Gluten-Free Bread Recipe

Gluten-free bread is a type of bread made using flours from grains and legumes that do not contain gluten.

The ingredients required for the gluten-free bread recipe are listed below.

• Active dry yeast
• Sugar (to activate yeast)
• Warm water
• Psyllium husk powder (acts as a gluten substitute)
• Potato starch
• Brown rice flour (very finely ground)
• Buckwheat flour
• Salt (for flavor)
• Apple cider vinegar (creates a slightly acidic environment, giving the yeast an extra boost in volume)

How to Make Gluten-Free Bread?

The steps for making gluten-free bread are below.

• First, to activate the yeast, mix the yeast and sugar with some warm water. 
• After 5-10 minutes, it will froth and rise, which means the yeast is active. If there is no bubbling and/or frothing, you will know it is inactive (likely expired), and you will need to open a new packet of yeast.
• Next, prepare the psyllium gel by mixing psyllium husk powder with a little water. The gel will begin to form in seconds.
• Add potato starch, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, and salt to a bowl and mix well to combine.
• Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, then add the psyllium gel and apple cider vinegar last.
• Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, mix the dough by squeezing it through your fingers until smooth and uniform. After a few minutes, you will notice the dough pulling away from the sticky sides, and it will be easy to form into a rough ball.
• While it won't have the same super elasticity as gluten-containing wheat dough, there's enough elasticity that you can stretch it without tearing it.
• Form the dough into a ball. This is best done with lightly oiled hands and on a lightly oiled surface.
• Lightly flatten the dough into a disk, then take individual pieces from the edges and fold them back in, rotating the dough.
• For fermentation, place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It will approximately double in volume. The primary purpose of fermentation is flavor development.
• Once it has doubled in volume, the dough can be shaped. This process works well on a lightly floured surface. Continue to knead by applying pressure with the palm of your hand until you are satisfied with the smooth appearance of the dough.
• Transfer the shaped dough to a lightly floured round proofing basket, seam/fold side up.
• Cover with a damp towel and let it proof in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it has approximately doubled in volume.
• You should start preheating the oven to 250 ºC about 30 – 45 minutes before you plan to bake the bread.
• Invert the proofed dough onto parchment paper and make 3-4 cuts on top of the dough to allow it to crack. (You can give it any shape you like.)
• Transfer it, along with the parchment paper, into a cast iron baking pan or a round cake mold.

Bake the dough (at 250 ºC) for 20 minutes with steam, then carefully remove the tray, reduce the oven temperature to (230 ºC), and bake for another 40 – 50 minutes. If the top of the bread starts to brown too quickly, you can cover it with aluminum foil, shiny side up.

It is incredibly important to know that you must let the gluten-free bread cool completely, 100%, before slicing it. The cooling process stabilizes its crispy crust and ensures it doesn't have a sticky or unpleasant gummy texture.

Once completely cooled, your delicious bread is ready to be sliced. If you ask about the benefits of gluten-free bread, the most important one is that it won't cause bloating like breads made with gluten-containing flours. You can enjoy delicious bread without feeling bloated. If you also add nutritious seeds like sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds, you can achieve different flavors and nutritional values.

If you're wondering how long this gluten-free bread should be consumed, you can store it wrapped in a clean cloth at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days. You can also freeze it to store it for months for later use.

Why You Should Try the Gluten-Free Bread Recipe?

• It has a soft, chewy interior.
• A crispy, caramelized crust. The crust cracks and crunches when you cut it.
• High flavor. If you want to compare this gluten-free bread to a loaf of regular bread, it is on the whole wheat side of the flavor spectrum. Thanks to the addition of buckwheat flour, it tastes healthier and better than an average loaf of white bread. At the same time, it does not have a dominant, slightly acidic taste like, for example, rye bread.
• In addition to being gluten-free, it is vegan. There are no eggs or dairy products in this recipe!
• Easily adaptable depending on the ingredients you have on hand.

How Many Calories Does Gluten-Free Bread Have?

One slice of gluten-free bread is equivalent to 30 grams. One slice of gluten-free bread contains 74 calories. 100 grams of gluten-free bread contains 246 kcal.

What is the Role of Psyllium Husk Powder in Gluten-Free Bread?

Psyllium husk powder, when mixed with water, forms a gel that acts as a gluten substitute in both the dough and the baked bread. Before baking, this gel helps create a dough that can be kneaded and shaped. It also gives the dough enough elasticity to trap the gas produced by leavening, allowing for bulk fermentation and expansion into its final form.

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