No grains. No nuts. No problem.
This flourless bread recipe from UK food bloggers-turned-cookbook authors-turned-cafe-owners, Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, is nothing short of a miracle. Made without a pinch of gluten, grain or flour, these fluffy loaves or rolls can baked up in a flash with little more than flaxseeds and eggs. A gluten intolerant girl’s dream?
We first tried the recipe last summer, after these two British babes launched their latest cookbook, Good + Simple, which is packed with every clean recipe we’d never expect from across the pond. We we’re so blown away by the bread-that-almost-isn’t, we had to bring it back to the top of your culinary to-do list. Whip up a batch for protein and fiber-packed avocado toast, homemade veggie burgers or just to impress your grain-averse friends.
Flourless Flaxseed Bread Rolls
Makes 6
Ingredients:
5 oz ground or whole flaxseeds
1 tsp baking soda
just under ½ tsp sea salt
a pinch of black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
½ Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil, melted
3 Tbsp water
Optional:
½ tsp dried herbs (such as thyme) or bruised fennel/caraway seeds
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.*
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl using a fork. Beat in the remaining ingredients (except the sesame seeds) and leave the batter to rest for 5 minutes to thicken up. If using whole flaxseeds, mix with just the water and beaten egg first, then allow to stand and thicken for 30 minutes before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
Take 4–5 tablespoons of batter and shape into a bun with your hands. Place on the prepared baking tray and use wet hands to shape/smooth the top and to press down lightly so that the bun is ¼–½ inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the batter, sprinkling the tops with the sesame seeds (if using) and gently pressing them in.
Bake in the oven for 20–22 minutes, until the buns spring back to touch.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then slice in half and fill.
To make this focaccia-style: place the dough in a lined 8-inch square baking tin, using wet hands to smooth it out on top and into the corners of the tin, then bake as above before cutting into squares and slicing in half to create 2 slices.
Tips On Flaxseeds:
Try this with golden flaxseeds for a lighter color and lighter bun, or the more common brown flaxseeds for a dark, rye-type heavier bread.
If you have a high-powered blender, you can grind whole flaxseeds to make your own “flax flour,” which gives a much smoother texture.
Be sure to keep ground flaxseed well-sealed and stored in the fridge to preserve nutrients.
Keeping the flaxseeds whole gives the buns a nuttier texture.
Don’t mix this batter in a food processor! It thickens so much, it’s a pain to get it out.
Use an ice-cream scoop to make neat and easy flax-bread soup rolls.
Reprinted from Good + Simple: Recipes to Eat Well and Thrive. Copyright © 2016 by Jasmine Hemsley and Melissa Hemsley. Photographs copyright © 2016 by Nick Hopper. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
