Thursday, April 17, 2014

Sesame Seed Sandwich Buns -- Low Carb, Wheat, Grain & Gluten-Free

This evening I decided to finally break out my nonstick muffin top pan that I bought a while back to use to make sandwich buns/rolls with. The recipe I created makes 6 sandwich buns. I considered seasoning them with some onion powder, herbs and cheese but instead, decided to make them plain so they could be used for peanut butter & jelly if I decided to. I wanted them to be more neutral than savory, but think that adding some grated cheese and seasonings would be good, too. I added a bit of Swerve sweetener to them to give them that ever so slight hint of sweetness flavor like found in many "whole wheat' breads. I used buttermilk as the liquid for these to give them a little lift. I wasn't looking to make a big thick roll (I'm so over a big hunk of bread for my burgers or sandwiches) but more like the Arnold "sandwich thins" (thin rolls) that I used to eat before going grain-free. I would use those so the emphasis was on what went between the bread (the good stuff) rather than the bread. I used the same rationale when creating these. I divided the dough into 6 equal parts and used a retractable scoop to divide and transfer the dough to my pan and then moistened my fingertips and patted them into the muffin top pan. I let them sit for about 10 minutes before baking which allowed them to rise and puff up a little. Since these are thinner rolls, the easiest way to slice them in half (after they have completely cooled) is to lay them on a cutting board, place one hand on top to hold it in place and using a sharp serrated knife, carefully slice it in half with a gentle sawing motion. I used these for our dinner tonight. I grilled sirloin burgers and topped them with white cheddar with jalapeno cheese and topped with my "special sauce" and served them on my Sesame Seed Sandwich Buns alongside a wedge of last night's leftover White Cheddar Cauliflower Bake (and a Bubbie's dill pickle). It was a simple and delicious meal. I snapped a few photos as well as the recipe for the buns/rolls. Enjoy!







Before baking...
After baking...






Sesame Seed Sandwich Buns

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons coconut flour, sifted
3/4 cup blanched almond flour
3/4 cup golden ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons granular Swerve Sweetener
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 to 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

In a medium sized bowl, mix first 7 ingredients together with a whisk to help break up any lumps.

In a small bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk and olive oil together. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined and a dough is formed. Dough will be thick and slightly sticky. 

Lightly spray a nonstick muffin top pan with olive oil or coconut oil spray. Using a 4-tablespoon size retractable scoop, divide dough into the 6 muffin top cavities. Using slightly moistened finger tips, gently pat down to form patty-sized dough circles that fill the muffin cup. Top with sesame seeds. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes for dough to rise slightly. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until light golden brown and done. Cool completely before slicing with a sharp serrated knife.

            

66 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE this idea. Can't wait to give it a try.
Jeri from WDM

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Jeri! :-)

Unknown said...

Where can I find the recipe for the special sauce? Going to make these as soon as I buy some buttermilk !!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Caryl -- Here you go...


1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons no HFCS ketchup

2 thin slices Mt. Olive sugar free bread & butter stacker pickles (sweetened w/ Splenda), diced

1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sriracha (could use hot sauce instead)

Mix together and taste to adjust seasoning -- more or less of above ingredients. Hope that helps! :-)

Peg said...

Ooh, can't wait to try this one! Thanks GG!

Anonymous said...

I don't have a muffin top pan. Do you think it would work if I just put the scoops of "dough" on a Silpat lined baking sheet ant then patted them out?

Deb H. said...

I love your recipes. Thanks for all the good work! Is there a way to make these buns without the muffin top pan? Deb H.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Peg -- I hope you enjoy them! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Anonymous & Deb -- About not having a muffin top pan -- I'm thinking your suggestion (Anonymous) about scooping the dough out on a silpat mat (or even parchment paper would probably work) and patting them out should work. They would sort of look like burgers in shape. If you try it, let me know how it works. If either of you have Facebook, check out my post on these buns -- a follower posted a picture of these buns she made without the pan because she didn't have one. Hers turned out beautiful -- she made a couple burger sized buns and some smaller ones, too. Check it out if you have the chance. Based on how nice hers looked, I'm thinking it will work for you too! :-)

Jane said...

