Emma's Gluten Free Loaf Bread

A gluten free loaf of bread sitting on a cutting board with one slice sliced off

A gluten free loaf bread that has a light texture and crumb. It holds together for sandwiches, makes the perfect toast, and is easily adapted into rolls, hamburger buns, pretzels, and more.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1 5

Proofing Time 45

Total Time 2 30

Servings: 1 loaf

Course: Appetizer, bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

425 g Emma's dairy free/gluten free flour blend
16 g psyillium husk POWDER
8 g INSTANT yeast I use SAF instant yeast
7 g xanthan gum
12 g sea salt
2 eggs
25 g Robust Olive Oil
13 g raw honey
280 g warm water
120 g whole milk, warmed

Egg Wash

1 egg white

Equipment

1 pizza stone or steel
1 coated ceramic loaf pan mine is about 8.25 x 5.5; standard is 9x6x3
1 Bosch mixing machine Kitchenaid will also work
measuring cups, spoons,
spatula

Method

This recipe uses a "proofing oven" to help get an even rise. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees, then turn it OFF. I have a second oven, so I am able to preheat my second oven while my bread is still proofing. If you do NOT have a second oven, you will need to proof part of the time on the counter while you oven has time to heat up your pizza stone.
In a medium sized bowl, weigh and add all the dry ingredients: df/gf flour blend, psyllium husk powder, instant yeast, xanthan gum, and sea salt. Mix well and then add to Bosch mixing machine.
In a separate bowl, weigh olive oil and honey. Set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, weigh the water and milk. Microwave for about 45-50 seconds or until it is warm, NOT hot. We don't want to kill our yeast.
Add the olive oil/ honey mixture, water/milk mixture, and eggs to the Bosch machine.
Turn on to speed 1 until just combined. Stop and using a spatula, scrape the sides of the mixing bowl. Then turn onto speed 2 for 4 minutes.
Turn dough onto a LIGHTLY floured(with the same df/gf flour blend) surface. Knead the bread just lightly. It is not a traditional kneading of regular bread, but a gluten free kneading- so it's a more gentle folding. Too much extra flour or kneading will cause the dough to "crack".
When the dough is done, place the dough into your coated ceramic loaf pan. I don't need to grease my pan at all for this recipe. but please grease yours if you need too. Using a bread lame or sharp knife, slice the top of the bread three times. This is important to slice the bread now so that it will rise properly.
Gently cover with plastic wrap- leave plenty of room for the bread to rise, but we don't want the bread to dry out in the proofing process.
Proof in the warm oven(with heat turned OFF) for 45 minutes.
If you have a second oven, place the pizza stone on the BOTTOM rack and turn the oven on to 400 degrees about when your bread has proofed for 30 minutes. If you do not have a second oven, remove bread from proofing oven to finish proofing on the counter while your oven preheats.
Once the bread has finished proofing, about 45 minutes, remove the plastic warp. The bread should feel nice and fluffy and have risen slightly above your loaf pan. Whisk the egg white, and gently baste the top of the bread. This is an important step! Don't forget to do this. It really helps with the browning on the top of the bread, and it also helps the bread to not dry out on top.
Bake loaf at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes(your oven may be slightly different).
When bread is done, immediately remove from loaf pan and let it cool on a wire rack. This bread, like all gluten free loaf breads, needs to cool completely before cutting into. I know it's hard, but wait.

Notes

My DF/GF flour blend:

24 oz Rice Flour
7 oz Almond flour
1 oz Buckwheat flour
7 oz Potato Starch
3 oz Arrowroot Starch
2 oz Cassava Flour

Mix all ingredients well and store in a air-tight glass container.

For Rolls:

Mix dough according to recipe. Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll into dough shape. Place in a coated ceramic pie dish. Proof in a preheated oven(170 degrees) that has been turn OFF for 30 minutes(if you don't have TWO ovens, you will need to remove the rolls for the last bit of proofing in order to preheat your oven). Baste with an egg white wash. Place pizza stone in oven on the lowest rack and set to 375 degrees(slightly less than the bread). Bake in a preheated oven for about 37 minutes or until rolls feel done and are lightly browned. You can let these cool in the pan. You can even enjoy these warm(let cool at least 10-15 minutes though!)

For Hamburger Buns:

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix dough according to recipe. Divid dough into 8 portions. Shape dough using a little flour, into hamburger bun shape(I do most of the shaping on the sheet pan by gently pressing into round hamburger bun shapes. Proof in a preheated oven(170 degrees) that has been turn OFF for 20-25 minutes(if you don't have TWO ovens, you will need to remove the rolls for the last bit of proofing in order to preheat your oven). Baste with an egg white wash. Place pizza stone in oven on the second rack from the bottom and set to 400 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack completely before slicing for buns.

For Pretzel Bites:

Before mixing the dough, prepare your water bath. In a large pot or skillet, add 5 C water and bring water to a simmer. Add 5 TBSP baking soda and stir well to mix into the water. Keep the water barely below simmering. Do lot let it boil. You will want a wire mess spatula to get the dough out of the water bath without having a lot of water come with it onto your baking sheet. Prepare your baking sheet with parchment paper. You will need two baking sheets if you make a full recipe. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Make dough according to recipe. I usually half the recipe because they are best the day they are baked. If you are making the full bread recipe, divide dough in half and put one half in the fridge until you have finished with the first half of the dough.

Divide one half of the dough into 50 pretzel bites by rolling portions of the dough into "snakes" and then cutting them into bite sized pieces(remember these will rise slightly/puff up in the water bath). Place 10-12 dough bites at a time into the barely simmering water bath for 20-30 seconds. Remove from water bath onto prepared baking sheet making sure not to have a lot of water come with the dough bites. When all dough bites have been bathed, then baste each dough bite with an egg wash(use the egg yolk & egg white for this recipe) and then sprinkle coarse sea salt crystals or pretzel salt onto dough bites. Bake for 18 minutes on the middle rack(no need for pizza stone).

Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Serve with cheese dip(recipe on blog).