On a Roll

A hamburger is not really a hamburger without a roll. For that reason, I attempted to make my own.

This recipe was adapted from Gluten-Free Goddess.

Having to eliminate yeast when making bread or rolls is a bit of a problem, therefore these buns have more of a savoury muffin texture - I believe that this recipe would work beautifully as a loaf though.

When baking gluten free, expect your dough to be a lot different to an original bread dough - it is more of a batter and for that reason I baked these buns in a muffin tin. These buns are also dairy and egg free.

Hamburger "Buns":
(Makes 5)

Dry Ingredients:

I had these flours on hand - you can experiment with your own flours or follow Gluten-Free Goddess' recipe directly. As long as you use a combination of starch and flour.

1 Cup Buckwheat Flour (Health Connection)
1/2 Cup Potato Flour (Health Connection)
1/2 Cup Maizena
1/4 Cup White Maize Meal (Earth Products)
1/4 Cup Quinoa Flour (Health Connection)
2 Teaspoons Xanthan Gum
1.5 Teaspoons Sea Salt
1tsp Royal Baking Powder
1tsp Royal Bicarbonate of Soda

Wet Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cup Warm Water
3 Tbs Canola Oil
2 Tbs Honey
2 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Orgran Egg Replacer mixed into 2 Tbs Rice Milk

Sesame Seeds

Directions:

Sieve dry ingredients and set aside
Mix 1tbs honey, lemon juice, baking powder and bicarb together and slowly add the warm water
Stir quickly (it should be frothy at this stage) and add to the dry ingredients
Add the oil, remaining honey and mixed egg replacer
Stir thoroughly until a batter has formed
Spoon the batter into muffin tins and smooth evenly with wet fingers
Top with sesame seeds
Loosely cover the pan with a tea towel and allow to rest in a warm spot for 20 minutes
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius
Bake the buns for about 40 - 50 minutes
Remove buns from muffin pan and cool on a wired rack

A Quick Tomato Relish:

Ingredients:

1 Onion, Sliced
1 - 2 Tomatoes, Diced
Olive Oil for Frying
Herbal Salt and Pepper
Fructose
Squeeze Lemon Juice
Basil Leaves

Directions:

Fry onions until golden, add tomatoes, fructose, herbal salt, pepper and lemon juice

Simmer for a few minutes
Add basil leaves and stir
Serve dripping over the edges of the patty

See my previous post on how to make hamburger patties

The Humble Hamburger

A patty can make or break a burger. It cannot be rubbery or tasteless. It must be moist and somewhat juicy, but still firm. The flavours must compliment the garnish and yet be strong enough to stand out. There is a lot to consider and a lot more to a hamburger than cooking a few store bought patties or buying a burger from your local Steers. Making a burger is an art - there should have been a painting dedicated to this humble handheld meaty morsel or at least an ode, or sonnet or song.

Early memories of homemade hamburgers have been cemented in my mind. Friday nights were always take away nights, but we preferred homemade patties - there was something grossly therapeutic about squishing minced beef between the fingers, adding onions, egg and bread crumbs and playing patty cake until a gorgeous round shape was formed - frying this in a little oil and stacking a roll as high as possible with lettuce, tomato, cheese, gherkins and tomato sauce and somehow maneuvering this monstrosity into the mouth, usually by unlocking the jaw. Dribbles of tomato sauce juices down the chin were the only tell-tale sign of a well enjoyed dinner.

No more cheese, or gherkins or tomato sauce for me. But now, new memories need to be created.

On Friday night, we felt like homemade hamburgers - which rocketed me straight back to childhood. It felt a little like paint by numbers as I recalled the steps from memory - although with tweaks to suit my new lifestyle.

Homemade Hamburger Patties:
(Makes +/- 6 Depending on Size)

Ingredients:

500g Lean Beef Mince
1.5 Onions, Finely Diced
A Handful of Fresh Thyme Leaves
A Teaspoon Chilli Flakes
Herbal Salt and Pepper
A Little Olive Oil for Frying

Step 1: Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Step 2: Fry onions until golden
Step 3: Add onions to mince along with thyme, chilli, herbal salt and pepper
Step 4: Squish between your fingers to mix well
Step 5: Shape mince into patties
Step 6: Cook in the oven for about 5 minutes on each side
Step 7: Turn the grill on and grill for about 5 minutes on each side until charred

Serve on a gluten free roll or bread with rocket, avo, tomato and a drizzle of basil oil and homemade chips with lots of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice

The bread in the picture is Mrs Bread Care's rice bread. It is delicious and tastes like ordinary bread! It is made from sourdough and is yeast fresh, dairy free, gluten free and egg free. You can find her at the Bryanston Organic Market and her products are also at Fruits and Roots and Fresh Earth.