By Recipes by Diane Kittle

Winning Gluten-Free Bread Recipes

As the owner of a gluten-free, dairy-free bakery, the request I hear most from new customers is for a tasty gluten-free bread like they once enjoyed—one with texture, taste and flexibility. A loaf that doesn’t immediately crumble at the touch of a knife.  

Cakes and cookies are wonderful treats but when someone is diagnosed with gluten sensitivity, the first thought is bound to be: How will I survive without bread? I have celiac disease, so I speak from experience.

Called the staff of life, bread is a significant part of the American diet. It’s the go-to food, a staple on the table. Toast for breakfast. Sandwich for lunch. Croutons on your salad. Rolls with your dinner.

When I first tried to recreate bread without the gluten, my attempts fell far short. I pulled many sad disappointments out of the oven. I had baked homemade bread for many years, making dinner rolls from scratch and savoring each bite. For me, nothing quite satisfies like a warm loaf of fresh bread on a cold winter day. What I ultimately learned in the process of creating gluten-free bread was to forget everything I previously knew about bread baking. Getting the hang of this new way of doing things took some time. But now in retrospect, I firmly believe that it’s actually easier to make gluten-free bread than the conventional variety. It takes less time, there is no kneading, and there’s no second rise.
 
These bread recipes offer the delicious flavor, the moist texture and soft flexibility you love about bread – without the gluten, dairy and cane sugar. Any way you slice it, your bread-less days are over.

Champion Sandwich Bread

MAKES 2 LOAVES

Light in texture, this is the perfect everyday bread for breakfast and sandwiches. This recipe takes only a few minutes to put together in a stand mixer. For maximum yeast rise, have all ingredients at room temperature.

    4  cups Brown Rice Flour Blend     
    1  tablespoon xanthan gum
    1  tablespoon gluten-free egg replacer
    2  teaspoons salt
    ½  cup powdered milk or nondairy milk powder substitute
    1  package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
    3  large eggs
    ¼  cup butter, margarine or Spectrum organic shortening
    2  teaspoons cider vinegar
    ⅓  cup honey or agave nectar
    2  cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

1. Grease and flour two 8-inch bread pans.

2. Mix dry ingredients together in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.

3. Place eggs, butter, vinegar and honey in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together for about 30 seconds. The butter (or magarine or shortening) will be chunky.

4. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix just until blended. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix for approximately 30 seconds, until blended.

5. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add warm water until well absorbed. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for 4 minutes. Bread dough should resemble cake batter.

6. Spoon the dough into prepared pans. Set aside in a warm place to rise, about 50 to 60 minutes. While dough rises, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

7. Place pans in preheated oven on middle rack and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until bread's internal temperature reaches 200 degrees with an instant-read thermometer.

8. Let bread cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then remove loaves from pans and place on a rack to cool.

Each serving contains 119 calories, 3g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 29mg cholesterol, 185mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 0g protein.

TIP Gluten-free egg replacer is available from Ener-G Foods (ener-g.com).

Variations

For Sesame Bread, add 1 tablespoon sesame seeds to the batter after dough has mixed for 4 minutes. Then blend an additional 30 seconds. Spoon dough into prepared pans. Whisk an egg white in a small bowl with a fork. With a pastry brush, brush the top of each loaf with egg white and sprinkle with additional sesame seeds. Spoon batter into loaf pans and bake as directed.
For Granola Bread, add 1½ cups seeds, dried fruit and/or nuts to the batter after the dough has been mixed for 4 minutes. Blend an additional minute to combine. Spoon batter into loaf pans and bake as directed.

Brown Rice Flour Blend

MAKES 4 CUPS

    1⅓  cups brown rice flour, preferably super-fine grind
    1⅓  cups tapioca flour/starch
    1⅓  cups cornstarch
    1  tablespoon potato flour (not potato starch)

Blend ingredients together. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow flour blend to warm to room temperature before using.

Oatmeal Maple Bread

MAKES 2 LOAVES

No kneading. No proofing the yeast. No problem! This bread has great texture, perfect for sandwiches or toast. The maple syrup does double duty, adding flavor and activating the yeast. Rolls have a thick, crispy crust with an airy, slightly chewy interior.

    2  cups brown rice flour, preferably super-fine grind (see sidebar)
    1  cup gluten-free oat flour
    1½  cups sorghum flour or millet flour
    1  cup tapioca starch/flour
    ½  cup potato starch
    ½  cup sweet rice flour
    2  packages (2¼ teaspoons each) active dry yeast
    1  tablespoon + 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
    1  tablespoon salt
    5  eggs, room temperature
    4  tablespoons maple syrup or amber agave nectar
    ½  cup shortening or non-dairy margarine, melted
        2½  cups milk of choice (rice, soy, hemp, nut milk), warmed to 110 to 120 degrees
    1  egg white, lightly beaten with a fork (to brush tops of loaves)
    ½  cup gluten-free oats

1. Prepare two 9-inch bread pans (or two 8-inch bread pans and 6 muffin tins) by greasing well and dusting with brown rice flour. Set aside.

