The Ultimate Gluten Free Burger by Gearóid Lynch

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the beef burgers:

• 450g lean minced beef
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• 8 drops of Tabasco sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper
• 10ml olive oil
• 4 slices of mozzarella
• 2 dessertspoons red onion marmalade
• 2 dessertspoons homemade tomato ketchup

For the buns:

• 750g gluten-free white bread flour blend, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp salt
• 1½ tsp xanthan gum
• 40g fresh yeast or 2 tsp fast action dried yeast
• 50g butter, softened
• 425ml water
• 25ml milk
• 1 dessertspoon caster sugar

Method

Make the buns:

Sieve the flour, salt and xanthan gum into the bowl of a stand mixer. If using dried yeast, add it at this point too. Add the softened butter and use the dough hook attachment to combine all the ingredients.

Mix the fresh yeast (if using), water, milk and caster sugar together to blend the yeast. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with the dough hook for 8–10 minutes. The dough should be wet and sticky.

Leave the dough in the bowl, cover it with cling film and put in a warm place for at least 1 hour. It will increase in size.

Dust a baking tray and the worktop with flour. Transfer the dough onto the lightly floured worktop. Cut into 8 equal portions and shape into rounds (or if you want to make slider buns, shape them into smaller rounds). If the dough is too sticky when you are forming the buns, rub some olive oil on your hands. This will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.

Put on the prepared tray, dust with a little flour and leave to prove for 30 minutes. The dough will rise again. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C.

When the buns have risen again, bake them for 20–25 minutes, until they are crusty on top. To check that the buns are done, turn them over and tap the base. If you hear a light, hollow sound, the buns are ready for serving.

Make the burgers:

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C. Place the minced beef, onions, garlic, egg yolks, paprika, mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix together well by hand. Divide the mixture into four even portions, then press and shape into burgers.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the burgers to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side.

Once the burgers are well sealed, place them on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 5 minutes to ensure they are cooked all the way through. Before removing from the oven, place a slice of mozzarella onto each burger, then return them to the oven or under a hot grill for 1 minute, just until the cheese begins to melt. Remove from the oven and toast the burger buns.

To assemble the burgers, put a spoonful of red onion marmalade on the bun, followed by the burger and cheese.

Top with ketchup and finish with the other half of the bun. It may need to be held together with a cocktail stick.