Melissa's Sandwich Buns

Finally, a grain free bread that holds up to your favorite sandwich!

Like most people, I LOVE BREAD!!!!  It is such a convenience food! Growing up my dad used to say that you can "jam" anything in between 2 pieces of bread and call it a meal.  We did this with everything from tomatoes, bananas, homemade sweet pickles (this was a favorite) as well as a good ol' pb & J and of course, burgers.  I am so happy that I don't have to deprive myself of bread even though I have given up wheat and the Bunny Bread of my childhood!  These sandwich buns are so easy and convenient and can be used in place of regular bread for any of your favorite sandwiches!  


After giving up wheat and all grains, I quickly began to seek out a grain free bread alternative.  I was inspired by Elana's Pantry's "Paleo Bread" http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-bread/.  I love her recipe for bread but wanted a bread that didn't taste like coconut or any other nut.  I also wanted something that could hold up to a juicy burger. Every bread I have tried usually held together at first then just crumbled in my fingers making a big mess, especially if it contained something warm like a burger and sauce.  I would then make the bread slices thicker and that was just too much bread.  Preparing the bread in "buns" solves the problem of soggy bread and it allows the bread to maintain its structure while eating a sandwich. So the end result is something you stuff with your favorite fillings, pick up and eat with one hand!  Carefully slicing it in  half and toasting for just bit only makes this bun more durable and delicious!


Yes, there are quite a few ingredients in these buns.   The combo of almond and coconut flour with flaxseed meal help give it the right feel and texture.  The addition of vanilla and stevia give it just a bit of sweetness trying to mimic the taste you would get from a traditional loaf of bread.  

Top with Sesame Seeds before baking

I think this recipe is pretty simple.  You don't even need a mixer or blender.  I did all of my mixing with a whisk and it comes together fast but you will need an ice cream scoop and a muffin top pan. The muffin top pan allows more surface area to brown giving the bun more structure. The ice cream scoop ensures the buns are the same size as well as the right shape so that they bake evenly, not lumpy.   The muffin pan also helps give the buns a consistent size and shape.  To make sure the buns cover the entire bottom of the muffin top pan, hit the pan on the counter top 2 times and turn the pan and hit another 2 times.  Yes, I am serious.  If you don't, the buns will be small in diameter and rise too high and become thick.  If you try to flatten them with a spoon or knife, they will be lumpy.  If you hit the pan on the counter, this will also force out any air pockets and spread out the batter.  


I also love that making this bread recipe as buns speeds up the cooking time.  Cooking time is only 12-15 minutes!  As soon as the first 6 sandwich buns come out of the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack and pop in your next batch.  I didn't even need to use any type of butter or oil for the pan but you can if you are concerned your pan may stick.  So in 45 minutes "tops" you can bake 18 buns which is the equivalent of 36 pieces of bread!   

Store in refrigerator for 1 week in a plastic container, separating each bun by a layer of paper towels to prevent moisture from making buns soggy.  When ready to eat, carefully slice in half (or do this before storing in the refrigerator) with serrated knife or use a bagel cutter and eat cold or my favorite is to pop the bun in the toaster on the lightest setting.  Be careful of going too long in the toaster because the high fat content will cause the edges to burn very quickly.


Another thing that I like is that these buns are portable!  Slice the bun in half and place in a sandwich bag and take it with you and use your grain-free bun and leave the restaurant's bun on your plate!   So now that poor hamburger can have a bun, even when you go out!  I really do this! ;-) 

Freeze in an airtight container, perhaps wrapped in paper towels inside of a small sandwich bags.  They should last a couple weeks if not longer in freezer.  Just pop in the toaster when ready to eat or microwave for a few seconds to thaw.



Now, go enjoy your favorite burger or sandwich or treat the bun like an English muffin and spread it with cream cheese or butter and your favorite no-sugar preserves.  The possibilities are endless! 


Note:  If wanting to make these dairy free, follow Elana's Pantry Recipe http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-bread/ and substitute stevia for honey and follow the instructions below to make it into buns. 

Breakfast- Bacon Egg & Cheese

Lunch- Ham Sandwich

Dinner- Grilled Chicken with Avocado and Bacon

Dinner- Cheese Burger with Bacon and Avocado 

Pulled Pork sandwich with my BBQ sauce and  coleslaw. 

Melissa's Sandwich Buns
Makes 18 buns


Dry Ingredients
3 cups almond flour (10 oz by weight)
1/2 cup coconut flour (2 oz by weight)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Kal Brand Stevia
1/4 tsp salt (if not using salted butter)


Wet Ingredients
2 tbsp Vinegar 
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup water
8 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted


Optional topping:  Sesame Seeds 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In bowl, mix dry ingredients. 
3. Add vinegar to dry.
4. In separate bowl, blend all remaining wet ingredients well.
5. Scoop batter into muffin top pan using ice cream scoop. 
6. Hit pan on counter top 2 times then turn pan and hit 2 more times, this produces a more even thickness and gets out air bubbles!
7. Bake for 13-15 minutes then remove and cool on wire rack.
8. Store in refrigerator for up to a week. 
9. To serve: Carefully slice bun in half using serrated knife (or bagel cutter).  Toast on lowest setting to extra strength.

Note:  I recommend slicing in half before storage in the refrigerator  to make these Sandwich buns convenient for the kids.

Nutrition:

Each Sandwich Bun: A little over 3 carbs

Regular whole wheat bun: 16-25 grams of carbs