Most store-bought burger rolls are pretty blah: a form of white bread used to hold the burger.

Earlier, we suggested 25+ alternatives to the burger bun, from baguette to brioche to pretzel roll.

Even when the roll is special, it begs the question: Does the bread serve any purpose other than enabling utensil-free eating?

We love good bread: At a top restaurant, we’d rather have the bread than the meat. But over the years we’ve found that it doesn’t add to the burger experience. Even the best bread gets soggy with all the condiments and burger juice.

Drumroll: Today, we suggest burgers without the bun—at least, without a bread bun.

The original hamburger steak served in the U.S., essentially the Hamburg steak from Hamburg, Germany, was served on a plate with a fork and knife: no bun (here’s the hamburger history).

So how about going bunless—or rather, breadless?
 
 
NON-BREAD BUN ALTERNATIVES

Whether gluten-free, low-carb or paleo, we’ve seen every burger bun substitute imaginable, from homemade cauliflower buns to potato pancakes.

Alternatives To The Burger Bun

Look to different vegetables:

 
For the “other grilled vegetables,” look for the widest eggplant, potato or zucchini. You may be able to find one that can be sliced to hold an average burger.

Otherwise, you may end up with sliders.

TIP: While bread buns keep your fingers clean, the lettuce leaves do the same (at best a bit of water residue). If you don’t want to touch the oil-brushed grilled veggies, the solution is simple: an open-face burger with a knife and fork.
 
 
TASTY TOPPINGS

We enjoy trying new burger toppings. These work whether you serve conventional buns or the “vegetable buns” above.

You can start with your favorite condiments (ours are curried ketchup*, sriracha mayo* and sweet and savory pickles).

 
SLAW ALTERNATIVES

If you call yourself a foodie, bypass the commercial cabbage slaw with a few flecks of carrot, dripping with diluted mayonnaise. Instead, go for a homemade slaw. If you don’t have time to make it, assign one or two recipes to someone else.

[1] Trade the bread for lettuce leaves (photo courtesy Burger Fi). [2] For onion lovers, a double-onion burger with raw and caramelized onions. [3] A tropical burger. Use two slices of grilled pineapple instead of the bread. Here’s the recipe from Fit Views. [4] Spell it portabella or portobello, it’s a delicious bread substitute. Here’s the recipe from Sew Lets Cook. [5] Grilled eggplant as a bun (photo courtesy Our Four Forks).

Are the halved breads that surround hot dogs and hamburgers properly called rolls or buns?

There is no official difference, meaning that there are no specific USDA standards. Both rolls and buns are single-serve breads, and the USDA only stipulates that buns and rolls weigh less than one-half pound. (Loaves of bread, on the other hand, must weigh one pound or more).

Manufacturers and retailers use whichever term they want. However, the American Institute of Baking uses this distinction

 
It is true that “burger bun” rolls off the tongue more easily than “burger roll.” But the more accurate term is roll.

Just for the record.

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*Just mix the seasoning into regular ketchup or mayonnaise to your desired intensity.
  

[2] If you’re buying new molds, we prefer “groovy” ones like this style, from Tovolo. The pop is bluebery-yogurt; hence, a lighter color than the pure, puréed berries in photo #1.

[3] No molds? Use a loaf plan and slice the pops! Here’s how from Lynne at And Then I Do The Dishes.

If you have no plans this weekend, consider making something fun—like red, white, and blue ice pops.

The vivid colors in these pops (photo #1) come from berries, strawberries, and coconut milk. The berry purées can be made using either fresh or frozen berries.

Simply de-stem, wash and pat dry the fruits; then purée in the food processor [need we add, purée separately?).

If you’re serving them to a sophisticated crowd, you can get creative with herbs and spices, e.g.:

 
You don’t want a hodgepodge, so flavor only one layer. Our personal favorite: heat in the red layer.

If you don’t want to use coconut milk, substitute plain or vanilla yogurt. If you use vanilla, don’t add additional sweetener.
 
 
RECIPE: RED, WHITE & BLUE ICE POPS

Ingredients For 10 Ice Pops

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the simple syrup: Bring water and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved and let cool.

2. ADD 1 tablespoon of simple syrup to each of the purées and the coconut milk. Stir well. Fill molds 1/3 of the way with the strawberry purée. Place the lid on the mold and and the wood sticks, letting them protrude about 1/2 inch above the top. Let freeze 40-50 minutes or until somewhat firm.

3. REMOVE the lid of the mold and fill compartments another third of the way with the coconut milk mixture. Replace the lid, making sure all of the sticks are in place; freeze another 40-50 minutes.

4. REMOVE the lid and fill the compartments with the blueberry purée. Replace the lid and freeze completely, at least 8 hours or overnight. When ready to serve…

5. RUN cool water over the sides of the mold and carefully loosen each pop by gently pulling on the handle or the stick. Remove all pops. If not serving immediately, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag.

A friend saves small yogurt cups for this purpose; but if you haven’t planned ahead, you can use small paper or disposable plastic cups.

You can also use a loaf pan (photo #3) and slice the pops.

Don’t forget the wooden sticks!
 
 
ICE POP VS. POPSICLE

Popsicle® is a trademarked name owned by Unilever’s Good Humor Division (here’s the history of the Popsicle and the Creamsicle®).

Everything else should be called by the generic term, “ice pop.”
 
 

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We love a DIY bruschetta bar. Just rub the bread with garlic, brush it with extra virgin olive oil, grill, and place the slices on a platter along with all the fixings.

Even easier, brush the bread with garlic olive oil! You can buy it, or infuse your own in advance by dropping halved garlic cloves into a cup of olive oil (or however much you think you’ll need). Any leftover oil can go right into a vinaigrette.

Bruschetta originated in the Tuscany region of Italy, where it is commonly served as a snack or appetizer. It may have been the original garlic bread.

Plus, we have our own invention dessert bruschetta, below.

BRUSCHETTA VS. CROSTINI: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

There are two factors:

 
Bruschetta slices are larger, three or four inches in diameter) and grilled. Crostini, cut from a ficelle, a thinner baguette about two inches wide (the word is French for “string”).

You can use bread of a different diameter; but if it isn’t grilled, it isn’t bruschetta.

Here’s how to remember the difference:

 
Note that some American manufacturers and others in the food industry misuse the term, selling jars of “bruschetta.” To be accurate, it should be labeled bruschetta topping). Bruschetta is the grilled bread, not the topping.

RECIPE: DIY BRUSCHETTA BAR

The simplest bruschetta topping is salt and pepper (i.e., seasoned garlic bread), but that’s for a bread basket.

Almost any cheese, fruit, meat, spread or vegetable can be a topping. Toppings can be cooked, marinated, pickled, raw or smoked.

For a DIY bar, offer at least three different toppings. We like everything, so tend to go overboard: Our toppings look like a buffet. Regarding bread, we prefer a crusty sourdough or rustic loaf.

 
Along with the bread, make sure you have fresh garlic and check your olive oil for freshness.

Ingredients

 
For The Toppings

 
 
More options: shredded mozzarella or other cheese such as thinly-sliced Brie, fish (we have a passion for anchovies and herring salad on bruschetta), other marinated vegetables, mostarda.

We also like eggplant caponata, pesto and sautéed mushrooms, but tend to use them more in cooler weather.

[1] Who needs a burger? We’re heading for the bruschetta bar (photo courtesy What’s Gaby Cooking).[2] Buy bread that has a pretty solid crumb (photo courtesy The Stone Soup). [3] This loaf is beautiful, but not for holding toppings (photo courtesy Bake Street). [4] A bruschetta bar from Countryside Cravings. [5] Dessert bruschetta, here with goat cheese (the recipe from Emily Bites). We use mascarpone.

Preparation

1. SET out the toppings and teaspoons for serving. We use ramekins; you can use any bowls you have.

2. SLICE the bread from 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick. Rub each side with cut garlic clove and brush each side with olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill to your desired toastiness.

3. PLACE the bread on a platter next to the toppings and watch people create their appetizers.
 
 
DESSERT BRUSCHETTA

Most people won’t have seen dessert bruschetta. We don’t know if we invented it, but our sweet tooth gave us the idea years ago.

Start with a loaf of bread with dried fruit, such as cherries or raisins. For toppings: