Gluten Free Buckwheat Cheddar Straws

This crispy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth straws are gorgeous little snacks filled with tangy cheddar, cool fresh herbs, and the earthy flavor of Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Flour. They’ll be a hit as a lunchbox treat or as the centerpiece of a tray of appetizers for party guests. It’s a good thing this recipe makes a lot of straws, because you’ll have a hard time keeping them in the house.

The texture of conventional baked goods can be challenging to replicate in gluten free versions, but you definitely won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything with these. They snap and crumble and melt in your mouth, and for being such a decadent treat, they’re surprisingly easy to make! I’m gaining so much confidence with gluten free baking after getting great results in quite a few different test bakes with Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Multipurpose Baking Mix. It’s the first thing I reach for when I want to try replacing wheat flour in this type of recipe.

Essentially, the process for making these is like making pastry or pie dough.   Start with the flours, cutting in the butter until it’s all combined into pea-sized pieces or smaller.  Add the cheese and mix it up again. Then add cold water, stirring with a fork, until it comes together in a very smooth dough, flecked unevenly with bits of butter and cheese. 



Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap and flatten into a patty about an inch thick.  The dough needs to be refrigerated for at least 30-60 minutes to become firm enough to work with. After it’s been chilled, work with one patty of dough at a time. 

 

Roll out the dough into a 6-inch by 12-inch rectangle, about ¼ inch thick, using plenty of Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Multipurpose Baking Mix to keep it from sticking.  If it’s brittle and crumbles when you roll it, wait a few minutes to let it warm up and try rolling again. Using a sharp knife coated in flour, slice it into skinny ¼-½ inch strips.

After cutting the dough into strips, pinch the edges of each strip together into a rough cylinder so it will be easier to roll. Then, using gentle pressure through each of your fingers, roll each strip until it’s about as thick as a pencil. Start in the middle and move out to the ends, like rolling a coil out of clay. It might break, but you can just pinch it back together, or take the broken bits and re-refrigerate them and roll them out again.

It’s hard to describe this dough – the flour is extremely fine, so it feels very soft and velvety and delicate as you roll it—actually, it feels weightless! It’s really neat.

 

Bake the straws until some pockets of cheese melt onto the pan, the straws are lightly browned on top, and more deeply browned on the bottom. Carefully turn over the straws about 9 to 10 minutes after putting them in the oven, then bake 2 to 3 minutes longer, until browned all over.

The straws may be slightly soft coming out of the oven, but they will crisp up with a little time. Once they’re cool, set them out for people to try and watch them do a vanishing trick!

After making these, you probably have some buckwheat flour and Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Multipurpose Baking Mix left.  Why not try making my French Country Buckwheat Crepes for another gluten free treat?

Gluten Free Buckwheat Cheddar Straws

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine the flours, salt and herbs in a bowl. Cut in cold butter until it’s all combined into pieces smaller than peas. Add grated cheese and stir with fork to mix. Sprinkle with ice water, a few Tablespoons at a time, and stir with a fork until dough comes together in a ball. Divide the dough in half, and flatten each half into a 1-inch thick square patty, wrap well in plastic, and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. 
Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray very lightly with oil. 

Work with one chilled patty of dough at a time. Roll each out into a 6-inch x 12-inch rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Use lots of Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Multipurpose Baking Mix on surface, rolling pin, and fingers to keep dough from sticking or breaking. Dough may be brittle when cold, so if it crumbles when rolled out, wait 1-2 minutes to let it warm up slightly. 

Pinch the edges in so each strip becomes a rough cylinder, and then roll it out from the middle to the ends, like rolling a coil out of clay. Press very gently and evenly through all fingertips to keep it smooth. Each straw will stretch out a few inches as you roll, so shaped straws should be about 10-11 inches long and about the width of a pencil.

If dough starts to fall apart over time, return it to the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. If straws break while rolling, you may either squish pieces back together, or re-roll, or reserve broken ends as scraps, return to fridge, and re-roll after chilling. 

Bake straws 9-10 minutes, until some cheese has melted onto the pan, tops are slightly browned, and bottoms are more deeply browned. Flip each straw over, and bake 2-3 more minutes. (Thin straws will cook quickly, and thicker ones may take a few more minutes.) Cool completely. 

Notes

Straws will become crispier over time. Keeps for up to a week if tightly sealed and kept cool.

Servings

Makes 24-36 10-inch straws.

Original Recipe by Erin 

You can find this and other recipes from Hodgson Mill by visiting the Recipes page.