A Paleo Recipe Success: Grain and Dairy-Free Hamburger Buns

On New Year's Day 2014, my husband decided to adopt the paleo lifestyle. This man always takes an "all or nothing" approach in all endeavors, so he went hardcore paleo overnight. For those of you who aren't well-versed in this alternative nutrition lifestyle, paleo foods are essentially those foods that were readily available to the paleolithic (cave) man and include fresh meats, fruits, vegetables (except for legumes and white potatoes), nuts, seeds, and natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. Grains and dairy are not allowed in the paleo lifestyle (I will add that I began making kefir, a probiotic dairy superfood, during the summer, and it has become our sole source of dairy. The fact that it is lactose free and loaded with probiotics removed it from the paleo naughty list.) 

Since I am the cook in the family, I had to get on the ball and learn to cook foods that met the paleo criteria. In my first year of paleo cooking, I tried so many recipes for paleo baked goods, and nothing really knocked my socks off. I've made pumpkin "bread" that tasted great but had the texture of a spongy pudding, pancakes that tasted so egg-y that they could have qualified as an omelet, and cookies that fell apart into a pile of almond flour and chocolate chips. 

After many epic failures I can finally say that I've found a bread recipe that tastes, looks, and feels like bread! Glory, hallelujah! I found this recipe at Cassidy's Craveable Creations, and I tweaked it a little, only because I didn't have some of the ingredients on hand. I used pectin in lieu of gelatin, and I skipped the guar gum. This recipe yielded a bread with a crispy crust and a soft core that tasted like a classic yeasty bread.

I made these buns for the grass-fed beef burgers that I served last night (on my fancy china), and they were amazing! Props to Cassidy!

Printable Recipe


Paleo Hamburger Buns
(modified version from Cassidy's Craveable Creations)

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
• 1 cup arrowroot flour
• 2 tsp. pectin (or unflavored gelatin)
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. agave nectar or other paleo sweetener
• 2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Proof yeast by placing it in a small bowl and adding the warm water (115 degrees).
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
4. Add eggs, olive oil, vinegar, agave, and proofed yeast.
5. With floured hands, roll dough into 5 or 6 equally sized balls. Place on a greased cookie sheet and flatten dough slightly.
6. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
7. Remove cover and bake 12-15 minutes or until beginning to brown.
8. Allow to cool before cutting.

I'll include my recipe for the garlic aioli, which was the pièce de résistance for this gourmet burger:

Printable Recipe

Garlic Aioli

• ½ cup Spectrum Olive Oil Mayonnaise (the closest thing to a paleo mayo)
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.