As you can see from the photo above, we have been quite busy baking bread this weekend. These vegan and gluten free mini buns have been a family favourite for a while now. Some of you might remember seeing two photos (uno | due) on instagram at the start of the summer. These buns are perfectly tiny in size, very easy to prepare and contain no egg, butter or nuts nor any yeast or baking powder. Miracle bread, really. They don’t even need any kneading or leavening time. When baked right, they get a nice crust and a softly textured crumb without being gooey or dense. Since we always try to sneak in vegetables in every dish, we have done three different versions here: carrot & parsnip, spinach & banana and beet & date. And that is just the start, you can easily add whatever vegetables you have at home.

We are not specifically gluten free in our family, but for us this recipe is great as a lighter bread to mix up with rye bread, seed crackers and whatever else that makes it into our kitchen. The psyllium seed husks are very good for your gut, containing loads of fiber and the gluten free flours are also more easily digested than regular wheat flours. The buns have a touch of sweetness and are so great on a brunch or breakfast table with a slab of butter or some avocado slices. And they’re perfect in kids lunch boxes too. Even babies can enjoy them as there are no allergens in this recipe, just leave out the salt.

A few notes about this recipe

• Don’t skip the psyllium husk! Not only is it really good for your gut, but psyllium is also the magic glue that hold the bread together, make them moist and not crumbly at all. There are lots of gluten free recipes using xantham gum or chia seeds but we encourage you to stick with psyllium on this one. Depending on where you live, it can usually be found in larger supermarkets, health food stores or online. It should also be a lot cheaper than chia seeds.
• First time? If you’ve never baked or tasted gluten free bread before, don’t expect that it will taste exactly the same as when you use wheat flour. The texture is slightly different and so is the flavor. Not in a bad way, just a bit different. However, this recipe is truly one of the easiest and tastiest that we have tried.
• Gooey? Sometimes the inside texture of the bun can end up a bit gooey. The most common reason for this is if you slice them open too early, you should always let the bread cool off a bit first so the inside will set properly. If they are still gooey, then either you have used too much liquid in the dough or the buns need longer baking time. If you have a baking thermometer you can stick it inside one of the buns, they should reach approx. 210°F / 100°C when they are done inside. We have experienced that the baking time can vary between 35 minutes and up to 60 minutes, depending on the oven, the size of the buns and how many sheets you are baking at the same time. If your bread ends up gooey, a last minute solution is always to put the slices in the toaster 🙂

Gluten Free Vegetable Buns
Makes 12-14 buns
The recipe is loosely adapted by the gluten free buns in this book by Anette Harbech Olesen

3 tbsp psyllium seed husks
2 cups / 1/2 liter lukewarm water or plant milk (plant milk is optional but gives the bread a slightly richer flavour)
150 g vegetables of choice, see note below
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp flaky sea salt
1 1/2 cup / 150 g rolled oats, choose cert, gluten free if intolerant
1 1/4 cup / 150 g buckwheat flour
1 1/4 cup / 150 g rice flour

Vegetable add-ins, choose one of these flavourings:
EITHER 1 carrot + 1 parsnip, grated (150 g)
OR 1 packed cup / 70 g fresh spinach, chopped + 1 banana, peeled and mashed
OR 1-2 beetroots, grated (130 g) + 6 dates, mashed and stones removed

Topping
1/4 cup / 30 g seeds of choice (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, chopped sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds)

Set the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Mix psyllium and water in a large bowl, stir to combine and leave for 15 minutes to thicken. Then beat the psyllium gel vigorously with a hand whisk for a few minutes to get as much air as possible into the gel. Add vegetables, salt and oil and whisk for another minute, making sure everything is combined. Fold in the oat and flours. You can use your hands to work the flours into the dough. Roll the dough into a log and divide into 12 equal pieces. Form small buns between your palms, dip your hands in warm water to avoid the dough to stick to them.
Brush with olive oil, sprinkle some seeds on top and bake for about 45-60 minutes (depending on size and oven), they are ready when the crust is golden and firm and the inside sounds hollow when you knock on the bread. If they have a soft crust, they need more time. Let cool before slicing them open. Enjoy with a slab of butter, nut butter or some avocado slices. Store in a bread jar or paper bag in room temperature. Or freeze, if you make larger batches.

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UPDATE: OMG, all tickets sold out in the first hour! We’re looking into adding an extra session. Send an email to promotie@gottmer.nl with the subject: “Green Kitchen waiting list” and you’ll be the first to get more information if we add an extra event. Thank you for your enthusiasm!

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And while we are on the subject of brunch recipes. We are really happy to announce that we are coming to Amsterdam next month and will teach two brunch workshops at the beautiful SLA Zuidas. The first session is between 10-12 and the second session between 14-16. The events are arranged by our Dutch publisher Becht and they have set an amazing price to make sure that everyone can afford this – only 45€! We will talk about our approach to food and demonstrate six delicious new brunch recipes. There will be lots of tasting, handouts, Q&A time and information about the ingredients. We will also be selling and signing our books and take some time to chat with you. So, if you are in Amsterdam next month, we’d really love to meet you. Click here to get your tickets!

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