same airy quality that Udi’s bread has but without the big holes. They look and crunch like french bread and like any and all additions to the GF bread options they are welcome. They are among the lowest priced of the roll options. I think they were under $1 a roll at my local Whole Foods.
I think that it is a matter of preference whether you like these better than others. My husband preferred them to the bread from Deerfield’s. I did not. I like my bread chewy and yeasty and like a good french baguette. Yet I grew up on soft dinner rolls like the Udi’s rolls. It is a matter of preference and I think a lot of people are going to like these rolls.
So if you can have eggs and aren’t disturbed by the ingredients I think these new rolls may make dinner time a lot easier.
If you cannot have eggs, try Deerfield’s and Rose’s Wheatfree Bakery. Rose will ship her breads and the seeded sandwich is both egg and rice free.