2. Place brown rice flour, oat flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch/flour, potato starch, sweet rice flour, dry yeast, xanthan gum and salt into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds just to combine ingredients.

3. In separate bowl, hand whisk the eggs, maple syrup, shortening and milk.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Then mix for 5 minutes on medium-high speed. Batter will resemble a very thick cake batter.

5. Spoon batter into prepared pans. This recipe makes two 9-inch loaves or two 8-inch loaves plus 6 dinner rolls. To make the rolls, use a large ice cream scoop to portion the batter into 6 standard-size muffin cups; then divide remaining batter into two 8-inch bread pans.

6. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the dough with egg white. Sprinkle gluten-free oats on top.

7. Let dough rise in a warm place for approximately 40 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

8. Place bread pans in preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 (for rolls) to 40 minutes (for loaves). Bread is done when internal temperature reads 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

9. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Each serving contains 150 calories, 5g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 35mg cholesterol, 231mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 3g protein.

TIP No oat flour? Make it by processing gluten-free oats in a food processor with the steel blade attachment for 1 minute.

Mock Rye Bread

MAKES 2 LOAVES

There’s no rye in this bread but you’ll be taken by the rye-bread flavor and texture.

    4  cups Gluten-Free High-Protein Flour Blend
    1  tablespoon xanthan gum

    2  teaspoons salt
    ½  cup almond meal, powdered milk or DariFree powdered milk alternative
    1  tablespoon cocoa powder
    1  package (2¼ teaspoons) dry yeast granules
    1  teaspoon rye flavor powder, optional
    2  eggs, room temperature
    1  egg white
    1  teaspoon cider vinegar
    ¼  cup shortening or margarine
    1  tablespoon organic molasses or unsulphured molasses
    4  tablespoons agave nectar or brown sugar
    1  teaspoon coffee extract or 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
    2  cups warm milk of choice (rice, soy, hemp, nut milk) or water (110 to 115 degrees)

1. Grease two 8-inch loaf pans or two 8-inch round cake pans (at least 2 inches deep) and dust with rice flour.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine flour blend, xanthan gum, salt, almond meal or powdered milk, cocoa powder, dry yeast and rye flavor powder, if desired. Set aside.

3. In mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, egg white, cider vinegar, shortening or margarine, molasses, agave nectar and coffee extract. Mix ingredients together on medium-low speed for 1 minute to blend. Shortening will be lumpy. 

4. Add milk or water to the wet ingredients and mix on low for 30 seconds.

5. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just blended. Add remaining half and blend. Then beat at medium-high speed for 4 minutes.

6. Spoon batter into prepared pans and set in a warm place to rise, about 50 minutes or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

7. Bake bread pans in preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes until done. Bread is done when internal temperature reads 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Bread may darken quickly. If so, lightly cover loaves with aluminum foil.

Each serving contains 106 calories, 3g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 15mg cholesterol, 208mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 2g protein.

TIP Gluten-free rye flavor powder is available from Authentic Foods (authenticfoods.com).

Variation

For Caraway Rye Bread, add 1 tablespoon caraway seeds to the dry ingredients. Before setting your bread aside to rise, lightly beat one egg white with a fork and brush the top of the loaves with a pastry brush.  Sprinkle additional caraway seeds on the top of the loaves and let rise

Tropical Bread

MAKES 2 LOAVES

This high-protein bread has a springy texture that’s great toasted and makes scrumptious French toast. The natural sugars in the crushed pineapple and orange juice cause this bread to brown quickly. To prevent over-browning, loosely cover loaves with aluminum foil 10 minutes after bread begins baking.

    4½  cups Gluten-Free High-Protein Flour Blend
    1  tablespoon xanthan gum
    1  teaspoon baking soda
    1  teaspoon salt
    ¼  cup almond meal, powdered milk or Dari Free milk powder substitute
    3  eggs, room temperature
    1  teaspoon cider vinegar
    4  tablespoons agave nectar
    ⅓  cup shortening or margarine, room temperature
    2  (6-ounce) cans crushed pineapple with juice
    ½  cup orange juice, warmed to 110 degrees
    1  tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dry yeast

1. Grease and flour two 8-inch loaf pans.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine flour blend, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, almond meal or dry milk powder and set aside.

3. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine eggs, cider vinegar, agave nectar, shortening or margarine, and crushed pineapple. Mix on low speed until combined. Shortening will be lumpy.

4. In a glass measuring cup, heat orange juice to 110 degrees, about 45 seconds in a microwave. Stir yeast into juice and let sit to proof about 10 minutes. Yeast mixture will double in size. Set aside.

5. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix for approximately 1 minute until well combined. Add yeast mixture and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 4 minutes.

6. Spoon batter into prepared pans and let rise in warm place for approximately 45 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. While bread is proofing, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. Place bread in oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes until done. Bread is done when internal temperature reads 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Each serving contains 72 calories, 3g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 24mg cholesterol, 223mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 2g protein.