An amazing lower carb bread roll, or, burger bun substitute, in these aromatic cauliflower ‘bread’ rolls or cauli-burger buns. Used to create a meaty sub sandwich or a bun for a chicken, fish or meat burger, eaten on their own or with a soup or casserole /curry, these cauli “bread” rolls are a winner!
This recipe works with freshly riced cauliflower – the store bought or frozen cauliflower retains loads of water so the best option would be to rice a medium sized head of cauliflower specifically for making these “bread” rolls or burger buns. Loosely based on a cauliflower pizza base recipe, from the many that abound, the trial and error method worked in getting the nut flour blend to create these “bread rolls”.
In putting these buns or “bread rolls” together, it is important to create the “perfect” bread-like dough and not a gloopy mess – the riced cauliflower must be dry to absorb the egg and flours. Minimum seasoning adds to the taste and remove the egginess. While this is an egg-protein make, for a vegan option, the chia-egg will work too. It’s about creating that “right” dough mix!
The seedy-spiced topping enhances this bake perfectly! The aroma from baking these early in the morning woke up my hungry-sleepy home folk, who were curious about what was baking in the oven 
This is a quick to make bake, one that cauliflower lovers will enjoy – especially those looking for a bread substitute away from higher carb nut flours. These buns or rolls may be refrigerated in a sealed container for a few days. To eat these after freezing, you may thaw them out, bring them to room temperature and heat them in a pre-heated oven to return them to just baked goodness
Steak and Onion Cauliflower Sub with Pineapple Salsa and Lettuce
Ingredients
3 cups riced cauliflower (from fresh cauliflower made as you put these buns/rolls together, not thawed cauliflower rice)
3 tblsp almond flour
1 tblsp coconut flour (I used organic coconut flour)
2 large eggs, whisked
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp Himalayan or Sea salt
Optional: ½ tsp onion powder
1-2 tblsp nutritional yeast flakes for a “cheesy” bun or roll
FOR THE TOPPING
½ tsp poppy seeds OR roasted and cracked cumin seeds
1 tblsp sesame seeds
1 tsp dried crushed garlic
1 tblsp dried crushed onion
½ tsp Himalayan or Sea salt
Here’s How
- Preheat the oven to 200° Celsius.
- Using a fresh cauliflower, grate or add the florets into a food process to make the cauliflower rice.
- Mix the riced cauliflower, almond flour, coconut flour, eggs, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl. The consistency you require is a dough-like. It should be a firm bun / roll texture when moulding.
- In a separate bowl combine the topping ingredients.
- Line an oven tray with baking paper or lightly grease a muffin pan. You may also use paper cupcake casings.
- Mould 4 -6 even sized bun or long roll shapes out of the mixture and place them on the baking paper or in your choice of baking vessel. While this recipe is primarily for buns and rolls, the cauliflower dough may be baked as a bread-loaf, in a small, baking paper lined loaf tin. The baking time will need to increased and the oven temperature reduced to 180° Celsius.
- Sprinkle over the topping ingredients and lightly press them into each bun or roll.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until bun/ bread roll-like consistency is reached – the baking time is dependant on the size and thickness of bun or roll you make. A skewer or toothpick inserted in the middle, and removed dry, will determine if the buns / rolls are fully baked.
- For extra crisp buns / rolls, remove them from the baking vessel and grill them directly on the oven rack.
- Remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
- Once fully cooled, slice them down the middle (if you find them still moist, return the slices to a hot oven, to dry) and serve with fillings of choice.
Enjoy