PHYSICALOh my, this is the very best bread I have tried so far!! Neither did I have the muffin top pan and had the idea of baking them in an 11 x 7 rectangular dish instead. It baked evenly...very level, which made it easy to divide and cut into 6 pieces.I sliced each one and find they are perfect for sandwiches. Gourmet Girl, what do you believe is the "secret" in this recipe that makes them moist, tender and sturdy enough to be handled as a sandwich? I'm always curious as to what makes things work!!
My sandwich bread search has come to an end. Thank you so much!!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks so much, Jane! I am so glad you enjoyed it and glad you found a way to bake them in a different pan to use for square-shaped sandwich bread! Honestly, I think it's really the combination and blend of flours that make a difference. I guess I have done so much experimenting and trial and error over the last couple of years, you just kind of get an idea of what "might" work. Fortunately, most of the time it does (but not always). To be perfectly honest, I think using golden flax along with the other flours helps a lot. It tends to give the most bread-like texture of all (as well as the flexibility) and if you use the golden flax, it is relatively mild flavored. I am so happy you enjoyed it and can once again enjoy a *real* sandwich! :-)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your prompt response about an alternative to a muffin top pan. My Honeyville almond flour and Flax ground golden flax should be here on Wednesday. Will keep you posted!

One other question: I noticed you used Bob's Red Mill coconut flour for these buns and used Honeyville's for the sour cream coffee cake...any specific reason for the change in product?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Anonymous -- Hope you enjoy this and the Honeyville almond flour, too! If you aren't familiar with flax, the golden is more mild tasting than the regular brown variety. As far as the coconut flour, I don't use a lot of coconut flour and Bob's is the first coconut flour I bought. It comes in smaller 1-pound bags and is just easier for most to find locally. You use much less coconut flour in recipes. I would like to experiment more with coconut flour, too. So far, I've found that a blend of flours and flax make some of the best textures in some baked goods. Finding the ratio and balance takes a little practice though. I hope you enjoy these -- I just had the last one for lunch today -- I made a turkey sandwich on a BUN! ;-)

Bekah said...

these buns were SO delicious!!! i have made them using both buttermilk and Lebni cheese... results were outstanding! Served them with Shrimp burger patties... YUM!! thanks so much for the recipe :)

Rebecca said...

These are FANTASTIC!
Little tip - I didnt have any buttermilk, so i googled substitutions and found info on making your own here:

Butter milk alternatives

I made some using almond milk and lemon juice - and they turned out lovely! Thanks Gourmet Girl :)

Jeanette said...

I would love to try these but I'm a little put off by the sweetner in them. Are they sweet?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Jeanette -- No, I would not say they are sweet but more like the subtle sweetness found in many whole wheat type breads. You can omit it if you want to or reduce it. I didn't want them to be sweet but I wanted them to taste like "regular buns". It is easy enough to omit or reduce on your first try. Hope that helps. Thanks! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Rebecca -- I am so happy you like them. I know there are ways to substitute buttermilk by doing it with regular milk -- it's good to know you can do it successfully (and tastily) with almond milk too -- I'm happy you liked them. Thanks! :-)

Cammie said...

Hi, love your recipes as always, and am ready to try this one. Do you think powdered buttermilk mixed with water would work? Is it the acidity of the buttermilk that matters or is it the thickness of the liquid?

Thanks!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Cammie! I've never used powdered buttermilk before so I don't know how it compares. I use whole milk buttermilk which is thick and rich. I do believe the acidity in the buttermilk helps with the rising/fluffiness of the batter/dough. But, it would be worth trying. I just don't know how much difference it would make. I'm thinking the worst case scenario is they would be flatter -- but certainly not inedible. Let me know how it works if you try it. Thanks! :-)

sunshine2 said...

Do you think almond meal (not the blanched skinless kind) would work for this recipe? I already have some.

Unknown said...

I made these last night and not sure what happened. I was never able to get my eggs, buttermilk and oil to form a dough before adding to the dry. Finally added any way and they didn't bake through after 40 mins in a 11x7 pan. Had to through out? Any ideas? I have never had any problems with any of your recipes in the past.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Unknown -- I don't think you did anything wrong -- someone caught that there were a couple of words missing in the instructions on the public view you see -- my side looked good so I had no idea. I have fixed it.

This is what that section should have said:

In a small bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk and olive oil together. mix until combined and a dough is formed. Dough will be thick and slightly sticky. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined.

