Gluten Free Burger Buns

If you want to really up your BBQ game, then you simply HAVE to try making these gluten free burger buns.

These super soft and golden gluten free brioche buns are just perfect for hamburgers or any barbecue.

They are similar to my gluten free bread rolls recipe in that they’re super soft.

This is because they are made with enriched dough, which has melted butter added to it.

Combined to the milk and eggs in the recipe it gives these gluten free brioche buns a gorgeous flavour and super soft texture.

Of course the sesame seeds on top is optional but I like to include them for that authentic, gluten free hamburger roll look!

Ingredients for gluten free brioche buns

There’s a full printable recipe card below with all the ingredients and the full method.

But for the shopping list you’ll need:

• 300ml milk
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 7g dried yeast
• 400g FREEE gluten free white bread flour
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 75g butter
• 2 large eggs

For the topping you’ll also want to get hold of:

• 1 beaten egg
• Sesame seeds (optional)
• 20g unsalted butter (for brushing

For the flour I use the FREEE gluten free white bread flour which is available in most UK supermarkets.

For those that don’t have access to this, I’d recommend using a blend made up of rice, potato and tapioca flour to replicate this.

The concept of a gluten free brioche bun is that it is an enriched dough.

This means it contains milk, butter and eggs which give it a lovely soft texture and enhanced flavour.

Can this be made dairy free?

What this does also mean, is that I haven’t yet managed to create a dairy free or vegan version yet.

I’m not sure how well it would work to just straight-swap the dairy and egg for dairy free versions, so without trying it myself I wouldn’t recommend it.

That being said, if you’re an experienced vegan baker and give this a go, I’d love to hear how you get on and what works for you!

Which yeast is gluten free?

I am based in the UK and there are several yeast products here which are gluten free and readily available.

I always use either the Allinson’s Easy Bake Yeast or the Dove’s Farm Quick Yeast.

You can also use the Allinson’s Time Saver Yeast, though be aware that you may not need to prove the dough for as long if you use this.

All of these yeasts are gluten free in the UK.

The Dove’s Farm one is certified gluten free and found in the free from aisle.

The Allinson’s yeasts are free from gluten and can be found with the ‘regular’ baking goods.

Testing if your yeast is active

It’s very important with any bread recipe that you activate the yeast before using it.

To do this, all of my gluten free bread-based recipes start by mixing the yeast with warm milk (or some of them with water) and sugar.

I’d strongly recommend using a food thermometer like this one to ensure the water or milk is around 40’C – skin temperature.

Too hot and it will kill the yeast, which means your bake will not rise.

When left in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes, the yeast should form a frothy top a bit like the head on beer.

This means your yeast is active and you’re good to go!

If your yeast doesn’t froth up after 10 minutes, it’s likely it is dead and you’ll need to discard it and start again.

Sometimes yeast can go out of date so this could be a reason for it not frothing.

You also need to make sure the water is warm – not hot.

When you pop your finger in it, it should be a warm, comfortable temperature, around the same as your skin.

How to make gluten free burger buns

There’s a full printable recipe card down below, but I thought I would illustrate some of the steps here to make them a little easier.

I’ve also made this handy video too, so you can see exactly what to do!

I do find having a visual reference always helps so here are some step-by-step photos.

Once your yeast is activated and you’ve individually mixed your wet and dry ingredients, it’s time to mix them all together

Working with gluten free bread is not like working with normal bread at all.

Instead of a dough, you’ll end up with more of a thick, sticky batter, which looks a little like this:

Shaping your dough

Then it’s time to shape the batter into eight, even ‘balls’ of dough.

Because the batter is quite wet, I tend to use a scale set to measure the dough into eight even pieces.

I ‘dollop’ these onto a baking tray in relatively even blobs, using two spoons – a little like you would when making cupcakes.

Then the best way to shape them is to use wet hands.

Wetting your fingers will stop the dough sticking to them and ensure you manage to shape them into ball-like shapes.

These rolls will probably be a little flatter than your average bread roll, but try to get them into a smooth ball shape.

Here’s a comparison of how I ‘dolloped’ the dough onto the tray (left) and how it looks after smoothing it into shape (right).

Proving your burger buns

Because we’re working with an enriched dough, it does take a little longer to prove than some of my other bread recipes.

I usually prove these for around 60-90 minutes, until they have puffed up nicely and about doubled in size.

If you have a particularly warm spot, you might find they prove a little quicker.

And likewise, if it’s a cold day, it may take longer.

Use these timings as a rough guide but if your rolls don’t puff up a lot in 90 minutes, don’t be afraid to leave them a little longer.

Baking your buns

Once proved, it’s time to bake these beauties!

I glaze them with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds before putting them in the oven.

This gives them that gorgeous, golden hamburger bun look with a lovely shine on top.

Once baked, the trick is then to straight away brush them with melted butter.

Do this while they’re still hot and you’ll end up with gorgeously soft burger buns.

How to store them

It’s always important to let them cool for at least half an hour before then tucking in.

This is because when you take the gluten free burger buns out of the oven, you need to allow times for the gums to settle.

There’s a reason why people love warm fresh bread – not hot!

Once cooled completely, I’d recommend popping them in an airtight container straight away.

If you’re going to freeze your bread, do this straight away by popping them in a freezer bag.

These are best eaten the day of baking – if you’re baking them ahead of freezing them, I’d recommend refreshing them before eating

To do this, either microwave for 10-20 seconds or sprinkle with water and put in a hot oven for five minutes before eating.

You could also cut them in half and toast or griddle them.

If you’re doing this on the barbecue, make sure you’re careful to avoid any cross contamination!

My gluten free burger buns recipe

Here it is, the perfect recipe in time for BBQ season – my gluten free burger burger buns.

This recipe makes eight gluten free brioche buns, glazed with sesame seeds (but feel free to omit these if you are allergic/don’t like them!)

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!

And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me. 

NEED SOME MORE GLUTEN FREE BAKING INSPIRATION?

If you want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog, why not give some of these a try? They’re perfect for baking away all of your troubles.

• My easy gluten free focaccia recipe
• Gluten free bread (loaf) recipe
• Yeast-free gluten free soda bread

If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram. 

And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!

Oh – and don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter where you’ll know about all my latest posts and competitions first!

LIKE THIS GLUTEN FREE BURGER BUNS RECIPE?

Make sure you pin these recipe cards below for later! 

Do head over and follow me on Pinterest too for more gluten free recipe inspiration.