Soft homemade gluten-free bread is easier to make than you think! Simple and delicious, you'll love it in a sandwich or with some butter and jam. Most importantly, you'll be amazed that this bread is gluten-free!
Believe it or not, I still have trouble convincing some people that gluten-free bread can actually be good.
Crazy, right?
I've been doing gluten-free baking for a long time...
...and if you know me, you know I won't actually post a recipe unless it ticks all the boxes.
For bread, it's got to be SOFT...
...and delicious...
...and good enough and close enough to "real bread" that you don't realize it's gluten-free.
Bonus points if it's also easy to make!
Well, this bread recipe ticks all the boxes and is just another example of how good gluten-free bread can actually be!
The Dry Ingredients
I like to keep the ingredients fairly simple, and this bread recipe is no exception. The dry ingredients are made up of rice flour, tapioca starch, sorghum flour (which can be substituted with buckwheat or oat flour), xanthan gum, and salt. That's it! The rice flour provides the bulk, the tapioca starch provides the moisture, and the sorghum flour gives the wheat-like smell and taste. The xanthan gum acts as the "glue", if you will, giving the bread that chew that we want from bread.
I prefer not to use pre-made gluten-free flour blends as they often contain other ingredients that I do not want, so I like to create my recipes from scratch with the core ingredients. However, be rest assured that the gluten-free flours I use are commonly found and affordable, so anyone can make these recipes.
Now on to the other dry ingredient...yeast.
Contrary to common thinking, you do not have to proof yeast before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. If you are confident that the yeast is active (or if you want to live life on the edge!), you can simply add it dry to the rest of the dry ingredients. I have done this and the bread has always worked out without any issue. Keep in mind that I also store my yeast in the fridge to facilitate it staying active longer.
If you aren't sure if your yeast is active, or if you just want to make sure it is before you combine it with all the other ingredients, there is nothing wrong with proofing it first. For proofing the yeast for this recipe, I simply take ¼ cup of the required amount of warm water, mix it with the 2 tablespoons of honey, and add the yeast.
Creating the Batter
Yes, I said batter.
One major difference from regular wheat bread is that gluten-free bread dough is more like a batter and doesn't require any kneading. It is as simple as mixing all the wet and dry ingredients together with a mixer, pouring the batter into a pan and letting it rise once before baking. In that respect, making a gluten-free bread is much simpler than wheat bread!
The wet ingredients are also very straightforward, being composed of eggs, honey (which you may have already used for proofing your yeast), warm water, oil, and apple cider vinegar.
The dry, the wet, and the yeast mixture (if proofing ahead of time) all get combined into a mixing bowl. Whether you are using a stand or hand mixer, it only takes about a minute for the bread batter to come together.
The Rise
Scoop the bread dough batter into a parchment-lined loaf pan and now you just have to let it rise. (See Recipe Notes below regarding pan sizes.) If my kitchen is already warm (like during the summer months), I will simply leave it on the counter. Otherwise, during the colder months, I will often put the bread pan in the oven with just the oven light on and that creates a perfect warm environment for the bread to rise.
Once the bread is no more than ¼" above the edge of the pan, it is ready to bake. I know it may be tempting to let it rise just a *little* bit more until it reaches, what you think, is the perfect height. However, take it from someone who has done just that...don't. 🙂
The bread batter continues to rise a bit once it goes into the oven and that can result in your bread having a "ledge" or, even worse, the batter may spill over the edge of the pan. So err on the side of being conservative.
Bread Magic
After the bread dough has risen, it's time to bake and let the heat do its magic. Before you know it, the wonderful aroma of fresh baked bread will be wafting through your home! In 45 minutes, you'll have a beautiful loaf of bread..that looks and smells like "real" bread!
I know it will be difficult, but it's best to let the bread cool completely before slicing. Your patience will be rewarded when you make those first slices, see the beautiful airy bubbles, and take your first bite!
And of course, no gluten-free bread recipe of mine is complete without a shot of the "bend" test! It's softness you can see!
Did I mention this soft homemade gluten-free bread makes awesome sandwiches?? Get your favorite fillings, like my Easy Homemade Sandwich Deli Meat, and pack them between two slices…there's something incredibly satisfying about making fresh sandwiches with your very own homemade bread!
As I mentioned above, I have been baking gluten-free for a long time. So it would only make sense that I have a few gluten-free bread recipes!
They're all slightly different, and each delicious in their own way. It's definitely worth trying any, or all of them to see which one you like best! If you're like my family, we actually love all of them, and I find having the different recipes a nice way to have some variety.
So back to this recipe, just as the name says, it's soft. It has a tender crumb, good structure, lots of air bubbles, just the right amount of moisture, and it is just plain GOOD. It is also very easy to make...what's not to love?
~ Lisa.
Soft Homemade Gluten-Free Bread
Ingredients
(Volume measurements in Recipe Notes below, but weight measurements are highly recommended)
Proofing the Yeast (see Recipe Notes below):
- ¼ cup warm water (about 100F/37C)
- 2 tbs honey
- 4.5 grams active yeast
Dry Ingredients:
- 260 g rice flour (white or brown is fine)
- 80 g tapioca starch (same as tapioca flour)
- 60 g sorghum flour (can substitute with buckwheat or oat flour)
- 4.5 grams xanthan gum
- 2 grams salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¼ cup water (about 100F/37C)
- ¼ cup light olive oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine ¼ cup warm water with 2 tbs honey and stir well. Mix in the yeast and let sit for 10 minutes to proof.
- Combine all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl and whisk together well.
- Add yeast mixture, 1 ¼ cups warm water, ¼ cup oil, eggs, and apple cider vinegar to the dry ingredients.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, beat mixture for 1-2 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl halfway. Dough will be like batter.
- Scoop bread batter into parchment lined loaf pan and tap pan on the counter a couple of times to help the dough fill the corners.
- Place bread dough in a warm location to rise for approximately 1 hour, checking after 45 minutes. The center of the loaf should be no more than ¼" above the edge of the loaf pan. (See note below.)
- Preheat oven 350 deg F (180 C).
- Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes, until internal temperature taken with an instant-read thermometer registers at least 200F/93C.
- Let bread rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Volume Measurements for Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ½ teaspoons active yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
- 2 ¼ cups + 2 tbs brown rice flour
- ¾ cup + 2 tbs + 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
- ½ cup + 1 tbs + 1 teaspoon sorghum flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Please note that gluten-free recipes work best with weight measurements because they are more precise than volume measurements. Gluten-free baking requires more precision and can be less forgiving than baking with regular all-purpose wheat flour.
- These volume measurements were made from spooning each of the flours into the measuring cups/spoons (so they are not packed) and leveling them off.
- The volume measurements are approximate. Make slight adjustments to the recipe as needed, adding a bit more water or tapioca starch or brown rice flour to achieve the correct dough consistency.
- Can this be made in a bread maker?
- Yes! Be sure to check the manual for your bread maker as it may come equipped with a gluten-free setting. The most important thing is that the dough only go through ONE proof/rise before baking.
- This recipe works in different sized loaf pans: 5 x 9, Pullman tall style pans, 4 x 11.5 long pans.
- Depending on your environment, the dough may take longer than an hour to rise. In this case, simply monitor how high the dough has risen in the pan, making sure that the center of the loaf does not rise more than ¼" above the edge of the pan.
- For the tall Pullman style pans, let the bread proof until doubled in size. Because the Pullman pans have much taller sides than standard loaf pans, do not let it rise above the edge of the pan.
- Depending on your environment, the dough may take longer than an hour to rise.
- It is not necessary to proof the yeast. You can also simply add the dry active yeast to the dry ingredients and whisk together and simply add the 1 ½ cups warm water and the honey to the bowl with the rest of the wet ingredients. I have done it both ways without any issue.
- Millet, buckwheat or oat flour can be used in place of sorghum flour.
- I have used sparkling mineral water in place of regular water, but have found that both yield similar results. You can use whatever you prefer!
- It is important to not let the bread rise too much before baking it. It is best to bake it when the rise looks just less than the "perfect" height, otherwise the dough may end up spilling over the edge.
- Keeps well in a sealed bag or container on the counter for a couple of days, in the refrigerator for a few days (if it lasts that long!). If you refrigerate the bread, the slices taste better toasted.
- Freeze slices of the bread in a resealable freezer bag. Remove only the number of slices you will be eating. Toast in the toaster, or wrap a slightly damp paper towel around the slice(s) of bread and microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften.
- Nutritional info is approximate and based on a serving of one slice, assuming you can get about 12 slices from a loaf.
Nutrition
**Recipe notes were updated March 14th, 2023 regarding proofing the bread dough, bread pan sizes, and volume measurements for dry ingredients.
Sarah
FINALLY, a GF bread that tastes and feels like bread should! I have tried many recipes and this one if the first to be moist and bendable. Thank you for sharing!
Lisa
Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for giving my recipe a try. I'm so glad you liked the bread!
Sarah
Hi! Super excited to try this but the link for the sorghum flour isn’t working. I found “sweet” sorghum from Bobs Red Mill or regular from various brands. Which one works best?
Thank you!!
Lisa
Hi Sarah! Sorghum flour can go by "sweet" sorghum flour and that is basically the same thing. Thanks for the question and for pointing out the broken link (I have fixed it!). I hope you like the bread!
