Soft, Fluffy Gluten-Free Potato Bread (Dairy-Free)

My Love for Homemade Bread

I have an undeniable love for homemade bread.

Nothing beats pulling out a freshly baked loaf from the still-warm oven, the heat rushing towards your face and the aroma of homemade bread surrounding you like a warm blanket.

If there’s anything the past couple of years have shown me, it’s that the process of making homemade bread is therapeutic, and it never fails to leave me in awe whenever I watch bread dough double in size after rising.

Some of our favorite gluten-free yeast breads that we make on a regular basis include this gluten-free white bread, this fluffy buckwheat bread, brown rice bread, teff bread, and this soft sorghum bread.

Leftover Mashed Potatoes? Make Potato Bread!

If you often end up with mashed potatoes left over from dinner, you can use it to make mashed potato bread (i.e. bread made with mashed potatoes).

Is Potato Bread Gluten-Free?

Most store-bought potato bread tends to use normal wheat flour in the ingredients, and since wheat flour contains gluten, it is usually not gluten-free.

However, I wanted to make a gluten-free and dairy-free version, so after 4 whole rounds of recipe testing (yes, 4 rounds indeed!), I finally arrived at the perfect recipe (adapted from here), and I’m ecstatic to share what is possibly my new favorite bread.

Gluten-free potato bread that’s so delicious you can eat it on its own, but is also perfect for making sandwiches, or toasted and spread with jam.

Why This Recipe Works:

• Simple Ingredients: The ingredients required for this gluten-free dairy-free potato bread recipe are easily accessible from the local grocery store (nothing fancy needed!).
• Easy to Make: With the help of a high-speed blender (or simple muscle power) to process the mashed potatoes and eggs for a smooth consistency, all you need to do is combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients to get the dough. Then transfer the dough to a pan, let it rise, and bake! How much simpler does homemade bread get?
• Soft and Fluffy Texture: This gluten-free potato bread comes out incredibly soft and tender, every single time. This beautiful soft bread is about to change your life! Say goodbye to dense, dry and hard gluten-free bread at last!
• Totally Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: Instead of using regular flour and butter (which regular potato bread recipes tend to include), I’m using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and sunflower oil. This means that this delicious potato bread is 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, which means that even those with Celiac disease or have gluten and lactose intolerances can still have their bread and eat it too!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required to make this gluten-free potato bread recipe.

(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

Recipe Notes+ Substitutions:

• Mashed Potatoes: In this gluten-free potato bread recipe, I like using leftover mashed potatoes, but you can also use fresh mashed potatoes or instant mashed potatoes made from potato flakes if that’s what you have. If you like, you can also use mashed sweet potatoes if you prefer.
• Eggs: Eggs help to bind the ingredients better and gives the loaf a better rise. If you are vegan or allergic to eggs, you may also use aquafaba or an egg-replacer.
• Water: Make sure the warm water has a temperature of between 105F to 115F. If the water is too cold, the yeast will not get activated, but if the water is too hot, the high heat will kill the yeast. Alternatively, of you prefer, you may also use warm dairy-free milk (such as almond milk, cashew milk, tigernut milk, rice milk, coconut milk etc.). If you are not vegan or lactose-intolerant, feel free to use normal whole milk instead.
• Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of sunflower oil on hand. You may also use another vegetable oil such as olive oil, avocado oil, or even melted coconut oil or melted vegan butter. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use normal butter if you prefer.
• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that includes lighter flours and starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch, potato starch) to ensure you get a light and fluffy final texture. I do NOT recommend using a blend with heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour) as that will result in a denser bread.
• Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours, and helps the ingredients to better bind together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not already include it, make sure you add it in.
• Psyllium Husk Powder: Psyllium husk powder is basically whole psyllium husks that have been ground into a super fine powder, and is both a great binding agent that is essential in helping the bread have a beautiful dome once risen, plus provides added fiber. If you only have access to whole psyllium husks, you can grind the whole husks into a powder. For best results, I do NOT recommend leaving it out or swapping it out for anything else.
• Instant Yeast: I like using instant yeast because there’s not activation time required and you can mix it with all the other ingredients at the same time. However, if you don’t have instant yeast, you may use active dry yeast instead (just make sure you activate it with sugar and warm water before adding it to the other ingredients).
• Sugar: I used granulated white sugar, but you may also use light brown sugar, dark brown sugar or coconut sugar if you prefer (just note that brown sugar or coconut sugar may cause the inside of the bread to be slighter darker in color). In this case, the sugar is food for the yeast, and is necessary for the yeast to feed on (and be activated) in order to produce the gases in the dough-rising process. Do not leave out the sugar (it will be consumed by the yeast and will not make the bread sweet).

How to Make Gluten-Free Mashed Potato Bread (Step by Step):

1. Grease

Grease an 8″ x 4″ metal loaf pan with oil.

2. Whisk Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, sift the gluten-free all-purpose flour, xanthan gum (if using), psyllium husk powder, instant yeast, and sugar. Whisk well to combine.

3. Blend

Process the mashed potatoes and eggs in a high-speed blender until you get a thick, creamy yellow mixture.

4. Add Water and Oil

Transfer the potato mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add water and oil and mix well to get a pale yellow liquid.

5. Form the Dough

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until you get a homogeneous sticky dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

(Tip: the dough will be wet and look shaggy, but that’s the texture you want. If gluten-free bread dough is too dry, the bread will turn out dense and hard once baked.)

6. Transfer Dough to Pan

Transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan and use a wet spatula to smooth out the top of the dough.

7. Let the Dough Rise

Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise a warm place free of drafts for 40 to 50 minutes, until it has roughly doubled in size and has risen just above the top of the pan.

(Tip: I like to place the pan in the microwave with the microwave switched off).

8. Preheat the Oven

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350F and place the rack in the center position.

9. Bake Until Golden Brown

Bake for 1 hour until the top of the bread is golden brown the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

10. Let Cool Before Slicing

Allow the gluten-free mashed potato bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, before removing and placing it on a wire rack to fully cool at room temperature (at least 30 minutes) before slicing.

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:

• Pan Size Determines Bread Height: In this gluten-free potato bread recipe, I use an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan, so if you were to use a larger loaf pan, you’ll probably end up with a wider and shorter loaf as compared to the photos.
• Use a Metal Pan: For best results, I recommend that you use a metal loaf pan to ensure that the dough gets evenly heated from all sides and to ensure you get a nice golden brown crust all around.
• Swap Out Mashed Potatoes: If you don’t have fresh mashed potatoes, you can used instant mashed potatoes instead. You can also use mashed sweet potatoes instead, go ahead and substitute it in equal quantities!
• Be Patient and Allow to Cool: As with all gluten-free baking, patience is a virtue, and it’s important to let this mashed potato bread fully cool at room temperature before cutting into it. This is because even after you remove the bread from the oven, the bread still continues to cook with the residual heat. If you slice into the mashed potato bread too early, it may fall apart or have a gummy texture.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Gluten-Free Yeast Breads You’ll Love:

• Gluten-Free White Bread (Dairy-Free)
• Fluffy Buckwheat Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Soft Sorghum Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Brown Rice Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Soft Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls (Dairy-Free)
• Easy Artisan Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Quinoa Yeast Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Other Gluten Free Bread Recipes to Bake: