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I’ve had a lot of recipe requests recently and definitely top of that list has been an easy, foolproof recipe for gluten free bread.
Now I’m no Paul Hollywood – all hail the King of Gluten – but I think I have finally, after many trials and tribulations, developed a gluten free bread recipe to get you through this lockdown!
Soft on the inside with a crunchy crust, this simple gluten free bread recipe is best eaten fresh from the oven, or toasted after that.
An honest disclaimer about this gluten free bread
I’m not going to make any absurd claims: this is not to the standard of some of the master gluten free bread makers, such as Naomi Devlin or The Loopy Whisk.
But while their recipes are EXCELLENT, they use a lot of different flour blends (one of the keys to their success) and at the moment, getting hold of gluten free flours like this is just not realistic.
In fact, a lot of gluten free products are difficult to source (see my guide to shopping for gluten free products online here) so I have had to rely on my storecupboard at home.
So while this is not some gluten free artisan loaf recipe, what this IS, is a basic gluten free bread recipe which will suit your needs for a sandwich or slice of toast in the morning.
The best thing you can do is bake this gluten free bread recipe with enough time to give it 30 minutes to an hour to cool before you eat it.
This way you’ll still enjoy the warm dough and freshness from the oven.
If you can’t eat this within a few hours of baking it, I recommend using it for toast. I personally prefer all gluten free bread as toast, but this is where this loaf really comes into its own.
So if you’re struggling to get hold of gluten free bread at the moment, then this recipe is definitely for you.
An easy gluten free bread recipe
For my gluten free bread recipe, you’ll need a 2lb loaf tin – if you only have a 1lb tin then this should size down, just cut all the ingredients in half.
I use this high-sided loaf tin as I find this creates the best shape – just like a ‘proper’ loaf – but any depth will do as long as it’s a 2lb tin.
To make this gluten free bread, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 400g FREEE gluten free white bread flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 300ml warm water (skin temperature)
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 14g dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil (such as rapeseed oil)
- 2 eggs
Do you need gluten free bread flour?
Now I know a lot of you are struggling to get hold of gluten free flour and yeast at the moment, but I’m optimistic that hopefully the supermarkets and suppliers will be able to restock soon.
I also know a lot of people could only find gluten free bread flour and not ‘normal’ gluten free flour, so I am hoping this will help you out!
I’ll admit in my experimentations with this recipe, I haven’t tried it with plain gluten free flour, so I can’t comment as to whether it will produce the same results.
My inclination is that it would work with a plain gluten free flour mix, but I want to be honest with you guys and don’t want to comment on a method I haven’t yet tried! As soon as I give it a go, I’ll come back and update this post.
This recipe is dairy free and I can recommend using vegetable oil instead of olive oil, as it produces a much lighter bread.
What if I can’t find all the ingredients?
Unfortunately my supplies have been limited and I’ve only been able to test this gluten free bread recipe with the ingredients I have.
As said above, I’m not sure how it would work with plain gluten free flour, but I imagine it would translate pretty well.
If you don’t have/can’t eat eggs, I have seen similar recipes which use aquafaba (the water from a tin of chickpeas) but again, I haven’t tried this and don’t want to lead you down a path where I don’t know the outcome!
I am still working on a replacement for yeast, as I know a lot of people have been struggling to get hold of it. I did try (and fail) to make gluten free bread with beer instead – perhaps when I can restock my flour supplies I can try this again!
Needless to say, my first attempt was a classic fail!
My gluten free bread recipe
This easy gluten free bread recipe is simple to follow, uses basic ingredients, and creates one, 2lb loaf.
As said previously, this is definitely best eaten when fresh from the oven, and makes delicious toast. You can also slice and freeze it too.
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.
Gluten Free Bread
This basic gluten free bread recipe creates an easy gluten free loaf, which is best when eaten fresh from the oven or toasted. You can also slice this up and freeze it for up to six months.
Ingredients
- 400g FREEE gluten free white bread flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 300ml warm water (skin temperature)
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 14g dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil (such as rapeseed oil)
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Measure out the warm water into a jug - it should be at skin temperature - i.e. you can't really feel the heat when you dip your finger in. Stir the sugar into the warm water and until dissolved, then add the yeast and stir again. Leave in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to activate. It should form a lovely froth on top when it's ready.
- Add the gluten free bread flour, xanthan gum and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir to mix together.
- In a separate mug or bowl, add the eggs, oil and vinegar and lightly whisk to combine.
- Once the yeast/water mixture is active (frothy), add it to the flour along with the egg/oil mixture. Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture together vigorously to combine it into a thick, sticky dough.
- Oil a 2lb loaf tin then pour the dough into it. You may need to use oiled fingers to scrape out the dough as it can be quite sticky, and to gently smooth down the top of the dough in the tin so it's even. Loosely cover the tin with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm spot to prove. It will take about 25-30 minutes and should rise to the top of the tin.
- Preheat the oven to 200'C (Fan 180'C / Gas 6). Once the dough has risen to the top of the tin, remove the clingfilm and place in the centre of the oven. Bake for 55-60 minutes until it is risen and golden (tip - if the top of loaf starts to catch then place some foil over it). You'll know the bread is done if you tip it out of the tin and tap on each surface - it should sound hard and hollow.
- Leave the loaf to cool in the tin on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it. Slice up and enjoy while warm and fresh.
Notes
This gluten free bread is best eaten fresh from the oven (after 30 mins to cool) - otherwise it is best toasted. You can also slice it up and freeze it to toast on demand!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 83Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 222mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g
Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?
If you want to have a go at some of the other gluten free bread recipes on the blog, why not give some of these a try? They’re perfect for baking away all of your troubles.
- Triple chocolate gluten free muffins
- Easy gluten free flapjacks
- Basic gluten free triple chocolate brownies
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!
Like this recipe? Pin this recipe card below for later!
About the author
Sarah Howells is a UK gluten free blogger and author. She has been living with coeliac disease since 2002. Her debut recipe book, Delicious Gluten Free Meals, is out now in the UK and to pre-order in the US.
This is the best gluten free bread I have ever made, hands down. Thank you so much. Followed the recipe as described with a few substitutions. I used maple syrup in place of sugar. Also, decided to reduce the amount of yeast and added a tablespoon of yogurt as someone in the comments suggested. My husband and
I absolutely loved it. So excited to have found a gluten free bread that tastes equally as good. Thumbs up!
Hello. Excited about giving this a try. Do u think the freeee gluten free brown bread flour would do the same job? I have a bag in my cupboard
Great recipe and tasty loaf but I had a large air pocket at the top of the loaf. Any ideas what I did wrong please?
200-degree oven? Most recipes I have seen, and tried, use a 350-degree oven temperature.
That would be Fahrenheit – I work in Celcius (UK) but you can easily find a conversion table online 🙂
If the gluten free flour already have Xanthan gum do I still add it? And is caster sugar the same as white sugar? I am in America just came across your content and I would love to try these breads etc. I am guessing I can Google the conversions online. Thank you.