Mary
I used a scale to weigh out all the ingredients. The recipe was easy to follow. This bread is DELICIOUS. Soft and still sturdy enough for a sandwich. This just became my new go to gluten free bread recipe!
Lisa
Hi Mary! Thanks so much for trying the recipe! I'm so glad you liked it and that you want to make it again!
Christina may
Why can’t ur measurements be in cups instead of grams?
Lisa
Hi Christina! Gluten-free breads/baking requires more precision than baking with regular wheat flour and the best way to achieve that is to measure by weight. Flours can be packed differently into the same size cup, resulting in different quantities of the flours, and that can affect the final result quite a lot with gluten-free breads. Also, there are actually differences in how much a "cup" is in different countries, which will cause even more issues. Thanks for your question and I hope my explanation helped a bit!
Emily
I’ve made this multiple times with great results! I sub 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk powder for the xanthan gum and it works great. Just mix it in with the dry ingredients. My little kiddo loves it too!
Lisa
Hi Emily! Thanks so much for making the bread more than once! I'm glad to know it works with the psyllium husk substitution.
Connie
I made this recipe as it was written. I was amazed at how easy it was to make and how delicious it was. I will be making this bread again!! Thanks!!
Lisa
Hi Connie! Thanks for the comment and for trying my recipe. I'm so glad you liked it!
Angie
This bread is fantastic and as a person/family just starting with going GF this gives me hope that I can make the change and my family won’t hate me for it!
I am making it again today for the 2nd time and only change I made was I added more salt. I also was short on the store bought rice flour so I made a little of my own. I hope I ground it up enough! LOL
Thank you for the recipe, I will be making it weekly.
Lisa
Thank you so much, Angie! I'm so glad you decided to give my recipe a try as you're starting in to GF and that you're motivated to make it again! I hope your family likes it as much as you do!
Cheryl S.
Can you swap out the eggs and yeast? I’m reactive to both.
Lisa
Thanks for the question, Cheryl! I have had readers say they've used chia eggs or other egg substitutes successfully, but I don't think the results will be as they're meant to be if you swap out the yeast.
Joann M.
Is there a substitute for the tapioca flour? Found out I was allergic, but looking for a gluten free bread recipe without it.
Lisa
Hi Joann! You can substitute the tapioca starch/flour with cornstarch. Thanks for the question!
Cindy W.
Did you use a small or large bread pan?
Lisa
Hi Cindy! I have used a regular 9x5 loaf pan, a Pullman pan, and a long loaf pan. If you look at the Equipment list in the recipe above, you will see links to the sizes of pans I have used. Thanks for the question!
Kandid Scott
Hi! Have you ever substituted butter for the olive oil?
Thank you! So excited to try this!
Lisa
Hi Kandid! I have not tried substituting the oil with butter before. I imagine it would add a lot of flavor, but not sure if it would affect the final result in terms of texture. If you give it a try, I would be interested to know the results of it! Thanks for the question!
Jill
I just made my SECOND load of this bread! My son and I both have Celiac disease and GF bread has felt very intimidating. This is so easy to make and tastes amazing! Is there a loaf pan you recommend?
Lisa
Thanks so much for trying my recipe, Jill! it makes me happy you didn't find it too intimidating to attempt and that you made it more than once! Under "Equipment" in the recipe above, you'll find links to loaf pans/sizes that I have used for this recipe with success.
Pascha
I didn't have sorghum flour or any of your suggested substitutions, so I tried potato flour. (Because I'm impatient) My mix was not like batter, but very much like a dough. It's currently rising(hopefully) and I'll bake it and see what happens! Fingers crossed it comes out well enough. Then I'll definitely get the right ingredients for next time! Unless this version is really good. Lol!
Lisa
Hi Pascha! Thanks for trying the recipe! I'm curious to know how it turned out with the potato flour! Please check back in and let me know!
Pascha
It was definitely much denser! It tasted good though. I was not able to eat it all fast enough before it got too hard to slice well, so I cut up the rest to make croutons. I'm getting all the correct ingredients this time to try again.
Christine
I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve been on the lookout for a great gluten free bread for my mom, stumbled across this one and am glad I did. I followed everything to the letter; however, it has a bitter after taste. Wondering what is causing it because I definitely want to make it again.
Lisa
Thanks so much, Christine! I'm so glad you stumbled across my recipe and decided to make it! Unfortunately, as for the bitter aftertaste, I'm not quite sure what might have caused that...sorry I can't be more helpful!
Denise
The bitter flavor could be coming from one of the flours you are using. Some gluten free flours can go rancid fairly quickly. I live in a warm climate so I have learned to avoid millet and especially sorghum. Buckwheat seems to keep better here and I really like the flavor. You might try storing your flour in the fridge or use buckwheat as the chef suggested. It’s very healthy too.