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
Proofing the Yeast (see Recipe Notes below):
- ¼ cup warm water (about 100F/37C)
- 2 tbs honey
- 1 ½ teaspoon active yeast
Dry Ingredients (volume ingredients in the Recipe Notes below):
- 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)
- 1 ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¼ cup water (about 100F/37C)
- ¼ cup light olive 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 more than ¼" above the edge of the loaf pan. (See note below.)
- Preheat oven 350 deg F (180 C).
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or 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
- This recipe works in different sized loaf pans: 5 x 9, Pullman tall style pans, 4 x 11.5 long pans.
- For the tall Pullman style pans, let the bread proof until doubled in size; do not let it rise above the edge of the pan.
- 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.
- Volume Measurements:
- 2 ¼ cups + 2 tbs brown rice flour
- ¾ cup + 2 tbs + 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
- ½ cup + 1 tbs + 1 teaspoon sorghum 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 tapioca starch or brown rice flour to achieve the correct dough consistency.
- 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.
This recipe was January 14th, 2018 and republished on July 13th, 2020 with recipe updates, and new photos and writing.
Meara
Hi Lisa!
Can the bread be made in a 8x4 inch pan?
Hi Meara! Yes, I have had readers make this recipe in a 4x8 pan with success! I would just be watchful of when it is proofing and make sure it doesn't rise too much above the edge of the pan. Thanks for the question!
Lisa H.
This bread has been a life saver for my hubby! So much nicer than store bought gf bread. Love that I can slice it thinner than those thick store bought slices. He is now able to have sandwiches again for lunch. Thank you so much for this easy recipe!!
Hi Lisa! That is wonderful to hear that your husband can enjoy sandwiches again! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for your comments!
Sue
Can you use Namaste gluten free flour blend for this recipe? If so how much flour would you use?
Hi Sue! I have never tried substituting a GF blend but I think it is definitely worth trying and think it would work. Use the equivalent total weight amount of flours used in this recipe (260 + 80 + 60 = 400 grams) for the GF flour blend. Thanks for the question and I hope it works out!
Jodi
Can this bread be frozen? I’m trying to slowly switch my kids and husband over to gf but bread is a huge part of their diet. My husband takes a sandwich every day and so does my oldest son. I’m looking to make a few loaves at once and then freezing some, taking one out for the work week each week. What are your thoughts?
Hi Jodi! Thanks for your question. Yes, the bread can be frozen! Like several readers who have done the same, I slice the bread before freezer in a resealable freezer bag (most of the air squeezed out). I pull out how ever many slices I need and microwave with a slightly damp paper towel wrapped around them for maybe 10 seconds to warm through and soften, or I toast them. I hope that helps!
Jamie
Hi, can you use sourdough starter instead of the yeast in this recipe? If so, how much would you use? Thank you 😊
Hi Jamie! I have never tried using sourdough starter, let alone even tried making a sourdough starter (although I am quite interested in learning how!). So I'm not the best person to advise you on how much you would need to substitute for yeast in the bread, but I'm sure you could probably find the information online from people who are more experienced. If you do find out, though, please come back and enlighten me and fellow readers with the information. Thanks for the question!
Becky
This bread is amazing!!!!!
Thank you so much, Becky!
Sue
I'm quite ill, and I can't tolerate millet, buckwheat, sorghum, or oat flour. I can tolerate brown rice, teff, and quinoa. But it's important for me to only eat one grain at a time to avoid getting a reaction to them. Soft gluten-free bread is the only form of grain I can eat as far as I can tell. And I tend to starve if I don't eat grain. It really sucks to be dependent for survival on something that you can't make for yourself and is hard to find at the store.
Do you have a single-grain soft bread recipe?
Hi Sue. Thanks for your question. You can certainly make this bread recipe substituting the sorghum flour with teff or quinoa flour, or you can make this using all brown rice flour if you want to keep it to one grain. It is important to keep the tapioca starch in the recipe as it contributes to the soft texture of the bread. I hope that helps and that you'll give it a try to see how it goes.
Grams In Saskatoon
Thank YOU. I have searched for over a year for a recipe that would work. I’ve made dozens of failures and this is the first one that actually worked. It actually tastes lovely. And it actually folds.
I used the ingredients in the recipe, and measured with a scale to confirm that I had it right. I had to make a lot of substitutions but stuck with your measurement and directions.
I used:
My own “flour”. Quinoa, sorghum, sticky rice, black rice, tapioca, plus some other pantry items that I ground.
White vinegar, had no apple cider vinegar.
Pancake syrup, had no honey… what’s with that!
Bacon dripping, had no light oil.
Thank you so much. I have pics but see there is no upload for them.
Hi Grams! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and to detail all your substitutions for the recipe, especially the flour blend. I'm so glad it all worked out and that you liked the bread! Bacon drippings, by the way, sounds like an awesome substitute! I don't know if you are on Instagram or Facebook, but if you are, you can post photos there and be sure to tag me with @dayinthekitchen so I'll see them!
Deb
Hi there, have you ever tried this in a bread maker, gluten free setting? It’s extremely hot outside, so I’d prefer not to use the oven
Hi Deb! I have had had other readers make this bread recipe in a bread maker with success. Definitely use the gluten-free setting as you only want the bread to go through one rise/proof before baking. Thanks for the question (and I apologize for the slow reply!)!
Bails
This is hands down the BEST gluten free bread! My kids who are not gluten free loved this and asked me to make more.
Hi Bails! That is quite the endorsement if your non-GF kids wants you to make more! Thanks so much...I'm so glad you liked it!
Lisa
I made your recipe and it was nice and soft for the first day…but after that …it was all dried up. It broke apart and crumble. I have had other gluten free recipes do this as well. I used a gluten free blended flour that had different types of rice flour in it as well as tapioca flour and xanthan gum. It also had some baking soda in it. If I hadn’t cut it in slices right after it cooled, I’m not sure I would have been able to do this without the bread fallen apart. I did add 2 tablespoon of flax seed meal in place of 2 tablespoons on the rice flour for extra fiber, but that is the only alteration I made. Do you know what happened?
Hi Lisa. Thanks for reaching out. It's very hard to know exactly what happened because everyone's experience with the same recipe can be different. GF bread will, just like with regular wheat bread, will not usually be as soft or fresh the day after baking. However, I have never had the experience of the bread crumbling and falling apart, regardless of whether I pre-slice all the bread or leave it in loaf form. I would make sure that the bread is in a sealable storage bag after it has completely cooled. You can also pre-slice the entire loaf before storing it in the bag. Day-old bread is best toasted, or I have had readers mention microwaving a slice briefly, wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel and it will be soft again. I hope that helps!
Lisa
Yes…that is what I have been doing. I put a little sprinkle of water on the bread and microwave it. Thank you for the recipe.