I really don't know what happened because what I typed and had on my view was correct -- but for whatever reason, there were a few words missing that made it sound like the liquid ingredients became a dough. So...it wasn't you, it was on my end evidently. I've had a number of people tell me they made them successfully so I don't know if the directions were always missing a couple of words or if something happened afterward. Sorry about that!!! I hope you try them again with the corrected instructions. Let me know. :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Sunshine2 -- I'm not really sure how the meal would work. It would be worth trying. I'm thinking it might make them more dense/heavy and not as bread-like...but I don't know that for sure. Notice on the inside shot of my buns (I posted another inner shot today)...there are little holes like in regular bread. I don't know if they would be the same texture but I'm thinking they would still be good to use (and not waste) even if not exactly the same. You never know until you try though. If they are too heavy/dense, just use them to make little pizza crusts! Let me know how it works if you try it. Thanks! :-)

Ian Graham said...

These sound extremely interesting and definitely going on my must try list. How do you think they would freeze?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Ian,

While I have not yet frozen any, someone posted here in the last few days that she had frozen them successfully. What I would suggest is maybe make a batch and just freeze a couple to see how they do. I will get around to freezing them soon -- right now I don't want to part with them and like having them available. I ate them several times this week. I hope you enjoy them. If you freeze them before I do, let me know if you like how they freeze. Thanks! :-)

Diane Wimmer said...

Just made them.....they look great. We will be having "real" hamburgers for dinner tonight!!!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Diane,

I hope you enjoy them! I really like them! :-)

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

You hit another one out of the park with these wonderful buns! I scooped the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and they turned out beautifully! I let them sit 10 minutes before baking as you suggested ... perfect! AND they received the Hubby Thumbs-Up Award! I have all kinds of plans for these buns. I think we'll have *grilled cheese sandwiches* for lunch tomorrow ... or maybe tuna salad ... or maybe ........ :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis!

So glad you both enjoyed them. When you placed them on the parchment, did you pat them down at all or leave them in rounded scoops? I was wondering about the "spread."

Don't you think they have a similar texture to regular bread? It's funny how one simple little recipe can unlock and open up so many other ideas/possibilities.

Hope you enjoy creating all kinds of wonderful things with them. And, we all know that the "Hubby Thumbs-Up Award" is one of the most coveted awards any cook can receive! ;-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis,

Yes, we are under watch for all kinds of violent weather here -- tornadoes, hail, winds, floods...up to 5 inches of rain! Right now there is a lot of damage about 1 hour south of Atlanta. I just hope our grill doesn't get damaged before we even get to use it once! LOL :-)

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

Yes, I agree, the buns have a wonderful texture ... just like "regular" bread! I patted the tops down *very" lightly and shaped the balls of dough *very* slightly on the baking sheet. They puffed up a little before baking and there was no "spreading" problem. They kept their shape nicely and look like "real" hamburger buns! I've tried other bun-like recipes in the past that I haven't been too thrilled with. Your recipe is just fantastic! These will be a "regular" at my house from now on!

I'm thinking about getting a muffin top pan and using a small scoop to make clover-leaf rolls. What do you think? I'm guessing that they would need a little more "support" from the pan to help keep their shape.

Stay safe during the storms ... I'll be thinking about you.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis -- That's good to know. Coverleaf rolls might just work with the support of a muffin top pan. I think a variety of different things can be made from this dough. Hope you enjoy all your creations! :-)

:) said...

About how many g of net carbs are each one? I put mine in a double sided clamshell pancake griddle (one side flat one side has muffin top like divots. I think I am using reg flax cuz they were way darker than yours but SO GOOD. I just ate TWO of them with butter!

The rest I put on parchment paper in the oven but they DID spread. I think I spread them out too much to start with. So now they are a little too big for reg hamburger buns but maybe i could pat some thin wide ones.

it's so amazing to eat bread again I had given up on it. They have a sweetness to them. I'm kind of delirious right now!

Debbie F. said...

I am so impressed with your breads and so appreciate your sharing! Bread is what I miss the most. So today I made these buns, and first I must say your instructions were great and most helpful. I did not have the muffin top pan but I had a whoopie pie pan which I used and it made 12 instead of 6. I adjusted the bake time and they turned out great. I made sliders instead of normal size burgers. I put my mustard and pickle on, added my burger, and was quite pleased! Thanks again!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Fenix! The TOTAL recipe has approximately 25 net carbs. I make 6 buns with it for a total of a little over 4 net carbs (the sweetener does not have any digestible carbs). Just divide the carbs up between the number of servings you actually make. I'm so happy you are enjoying them. I use the golden flax (light colored). It has a more mild flavor as well as is lighter in color than the brown regular kind. If you are putting them on parchment paper, you probably don't want to flatten them much at all. I am going to post a picture of what I made this evening using the "dinner roll" version! Wait until you see it. So glad you are enjoying these! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Debbie -- I'm so happy you liked them and are enjoying them. I used my little dinner rolls as slider buns this evening -- will post a photo of my dinner shortly -- you will laugh when you see it! I almost dislocated my jaw trying to bite into them! You won't believe how high I stacked my little slider! ;-)

Debbie F said...

