Soft Fluffy Gluten-Free Bread (Dairy-Free)

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)

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