The best soft and fluffy gluten-free bread that is moist, light, and oh so good! It’s super easy to make, has a short rise time, and a loaf is ready in just over an hour! You’ll want to eat it with everything – think avocado toast, or spread with jam, or to make a sandwich or French toast. Dairy-free too.
Months of Testing Gluten-Free Bread Recipes
I’ve always had a penchant for baking bread – and especially since we’ve been spending so much time at home this year, I’ve been testing and experimenting with so many bread recipes.
In the past few months, I’ve made gluten-free no-knead bread (beautiful and rustic!), rosemary focaccia (Juan absolutely loves this), easy gluten-free naan bread (a huge favorite among readers!), among plenty of other bread recipes that I’m still tinkering with and testing out.
Super Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Bread
To that end, I can tell you with all certainty that this recipe I’m sharing today (adapted from a recipe by Mama Knows Gluten Free) is probably one of the simplest and fluffiest loaves of gluten-free bread I’ve ever made (and tried)!
There’s a very short rise time of just 30 minutes, the dough rises beautifully, and it’s baked in a mere 40 minutes! Once baked, the top of the bread is a gorgeous golden brown and upon cooling, the loaf slices very easily and well.
Many gluten-free breads (whether store-bought or homemade) tend to be hard or dry (many times both). In this case however, this bread is flexible and moist, and fluffy and all things good, which is usually hard to come by with gluten-free baked goods.
And that, my friends, is really nothing short of a miracle. Trust me. I’ve baked and eaten too many hard and dry gluten-free loaves, so when a recipe works out so beautifully, I can’t help but want to share it from the rooftops!!
What Makes This Gluten-Free Bread Fluffy?
A main reason why many gluten-free breads turn out dry is because there is not enough liquid in the dough. In this recipe, the total wet ingredients are in roughly the same quantity as the dry ingredients (almost a 1:1 ratio). While this results in a relatively wet and shaggy dough, it’s the reason why this bread comes out flexible and soft and fluffy.
The eggs in the recipe, along with the apple cider vinegar and baking powder and yeast, also help the bread to rise more and achieve a dome-shaped top (whereas gluten-free breads without eggs generally do not hold the dome shape well and are often flat on top). If you wish to make a vegan loaf, here’s a well-loved gluten-free vegan bread.
Ingredients for Making Fluffy Gluten-Free Bread
This recipe is super easy – and only requires 10 ingredients. Dry ingredients include all-purpose gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend already has it), baking powder, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Wet ingredients include vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, non-dairy milk, and eggs.
Which Flour Blend to Use?
Many have asked which flour blend I use, since the flour blend makes a big difference in how the consistency of the bread turns out. Since I live in Buenos Aires, I use an all-purpose gluten-free flour brand from Argentina called Señor de Sipan, which is made primarily of corn starch, rice flour, and xanthan gum. For those of you who have access to Amazon, I believe a good substitute is King Arthur Flour gluten-free all purpose flour or Pilsbury gluten-free flour.
How to Make Gluten-Free Bread
Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, before adding in the oil, apple cider vinegar, warm non-dairy milk (I used my recipe for 5-minute homemade almond milk), and mixing for one minute until well incorporated.
Next, add the beaten eggs and whisk well until you get a thick and wet dough that looks just like cake batter.
When the dough is mixed, transfer it to a greased baking pan and use a wet spatula to smooth out the top (I like using a 9″ x 4″ loaf pan so the bread rises more. If you use a larger pan such as a 9″x 5″ loaf pan, bear in mind that the bread will be flatter and have less height).
Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for the next 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place (I like to place it in my microwave oven), until it has roughly doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, bake it on the middle rack of your oven for 40 minutes at 350F, but make sure to use aluminum foil to cover (or “tent”) the bread during the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent the top from becoming too brown.
Once baked, allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing it (it should come out very easily without sticking), and finish cooling it on a rack so the bottom doesn’t become soggy. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.
Tip: If the bottom is not brown enough for your liking, you can simply bake the loaf for another 10-minutes bottom-side-up on the middle rack at 375F to brown it a little (it’s mainly for aesthetic purposes, and even if you don’t do it, the bread will still taste just as good).
Use a Serrated Knife for Slicing
It’s important to use a serrated knife, which has a scalloped, toothlike edge that is ideal for cutting through foods with a hard exterior and a soft interior, such as this loaf of soft fluffy gluten-free bread.
Using a smooth-edged knife will place excessive pressure on the top of the loaf and squish or flatten the bread (and we don’t want that, especially after all we’ve done to make it rise and keep it fluffy)!
Why is Gluten-Free Bread Dough So Wet?
Don’t be alarmed when you see that the bread dough is wet and shaggy and sticky and shapeless – strangely resembling cake batter as opposed to the firm and shapable normal wheat bread dough.