I saw your picture from last night - LOL! I had another bun for lunch today and I actually thought they were better the 2nd day! I am trying to make things I can use throughout the week and be prepared - thanks again.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Debbie -- Glad you are enjoying the buns. It is nice to make them and have to use throughout the week. LOL on my "monster slider". I like to be prepared, too. :-)

Anonymous said...

I made these last week and love this recipe. I have been CRAVING RAISIN TOAST... so just made a batch with a bunch of raisins.

They look gorgeous - just out of the oven so cooling off ... will comment soon.

OMG! Toasted one - LOVE IT! More raisins next time but this works.

Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Anonymous!

So glad you are enjoying these buns and glad you were able to use them to make the raisin bread you'd been craving. It's a pretty versatile dough and I think it could be used for a variety of "bread" items! :-)

Nila said...

Hi, Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I made a couple of changes - I used almond meal (homeground) and then I just spread out the dough in a 9X13 pan and got some amazing flat bread out from the oven. I used them to make paninis sandwiches oozing with cheese & basil pesto, my favourite prior to giving up wheat. These were definitely close, but next time I would use Almond flour for a finer texture. These were a bit coarse and dense, but tasted great. I was able to slice and toast them easily so that is a plus too ! Thank you so much, I might make some mini pizza with the left over 'flatbread' for dinner. :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Nila! Great idea. I do think you it would be lighter in texture with the finer almond flour -- but sounds like it made a great flat bread. This dough is great and can be used in a variety of different ways. Glad it turned out good for you and that you are enjoying it! :-)

Samantha said...

Thank you for a great recipe. I doubled the recipe and used a 12 cavity whoppie pie pan. I had some dough left over and I added shredded sharp cheese, pizza seasoning, garlic powder and chopped pepperoni. I then baked it in mini muffin pans to make little "pizza puffs." I am trying to make some more kid approved foods. Though I must say my kids are quite versatile. My 2yr old ate half of one of the buns with her lunch. Big help. I am hoping to be able to toast these for her breakfast from time to time. She loved toast before we recently went wheat free. So thanks again!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Sounds great, Samantha! Great idea morphing the leftover dough into pizza puffs, too! 2-year olds can definitely be finicky about eating sometimes, so that's great you are able to transition them to wheat free. I'm sure using the whoopie pan and making smaller buns worked out better for your younger kids, too. So glad they worked out for you and your family! :-)

Linda said...

Oh dear, I just ate two. So very good!!!! Thanks again for all your recipes.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Glad you are enjoying the Linda! Thanks! :-)

MsKipps said...

I could not find butter milk, used whole milk and added 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. Poof! My store didn't carry B-milk. ANYWAY-- THANK YOU. I have been missing bread so much. Hoping these freeze or whatever for lunch taking, buns, I just two hot with butter. I wonder how we could get the yeast flavor into these though-- brewer;s yeast? HAve you tried as a larger loaf? I can get used to round sandwiches!

Betty Anne said...

Dear GG,
I have a suggestion you might want to share with your readers. I purchased 6 mini spring form cheesecake pans at Walmart. I use them to make hamburger size buns. I use the 4 TBS size scoop for each sprayed pan and gently spread the batter with my finger. I bake them from 15 to 18 minutes and I have 6 regular size bread/bun slices for sandwiches. Also, I have discovered that using 4 TBS of Swerve really masks the flax taste and results in an even better wheat flavor. Thanks for every wonderful recipe you send us.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Betty,

Thanks so much for the suggestion! I am so happy you are enjoying these. I know some folks are surprised that there is sweetener in sandwich buns...but I think it really does help balance the flavors and give it a more "wheat-like" flavor. I will give it a try with the extra tablespoon of sweetener next time! Thanks so much for the kind words, too! :-)

Alaine said...

WOW!!! I have finally found a bread recipe that if perfect. After dozens of recipes that were tried and discarded. Thank you so much.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Alaine,

Wow...I am honored that you decided mine were better than the others you've tried. I feel that way too...but it sounds like I'm biased when I say that about my own recipe. Even if it wasn't my recipe I would feel that way! Thanks so much for letting me know -- so glad you like them and hope you enjoy having "good bread" again! ;-)

Unknown said...

