Cauliflower, Parmesan & Poppy Seed Buns

I adore bread and could totally overload on it every day - breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack times.  I refuse to look at any food as the enemy, so I am working more on reducing the amount I eat and finding other options to bridge the gap.  Since I've been intrigued by recipes using cauliflower for everything from muffins to pizza crust to tortillas, I decided looking at ones for buns that could be used for sandwiches or toast. Two more cauliflower bun recipes are coming - a dairy free with egg, and a 100% vegan - so be sure and check back. 

For the most part, I followed the recipe I found on Kirbie's Cravings, but doubled it as it only made 5 buns out of a 1/2 head of cauliflower. I wanted more buns to freeze and wanted to use up the whole head. I also decided to add some poppy seeds. I love poppy seeds. I was hoping it would add some crunch, but it didn't or very little. BUT I loved the specks of color regardless. And I skipped sprinkling the sesame seeds on top. I was out of them and didn't want to run to the store.

When baking I made sure I gave it the longer time.  I wanted them to be fully cooked through so they would hold together better when cooled.  It worked. The edges were brown, the tops were speckled a bit, and the undersides on most of them were well browned.

I used a silicone muffin top pan. This pan is one I bought for this recipe and I fell madly, madly in love with it. It makes shaping the buns super easy and the flexible silicone is easy to clean and make it super simple to get them out in one solid piece without breaking. I can't wait to use it for other things like cornbread. 

Supposed to be 10 buns. I got 12 but one was a bit thin.
  

Do the buns hold together?  I ate one warmed in the toaster and spread with butter the first day, but the next day I took 2, heated them in the toaster and used them together as a bun for a leftover cooked hamburger.  It held up just fine. The hamburger was smaller and I limited the fillings, but I didn't have it break apart when taking bites. 

I will always love bread and enjoy eating hearty artisanal loafs and focaccias, but these cauliflower buns will help me keep the amount of bread I eat on a daily basis in check. Enjoy!

Gluten & Dairy Free Cauliflower Buns - Coming soon.

Vegan Cauliflower Buns - Coming Soon. 

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Cauliflower, Parmesan & Poppy Seed Buns

Ingredients-

6 C                  Raw Grated Cauliflower about 1 medium head
4                      Large eggs
1 C                  Shredded parmesan cheese
4 T                  Almond flour
4 T                  Coconut flour
1 tsp                Baking powder
1 tsp                Dry Italian seasoning herb blend
2 tsp                Poppy seeds

Optional - white sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, eggs, cheese, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning and poppy seeds. Mix with a large spoon until everything is thoroughly mixed. The mixture should be wet but not liquid.

Prepare a silicone muffin top pan (I used an olive oil cooking spray). If you don't own a muffin top pan, you can also make free-form ones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat, but the muffin top pan really gives the best results and the silicone ones are easiest to get the buns out of. 

If you are using muffin top pan, place 1/2 cup batter in each mold. Press the mixture down firmly with fingers until tightly packed and even.  If using a baking sheet, press down on the mixture with the palm of your hand and then spread and shape to form a round disc 4 inches wide and slightly more than 1/2 inch high. Compact down with your  fingers or palms until tightly packed. Optional - sprinkle white sesame seeds on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden and cauliflower breads are completely cooked. I erred on the side of a little over-cooked. The bottoms were nice and brown too and that helped them hold together like a bun. Use a thin spatula to gently loosen the bottoms of the cauliflower breads. Allow breads to cool slightly before eating. 

Note - I cooled them thoroughly on wire racks to make sure neither the top or bottom got soggy. Then I stored what I thought I would eat in an airtight container in the fridge. To use, I heated in the toaster first to both warm them and to dry the outsides a bit.  The rest I stored in the freezer and will pull a few out every few days.