It is completely normal and desired to have a wet bread dough when making GF goods, because this will ensure a moister crumb once baked. Please DO NOT add more flour in an attempt to make the dough drier or more manageable. Gluten-free bread dough, unlike normal bread dough, does not required kneading, so it doesn’t matter that you can’t shape it with your hands since it will go straight into the loaf pan and take the shape of the pan.
How to Store Homemade Gluten-Free Bread
In my experience, if you don’t plan on eating it immediately, gluten-free bread is best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will keep for 5 to 7 days. I find it best to leave it unsliced and slice it only when you wish to eat it so it keeps as much moisture as possible.
Can I Freeze Gluten-Free Bread?
Yes! You can definitely freeze this gorgeous loaf of bread (especially if you plan to bake a few and keep on hand for future use). Once baked, let the bread cool completely before wrapping it in plastic wrap (unsliced) and freeze it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you do decide to use the bread, I recommend thawing the loaf overnight in the refrigerator before slicing into it.
What To Eat with This Gluten-Free Loaf:
This loaf is so insanely versatile, you can literally have it alone (either toasted or not), or make French toast, or eat it with other foods, both sweet and savory. Here are some of our favorite foods to eat with it:
- Easy Apricot Jam
- Mixed Berry Chia Seed Jam
- Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
- Easy Creamy Hummus (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Savory Pumpkin Soup (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Carrot Turmeric Soup (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
If you enjoyed this, you’ll also love these other bread recipes:
- 10 Easy Gluten-Free Bread Recipes to Make on Repeat
- Rosemary Focaccia Bread (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Easy Gluten-Free Naan Bread (No-Yeast, Dairy-Free)
- Easy Gluten-Free No Knead Bread (Dairy-Free)
- Flaxseed Coconut Bread (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
- Honey Oat Quick Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Easy Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread (Vegan)
Soft Fluffy Gluten-Free Bread (Dairy-Free)
- Prep Time: 35 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The best soft and fluffy gluten-free bread that is moist, light, and oh so good! You’ll want to eat it with everything – think avocado toast, or spread with jam, or to make a sandwich or French toast. Dairy-free too.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (see recipe notes below for flour blend alternatives)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend already includes it)
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- 2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups warm almond milk (or other non-dairy milk or water), between 105-110F
- 2 large eggs, beaten, room temperature
Instructions
- Grease a 9″x4″ loaf pan with vegetable oil and preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the all-purpose gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (if using), baking powder, instant yeast, sugar, and salt together to combine.
- Add the vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, warm milk and mix for one minute until combined.
- Add the beaten eggs and mix for another minute until you get a dough that resembles thick cake batter (the dough will be wet and sticky, but that’s completely fine).
- Transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan and use a spatula to smooth out the top of the dough.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for the next 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place, until it has roughly doubled in size.
- Place the loaf pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool down for 10 minutes in the pan before removing it to finish cooling on a rack (this will prevent the bottom from getting soggy). If the bottom is not brown enough for your liking, let it bake bottom-side-up for another 10 minutes at 375F.
- Allow the loaf to fully cool before slicing (this is important as the loaf may disintegrate if it’s still hot when you slice).
Notes
Gluten-Free Dough Consistency: Don’t be alarmed when you see that the dough doesn’t resemble normal wheat bread dough. Gluten-free dough will always be sort of wet and shapeless, just like cake batter. In fact, for gluten-free bread to come out moist and fluffy, the dough has to be wet, otherwise, the bread will be too dry.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend: I live in Argentina and use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend from the brand Siñor de Sipan, which is primarily made up of corn starch, rice flour, and xanthan gum. As you can see, it’s a light, white flour blend that results in light and fluffy bread. For those of you who have access to Amazon, I believe a good alternative would be King Arthur Flour gluten-free all-purpose flour or Pilsbury gluten-free flour.
Milk Alternatives: I used my 5-minute homemade almond milk for this recipe, but you can also use my homemade cashew milk, or other non-dairy milk of your choice. If you are not lactose-intolerant, you can also use normal dairy milk, or even water to replace the milk. I find that using non-dairy milk gives the bread a richer taste, but I’ve also made it with water and it comes out delicious as well!
Pan Size Will Determine the Height of Bread: I like using a 9″ x 4″ loaf pan because the bread rises slightly more in this smaller pan. If you use a larger pan (such as a 9″ x 5″ pan), just note that the dough will spread out more and as a result will not rise as high compared to baking in a smaller pan.
Cut the Bread with Serrated Knife: It’s important to use a serrated knife (knife with a tooth-edge) to slice the bread. Do not use a smooth-edged knife as that may flatten the bread and not cut properly.
How to Store/Freeze the Bread: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or wrap it in plastic wrap unsliced and freeze for up to 3 months in the freezer. If freezing, make sure to thaw the bread overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and using.
Adapted from: Mama Knows Gluten-Free
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: gluten-free bread
