Revolutionary

I don’t remember how I found this recipe originally, but if you’re looking for a low-carb and/or gluten-free bread, you might want to give these “Revolution Rolls” a try.

**Note** I tried making these using cottage cheese, and baking in muffin rings. Both were a bad idea… see my updates here. I’ve also edited this post to add notes in red.

The recipe is apparently from the original Atkins diet cookbook. I couldn’t figure out how an egg and some cottage cheese (or cream cheese) could turn into hamburger buns, but they got lots of good reviews.

I figured it was worth a try, and I must say I was pretty amazed. They were quite good! Not so much on their own, but as a bread for sandwich, they worked out really well. The texture is airy and delicate, but I’ve used them both for burgers (veggie burgers) and for a turkey sandwich, and they really do taste a lot like having white bread.

I actually made the “oopsie rolls” version, using Neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese) instead of the cottage cheese called for in the original recipe. If you want a dairy free option, some people use either mayonnaise or Tofutti cream cheese instead.

Each roll is treated as one slice of bread, so for a sandwich, you would use two rolls for a sandwich. Made with the lower-fat Neufchatel cream cheese, two rolls are only 75 calories, 1 g carb, 6 g fat, and 5 g protein. All you’re really eating in two rolls is one whole egg and 1 oz of cheese or whatever you substitute for it.

This is my second batch – I decided to sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for a sesame-seed bun.

Revolution Rolls
Makes 6 rolls (3 servings as buns – each roll is one bun “half”)

• 3 eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, vinegar, or lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons cottage cheese (original recipe) OR: 3 oz. cream cheese OR: 3 Tbsp mayonnaise. ETA: I originally made these with light cream cheese, and thought they were really good. I didn’t like them with cottage cheese. See later post for details.
• 1 packet of Splenda or other artificial sweetener, optional. I’ve tried it with and without. Normally I do not use artificial sweeteners, but I do think this recipe comes out a little better with it – it seems to make the flavor a little less eggy. But it was OK without it, if you don’t want to use it.
• parchment paper or cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Separate eggs very carefully (make sure that absolutely none of the yolk gets into the whites.)
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (preferable), or spray liberally with cooking spray. I highly recommend the parchment paper, as otherwise they’ll probably stick no matter how much cooking spray you use.
4. Mix egg yolks, cheese, and sweetener (if using) in a large bowl until well combined. You don’t need to use a mixer – I just use a fork.
5. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until whites form stiff peaks. Tips for beating egg whites. [Note: Do not use same bowl/beaters that you used for mixing the egg yolks, as any trace of yolk will prevent the egg whites from whipping properly. If you want to use the same mixer, do the whites first, then the yolks.]
6. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture (be extremely careful not to break down the egg whites).
7. Spoon into 6 mounds on the prepared cookie sheet, gently putting one spoonful on top of another until each “roll” is about 2 inches high.
8. Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes to an hour (should be nicely browned and completely cooked through). The original recipe said to bake them for 60 minutes, but most people seem to bake them for less time. I baked mine for 40 minutes. If you don’t bake them long enough, they’ll be more like egg souffles than bread. They should be well browned. It’s hard to really tell when they’re “done”, so you may need to experiment, but I’d say at least 40-45 minutes.

The rolls will deflate a bit when cooling – that’s normal.

Wrap them in paper towels, parchment paper, or waxed paper and store loosely in a paper or loose plastic bag in the refrigerator. (They should not be sealed airtight, or they may get soggy.) I actually liked the ones that had been refrigerated better than the ones that I had fresh from the oven. The texture seemed a bit softer and more bready.

To freeze, wrap them as above and put them in a plastic zipper-type bag with the air squeezed out. Defrost for 10 seconds in the microwave, then put in toaster oven or under broiler to crisp them up a bit (watch closely, as they burn easily).

Here is a video showing a guy making them.

Tips and Variations:

• People say that “muffin top” pans or small 5-inch Wilton cake pans work really well for these rolls. I meant to try using my English muffin rings to make them an even size, but I forgot. Bad idea. No matter how much you grease the rings/pans, the rolls will stick. Parchment paper is totally worth it.
• Add a scoop of natural protein powder or 10 g almond flour to the egg yolk mixture for a more ‘bready’ texture.
• Use vanilla protein powder and add in a tablespoon of maple syrup for a sweet roll.
• Add 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, a pinch of garlic salt, and 1/2 tsp dried oregano for an herb-cheese version.
• Top with sesame seeds or caramelized onion bits. Sesame seeds were great.
• They make good grilled cheese sandwiches or paninis. I tried a grilled sandwich, using a weighted plate on top of it to press it. Pretty good!
• Some people bake the mixture in a loaf pan and slice it.
• The original recipe called for a packet of Sugar Twin. Some people don’t use a sweetener at all.

Other uses I’ve seen but haven’t tried:

• Cream puffs (many people fill them with sugar-free pudding)
• French toast
• Cream cheese danish (top with sweetened cream cheese)
• Panini Bread: Use 4 eggs, 4 oz cream cheese, 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, and 1 packet Splenda for the recipe. Grease a jelly roll pan, or line with parchment paper or silpat. Pour batter into pan, bake until springy and dry, about 30 minutes. Cut into 16 pieces. Add fillings, grill in a panini grill or use a weighted plate to press the sandwiches while frying.
• Pizza crust: Put roll mixture in a well-greased pizza pan, bake for 20 minutes, let cool. Spread with sauce, cheese and toppings. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
• Crust for pot pies: Pour roll mixture into 2 greased 9″ pie pans and bake for 30 minutes.
• Croissants

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world.