This buckwheat bread is not only soft and delicious, it's also incredibly easy to make! It is perfect for sandwiches, and slices also toast up beautifully for topping with butter and jam...or avocado! You can be gluten-free and still get to enjoy delicious homemade bread!
If you are gluten-free and have been subjecting yourself to dry tasteless gluten-free breads because you miss bread so much...don't torture yourself any more!
I can understand how it might feel like there are no good gluten-free bread options and how it may just seem hopeless.
But I've got a recipe to restore your faith!
This buckwheat bread is soft and delicious, and even better is that it's very easy to make!
How To Make Buckwheat Bread
Ingredients
I like to break down my recipes into the dry ingredients and wet ingredients that then get brought together to make bread magic!
Dry Ingredients: You'll need buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, tapicoa starch, xanthan gum, ground flaxseed, active yeast, and salt. (Check the Recipe Notes below regarding buckwheat flour color.)
Wet Ingredients: You'll need water, oil, eggs, and honey.
You can't get much simpler than that, right?
And putting all those ingredients together to make the bread is just as simple.
*There is no kneading required and it only needs ONE proof. Repeat that a few times to yourself, let it sink in for a moment...and let's get baking!
How To make Buckwheat Bread
Combine all your dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine your wet ingredients and beat with a mixer or whisk until well-combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat well for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
Scoop the bread batter into a parchment-lined loaf pan, spreading the batter to fill the corners. I like to shape the batter so it's domed in the middle, but it's not necessary.
As an optional step, you can sprinkle whole flax seeds and poppy seeds on top of the batter, just to give the bread a bit of a decorative top. Use dampened fingers or a spoon to gently press the seeds into the bread batter.
Set the loaf pan aside and allow the bread to proof/rise until it is just above the edge of the pan.
As I mentioned above, making this bread or any of my gluten-free bread recipes is so easy because it only has to go through one proof/rise. Traditional wheat bread usually involves allowing the dough to rise, punching it down, shaping it, and allowing it to rise again before baking. But not gluten-free bread! No kneading needed and only one proof before baking! If that isn't easy, I don't know what is!
Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes, until the bread is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle registers least 200F/93C. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes before using the parchment paper to transfer the bread to a cooling rack.
Enjoy "Real" Bread Again!
As tempting as it might be, it's important to let the buckwheat bread cool completely before slicing. If you slice it too soon, it will be too gummy inside and you won't get nice slices of bread!
Once you do make those first slices into the loaf, you are going to love what you see! The bread is SOFT, and the crumb has varying air bubbles, just like REAL bread.
Check out how this bread bends! These photos prove how soft it is! No more stiff dry bread slices that look (and taste) like cardboard!
Sandwiches made with this fresh buckwheat bread are soooo good. Stuff your favorite fillings between two slices and you are going to be in sandwich heaven!
Toasting the Bread
So something I found with gluten-free breads I had purchase in the past was they never seemed to brown in the toaster. It was really weird and, again, not seeing browned toast, no matter how long I toasted the slices, just didn't seem right.
Well, check this out!
Slices of the buckwheat bread toast up beautifully! Slather on some butter and jam, or top it with some avocado!
Commonly Asked Questions
The bread will taste best the same day you make it. Store any leftover bread in a resealable bag on the counter for a day or in the refrigerator.
Yes! If you want to freeze the bread, I would slice the entire loaf first and then store in a resealable freezer bag, squeezing out the excess air.
When you want to eat a slice or two, regardless of whether the bread has been on the counter overnight, in the fridge, or in the freezer, pop it into the toaster, or wrap the slice in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave it for 10-20 seconds to warm it through if you want to eat it soft.
Looking for More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes?
This buckwheat bread recipe is one of my most popular! I have spent a lot of time developing and refining gluten-free bread recipes so that the end result don't make you hate being gluten-free. Check out these other bread that are all slightly different but totally soft and delicious!
Soft Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread
Soft Homemade Gluten-Free Bread (dairy-free)
Gluten-Free Honey Oat Nut Bread
Now you can be gluten-free and have your bread, too! Happy baking!
