Most people take hamburger buns for granted. I sure did for most of my life. But after going gluten-free and allergen-free (dairy, eggs, and soy), I missed them mightily. I missed buns of all sorts, really–dinner rolls, sandwich rolls, sweet rolls. And even after I learned to make really good bread, I never made buns. For a while I used DeLand Bakery buns—until, after hearing many rumors, I finally tracked down a celiac group and others who ran tests to determine that DeLand’s undoubtedly contained gluten. Ick. (Unfortunately, Sami’s is the same. I suspect the companies are run by affiliated people.) Companies that take advantage of those of us who are gluten-free to make an ill-gained fortune off of us makes me feel ill without me even eating any of their contaminated food.

I went back to eating my hamburgers and sandwiches in homemade sliced bread or store-bought pizza crusts or corn tortillas . . . but not in buns. A few months ago, my husband gave me a hamburger bun pan that I had coveted.  Then my bun-making efforts were put on hold until we moved across the country and got settled.

Last week, I got grass-fed ground beef from a semi-local farm that sells at our farmers’ markets in Santa Monica. As the meat thawed in my fridge, I realized the time had come to create my bread.  I went digging on the internet for non-sweet, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free bun recipes . . . and I found none that looked anything like what I wanted.  So I backed up and went looking for ones with eggs.  I found several that called for three or more eggs.  Usually, the egg substitution process stops working well after two eggs.  On Book of Yum’s recipe for Adeena’s (three-egg) herbed rolls, however, I found in the comments that Adeena had written she lately had been successfully making the rolls with flax in lieu of eggs.  (Allergen-free survival note: always read the comments after blogged recipes that seem almost right; you never know who’s going to save you trouble!) Then I remembered my copy of The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook contained a dinner roll recipe that might also blow up a bit larger for a hamburger bun.  I combined the recipes, subbing in some of my favorite gluten-free flours for the ones those call for and rearranging the order of operations to the one I think works best for gluten-free, egg-free yeast breads.

The result is buns with a fairly crispy outside, a soft interior, and a flavor that is reminiscent of barely sweet whole wheat buns. In other words, they are fantastic hamburger buns!

Hamburger Buns
Makes six large buns (for 1/3 lb. hamburgers) or eight smaller ones (for 1/4 lb. burgers)

Ingredients
6 tablespoons of flax meal mixed with 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water

1 1/4 cups unsweetened milk alternative (I used hemp), warmed to 110 degrees (should feel warm but not hot; you want to activate the yeast but avoid killing it)
1/4 cup honey or agave syrup (increase to 1/3 cup for a sweeter roll)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 cup potato starch (NOT flour)
1 cup tapioca starch (I used Expandex and love it, though I am fairly confident the recipe will still work with regular tapioca starch)
2/3 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup millet flour
1/3 c. GF teff flour
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup oil of choice (I used organic extra virgin olive)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons coconut kefir or coconut milk yogurt (optional, but helps the crust get crispy; brush with cold water otherwise)

Optional: rosemary, poppy seeds, onion flakes, etc.

Directions
Combine flax and hot water in a small bowl.  Whisk.  Allow to gel.

In a glass or ceramic bowl, whisk together the warm milk, honey, and yeast.  Allow the yeast to proof (begin to react with the milk and honey).

Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Using the paddle attachment for the mixer, gently combine the dry ingredients on low speed.  Add the flax mixture and yeast mixture to the mixing bowl; then pour in the oil and sprinkle in the vinegar.  Mix for thirty seconds on low power; then increase power to medium, and allow to mix for four minutes.

Spray hamburger bun pan with nonstick cooking spray. (Alternately, use a Silpat- or parchment-lined cookie sheet and use additional flour on your hands to be able to mold your dough into flattened balls that don’t spread too much.) Sprinkle the pan with cornmeal (or gluten-free flour, if you are allergic to corn).

Using a ladle, scoop out a ball of dough and place it on the pan. Gently shape it into a roll. (I ended up wetting my hands to smooth the dough into somewhat flattened balls in the hamburger bun grooves.)

Brush with coconut milk yogurt or kefir. Sprinkle with optional herbs, if desired.

Put a pan of very hot water on the bottom rack of the unheated oven.  Put the bun pan on the top rack.  Allow the buns to rise in the closed, unheated oven. Check them at twenty, thirty, and (if needed) forty minutes. When the buns look almost as large as you want them to rise (generally about doubled in size), remove the bun pan from the oven.  Allow them to continue to rise on the counter.  Meanwhile, replace the hot water with new hot water, and heat the oven to 375 degrees.

When the oven is preheated, put the buns back into the oven.  Bake 35-40 minutes (possibly less for eight smaller buns), or until crisp and lightly browned. (If in doubt, either put in a thermometer–the temp should be between 205 and 210 degrees in the center–or slice into one and see if it is bread-soft but not gooey in the center.) Let buns cool about ten minutes before using; then slice in half to use as hamburger buns.

Tomorrow, I attempt a dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free Ranch dressing! Till then. . . .

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