Worked like a charm with my burger.Cant wait to try it with other things!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Màrcelle,

So glad you enjoyed them. I like to make simple sandwiches with them too. It's nice having a simple sandwich sometimes! :-)

Joanie said...

Do you have the Macros/ Calories, fat, protein, carbs, etc info for these? They look awesome!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Joanie,

The net carbs are in the 5 to 6 range. If you want the specifics, this is the recipe site I use to calculate. There are others, too.

Hope this helps! :-) http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

Unknown said...

GG,

I cannot tell you how much I loved these buns. What a treat to have a sandwich on a roll! I've had bacon and egg sandwiches for breakfast, chicken sandwiches with cheese and those Mt. Olive bread and butter pickle chips that you use. What a joy to bite into a real sandwich on a bun with some pickle crunch to it. So good! I've even taken a half of one with some Kerry Gold butter and peach Nature's Hollow Preserves with my coffee in the morning. Also, one morning, I was looking in the frig and was staring at the almond flax bread and then spied the cream cheese and this "idea" hit me that I could put cream cheese on my bread and enjoy that. Since it has been eons since I ate a bagel with cream cheese--my go to breakfast for many years, I had not thought of it for a long time. It was as if I was the first to discover it. LOL It was so off my radar that I didn't even think of it. Now I gotta get me a toaster as I threw the old one out and never replaced it as I felt I would never need another one!! I have another friend that is grain free and I even thought of making the Sesame Seed Sandwich Buns for her as a "surprise" for her birthday. ha ha. Seriously, I believe she would love them. Thanks for all your creative hard work that helps all of us have a greater quality of life. <3

Loretta

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Loretta,

I am SO happy that you are enjoying the buns in a variety of ways. It really brings back much of our "old normal", just in a healthier way. I had to smile while reading all the different ways you've eaten them already and giggle that you were considering making them as a birthday gift for your friend. Trust me, I think it would be a great gift. The simple joy in the ability to have a sandwich or a burger on a bun or whatever it is you used to enjoy in your previous culinary world. It's not that we "have" to have it...but more the pure joy that we "can" have it if we choose to! I think the less restricted we feel, and the more choices we have, the more enjoyable this way of life becomes and the more realistic it is to make this a permanent lifestyle change.

I am so very happy you are enjoying them and hope that your friend does too! :-)

jkim said...

I love this recipe and make it often--it's so easy and delicious! I've always used real eggs, but I have some liquid egg whites to use up. I'd substitute 3 Tblsp egg whites for each real egg. Do you think the buns would turn out OK?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi jkim,

So happy you are enjoying the buns. I think it should turn out fine. Even if you used up to 4 tablespoons per egg (1/4 cup) it should be fine because that's about the equivalent of 1 large egg. I've used it before (egg beaters) and mine turned out fine. If you try it and you don't like how they turn out...let me know so I'll be able to help someone else that asks the same question. Thanks! :-)

Unknown said...

Hi GGC!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and a beautiful Christmas season to you too!

Yesterday I whipped up a batch of this bun batter and made about half of it as normal, but in a mini muffin pan, and this served as rolls for dinner. Such a winner!!

With part of the remaining batter, I mixed in some pumpkin, spices, and Lilly's SF chocolate chips and baked as a mini loaf.

I know you've got some other pumpkin bread/cake recipes in your collection, including the new beautiful creation you shared a few days ago. Regardless though, I wanted to tell you about this alteration. The pumpkin bread is incredible! It's as good as any pumpkin bread I've EVER had.

Thank you AGAIN for this wonderful bun recipe. It is such a winner!

Hugs,
Alice

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Alice,

Thanks so much! I'm impressed with your creativity in using this batter in such a variety of ways!

I hope you had a beautiful thanksgiving. Unfortunately I had to leave town unexpectedly with a family emergency this past week. Thanks so much for sharing how much you enjoyed this recipe. 😀

Unknown said...

GGC, I hope everything is ok now.

Thank you for all you do and share with us.

Alice

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

You are very welcome Alice.

Momma 2 Twins said...

Ok, this first gluten/wheat free bread recipe i have tried.
Im fairly certain i may have died and entered the pearly gates!!!!! OMG!! These are utterly scrumptious! I had to make use of a substitute for buttermilk as i had none on hand (milk soured with vinegar).
But these were so good right out of oven -i ate one plain!
Thank you for a great recipe!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Momma 2 Twins,

So happy you enjoyed them. These are one of my favorites and one of the most popular on my blog because they are so close in taste and texture to regular bread. I've never had one right out of the oven before...I might have to try that! You are very welcome. :-)