Great Gluten-Free Bread
This foolproof gluten-free bread recipe yields a soft, flexible loaf with a golden, bakery-style crust. It's perfect for sandwiches, toasting, or enjoying warm with butter—without the dense or crumbly texture common in gluten-free loaves.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 130 g buckwheat flour
- 100 g potato starch or tapioca flour
- 90 g brown rice flour
- 2 tsp sea salt or 10 g
Wet Ingredients
- 8 g dried instant yeast or 2 1/2 tsp
- 20 g sugar
- 390 g warm water divided
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or 12 g
Optional Ingredients for Texture
- 20 g psyllium husk not powdered
Instructions
- Activate the Yeast: In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and 150 g of warm water. Stir gently and let sit for 10–15 minutes until frothy.
- Prepare the Psyllium Gel: In another bowl, mix 240 g of water with psyllium husk. Stir and allow it to thicken into a gel (15–30 seconds).
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk buckwheat flour, potato starch, brown rice flour, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Mix Wet and Dry: Add the yeast mixture, psyllium gel, and apple cider vinegar to the dry mix. Stir until a sticky dough forms. Add warm water if needed.
- Knead the Dough: Knead with wet hands for 5 minutes or use a stand mixer with paddle attachment until smooth and cohesive.
- First Rise: Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with damp towel, and let rise in a warm place for 30–90 minutes, until doubled in size.
- Shape the Dough: Gently shape the risen dough into a tight ball on a floured surface.
- Second Rise: Transfer to a floured proofing basket or towel-lined bowl, seam side up. Cover and let rise for another hour.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 480°F (250°C). Place Dutch oven with lid inside to preheat as well.
- Bake: Carefully place dough into hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10–15 minutes more until golden brown.
- Cool: Let bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to set the texture.
Notes
For a dairy-free version, omit any dairy-based add-ins. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature (205–210°F) to ensure doneness. Store in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.