~ Lisa.
Watch How To Make It!
Soft and Delicious Buckwheat Bread
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients (volume measurements in Recipe Notes below):
- 175 grams tapioca starch (same as tapioca flour)
- 120 grams buckwheat flour
- 105 grams brown rice flour (white is fine)
- 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active yeast (one packet)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet:
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (about 110 deg F)
- ¼ cup light olive oil
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons honey
Topping (optional):
- ½ teaspoon whole flax seeds
- ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Set aside.
- Combine all wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with a mixer until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat with mixer until well combined.
- Scoop bread batter into a parchment lined bread loaf pan and smooth out with a spatula.
- Sprinkle whole flax seeds and poppyseeds on the top of the bread batter, keeping the topping away from the edges.
- Using a dampened spoon, gently press seeds into the bread batter so they stick.
- Place loaf pan in a warm, draft-free area to rise until dough is no more than ½" above the edge of the pan, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven 350 deg F (180 C).
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the loaf reads at least 200F, ideally 210F.
- Let bread rest in the pan about 5-10 minutes before lifting out from the pan.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Volume Measurements:
- 1 ¾ cup + ¾ teaspoon tapioca starch
- 1 cup + 1 ½ tbs buckwheat flour
- ¾ cup + 2 tbs brown rice flour
- 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 a bit more tapioca starch or brown rice flour to achieve the correct dough consistency.
- Variations in buckwheat flour color: buckwheat flour can be either light in color or have a slightly darkened grayish hue. The light flour is made from hulled buckwheat, the grayish flour is unhulled and has dark flecks from the hull. Using either type for this recipe works.
- You cannot overwork gluten-free bread batter, so do not worry about over-mixing. You should mix the dry with the wet for about a minute to make sure it's well combined.
- The bread will stay fresh in a bag on the counter for a day, or in the fridge for a few days.
- To freeze, slice the bread and store the slices in a resealable freezer bag, squeezing out most of the air.
- To soften the bread, microwave for 10 seconds, either wrapped with a damp paper towel or not.
- Slices brown in the toaster nicely.
This recipe was originally published January 20th, 2019 and republished August 14th, 2022 with new photos and writing.
Bonnie
Hi! I'm on a sugar-free diet and I'm wondering if I can omit, or replace, the honey with a sugar-free option. Is it necessary for feeding the yeast, or is it mostly there for flavour?
Lisa
Thanks for your question, Bonnie. I have made regular wheat bread that does not use any sugar for the bread to rise, so it's possible that excluding the honey from this recipe would still work, but I have not tried it myself. And yes, the honey adds some flavour, but it would probably also be fine without. If you do try it without any honey/sugar, please let me know how it turns out.
Jodi
Amazing! One of the best gluten-free and buckwheat bread recipes I have found
We have a chain in Canada (Cobbs) that makes a bread they call Cape Seed Loaf, which has a few more seeds in it but I think this could be the base, I am going to experiment with adding a little more chia, hemp hearts, sunflower and sesame seeds to see if I can replicate that loaf in gluten-free form
Thanks!
Lisa
Thanks, Jodi! I'm glad you liked the bread! I know Cobbs, but I haven't see the Cape Seed Loaf before. Please let me know how the experiment works out!
Ruth Chambers
Hi, I live in the UK and our liquid measurements are either in fluid ounces or millilitres, so be v grateful to know what the equivalent of 1 cup is in fld oz or ml please! Really want to get the measurements precise. many thanks, look forward to baking this loaf
Lisa
Thanks for your question, Ruth. The equivalent of 1 cup would be 250 mL. I hope you like the bread!
julia macias
Hi Lisa, this bread looks wonderful, can’t wait to try it. Would this recipe work in a Bread maker? I have one with gf settings.
Thanks so much
Lisa
I have never tried making the bread in a bread maker (don't own one), but the most important thing is that after the ingredients are mixed and the dough allowed to rise, it should go directly to bake and not have a "punch down" and second rise as normal wheat breads do. That's probably the biggest difference in making GF bread...only one rise is required. If your bread maker can do that (which might be what the GF settings mean), then it should probably be okay. Thanks for the question, Julia, and let me know how it turns out!
Marco Caldarola
Hi Lisa.
As this recipe contains dry yeast I was wondering if we should leave it rest for a while before baking.
Lisa
Thank you for your question, Marco. Yes, as it states in the recipe (item number 7 in the instructions), place the loaf pan in a warm, draft-free area to rise until dough is no more than 1/2" above the edge of the pan, about 1 hour. Then proceed to bake according to the instructions. I hope you like the bread!
Donna
This is a wonderful recipe...so easy! I'm not a huge fan of how the rice flour tastes though...actually it's the texture. Is there another gf flour I can use? Or maybe I just need a shoreline rice flour? This bread is definitely way better than anything store bought though! I will keep making it for sure. Thank you!
Lisa
So glad you like the bread, Donna! I'm not exactly sure what you mean by shoreline rice flour, but you could certainly try a different brand of rice flour in the recipe to see if it makes any difference. Another possible substitution would be sorghum flour, but I have not tried it myself.
Anna
I've been looking for a recipe like this! My husband has Celiac's and finding good g-free options for him (especially while traveling) can be tricky! I have all the ingredients ready to make this buckwheat bread but cannot find tapioca starch anywhere, it is surprisingly uncommon here in Chile. What do you suggest as a substitute? If I use potato starch or corn starch instead would you recommend a 1:1 substitution? ..any other adjustments to the recipe? Gracias! 🙂
Lisa
Thanks for your comments, Anna! Considering you are in Chile, I would try looking for cassava flour or cassava starch as that is the same as tapioca starch. If you can’t find cassava, you could try potato starch. I believe that is the closest 1:1 substitution. I have read with cornstarch, it is a 1:2 ratio of cornstarch to tapioca starch, but I have never experimented with it personally. Please let me know if you find cassava flour there and when you make the bread!
Stephen
Hi Lisa.
I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in 2012 and this is the best gluten free bread I've ever tasted, I'm on my third loaf! I've tried many shop purchased loaves and also quite a few homemade ones , but this one is definitely the best. The only thing I leave out is the Xanthan Gum because it is very prevalent in gluten free products and I get joint pain if I eat it.
Lisa
I am so happy that my recipe has been successful for you, Stephen! I'm also glad to hear that the recipe worked without the xanthan gum. Thanks so much for your comment!
Jennifer Jensen
Looks like a great recipe! We are going to try making this weekend. I can’t have flaxseed. Can it be omitted or substituted with something else?
Lisa
Thanks for your comment, Jennifer! While I have never done it, I have read that you can substitute the ground flaxseed with ground chia seeds, or even omit it altogether. If you decide to leave it out or substitute it with ground chia seeds, please let me know how it turns out.
Bernice Hill
wow!! This is awesome! I tried to use buckwheat in my sourdough one time and I just ended up with bricks. LOL. The flour I used was quite coarse and angular. What flour are you using?
Lisa
Thanks, Bernice! I use Bob's Red Mill buckwheat flour. The texture is just like regular flour, and I combined it with brown rice flour and tapioca starch for a blend for this bread. I hope you'll give it a try!
marilyn @family food around the clock
Lisa, I love that you have so many options on bread recipes! We enjoy making homemade bread! I can't wait to try this one. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Lisa
Thanks for the comment, Marilyn! I hope you like the bread!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I'm loving buckwheat lately, so I know I would love this bread. Looks great Lisa!
Lisa
Thanks, Leanne! Let me know if you try making it!
Cathy
I'm always on the lookout for good gluten free breads, so I'll be giving this one a try. The best store-bought gluten free bread I've ever had was with breakfast at a nice little inn in Holland. It was dark like this one, so maybe similar.
Lisa
Thanks, Cathy. Buckwheat definitely gives that distinctive dark color. Let me know how it goes when you try it!