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

This incredibly soft and fluffy teff bread has a deliciously nutty and earthy flavor, and comes together very easily. It tastes delicious and looks uncannily similar to whole wheat bread. This teff flour bread is perfect for making sandwiches, avocado toast, or simply toasted and spread with jam. Totally gluten-free and dairy-free too, but no one would care!

Jump to:

• My Love for Homemade Bread
• Deliciously Fluffy Teff Bread
• What is Teff?
• Health Benefits of Teff
• Is Teff Gluten-Free?
• Why This Recipe Works:
• Ingredients You’ll Need:
• Recipe Notes/Substitutions:
• How to Make Teff Bread (Step by Step)
• Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
• Recipe FAQs:
• Jam Recipes to Eat With Teff Bread:
• Our Favorite Yeast Breads to Enjoy:
• Other Gluten-Free Bread Recipes You’ll Love:
• Soft, Fluffy Teff Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

My Love for Homemade Bread

The joy of baking a loaf of homemade bread is never lost on me, and the process of bread-baking is as therapeutic as curling up with a good book and a warm cup of tea.

I love baking all kinds of bread, but yeast breads definitely have a special place in my heart.

Mixing bread dough and watching it double in size never ceases to amaze me. And pulling a freshly baked loaf from the oven, feeling the warmth rush out onto my face always makes me feel like I’m on the top of the world.

Some of my favorite yeast breads include this super popular buckwheat bread, this fluffy millet bread, our gluten-free white bread, this gorgeous no-knead artisan bread, and this rosemary focaccia.

Deliciously Fluffy Teff Bread

When I found teff flour at the natural foods store the other day, I knew I simply had to develop a bread recipe with it.

I wanted to create a loaf of gluten-free bread that resembled whole wheat bread in how it looked and tasted, and this amazingly soft, tender and fluffy teff flour bread was born.

Say goodbye to hard and dry gluten-free loaves from the store! You’ll want to make this loaf over and over again!

What is Teff?

Teff is an African cereal which is almost mainly grown in Ethiopia, where it is a dietary staple. (Fun fact: A common Ethiopian food is teff injera, a traditional bread which is made from a fermented batter prepared with this whole grain flour.)

Considered an ancient grain, the teff grain was one of the earliest domesticated plants and is cultivated for its edible seeds. Teff is the world’s smallest grain, and its seeds are very small and similar in size to poppy seeds.

There are different varieties of teff seeds, from white and red to dark brown, and have a naturally nutty flavor (the lighter-colored seeds have are milder in taste, while the darker-colored seeds are earthier in taste).

Teff seeds are mostly ground into a fine flour. Depending on which teff grains you use, the color of the ground teff flour will vary.

The photo below shows darker-colored whole grain brown teff flour (naturally, white teff flour and ivory teff flour will be lighter in color).

Health Benefits of Teff

In terms of its nutritional value, teff is a rich source of protein and dietary fiber.

Compared to other grains, it also has a high mineral content, and is a good source of minerals such as potassium, copper, and potassium, among others.

Is Teff Gluten-Free?

Unlike other grains such as wheat, rye, spelt, or barley, teff is a naturally gluten-free grain.

This means that those with Celiac disease or gluten-intolerance can enjoy teff flour as a replacement for regular wheat flour.

Teff can be easily found at health food stores, and it can be used in many gluten-free recipes. Today, we’re making this deliciously tender and soft gluten-free teff flour bread.

Why This Recipe Works:

• Simple Ingredients: The ingredients required to make this teff bread recipe are easily accessible at the grocery store or natural food store.

• Easy to Make: The dough comes together as easily as mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Transfer the dough to a pan, let it double in size and then bake!

• Soft, Fluffy Texture: The texture of the bread is unbelievably soft, fluffy and tender, and is absolutely delicious! (No more hard or dry gluten-free breads!!)

• Totally Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free: The best part is that this teff bread recipe is 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances, or those simply on a gluten-free diet can have their bread and eat it too!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required to make this delicious teff bread recipe.

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

Recipe Notes/Substitutions:

• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend: I recommend using a good-quality gluten free all-purpose flour blend that uses lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, corn starch, tapioca starch or potato starch) to ensure a fluffier final texture. I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free blend with heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour) as that will result in a denser final texture.

• Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the substitute for gluten in gluten-free flours, and helps to bind the ingredients together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not already include xanthan gum, make sure to add it in.

• Teff Flour: Since this is teff bread recipe, teff flour is essential. However, if you would to make this bread but don’t have access to teff flour, a few good substitutes would be buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, millet flour or amaranth flour.

• Psyllium Husk Powder: Psyllium husk powder helps to give the ingredients extra binding power, and it makes to bread dome beautifully. Make sure you use the powder version. For best results, I do NOT recommend substituting this with anything else. (If you only have access to whole psyllium husks, you can use your high-speed blender or a coffee grinder to grind the psyllium husks into a very fine powder.) 

• Baking Powder: In addition to instant yeast, baking powder will help this teff flour bread rise even more. If you have Celiac disease or are gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.

• Instant Yeast: Yeast is required for the dough to rise and create beautiful pockets of air in the bread. I like using instant yeast because no prior activation time is required. However you may also use active dry yeast if you prefer (the difference is that instant yeast can be mixed directly with the dry ingredients, while active dry yeast requires rehydration for it to be activated).

• Sugar: Sugar is necessary as the food for the yeast to feed on so it can be activated and produce the gases to form air pockets and make the dough rise. The sugar will be consumed by the yeast, so the bread will not be sweet once baked.

• Sunflower Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. However, you may also use another vegetable oil such as extra virgin olive oil, melted coconut oil, or avocado oil. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use melted butter instead.

• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar creates an acidic environment that activates the baking powder to create gases that will help the dough rise more. If you don’t have ACV, you may also use white vinegar or lemon juice in equal quantities.

• Warm Water: The water needs to be warm to activate the yeast. Make sure that the water is between 105 to 115F (if it’s too cold, the yeast will not be activated, if it’s too hot, the high temperature will kill the yeast). If you prefer, you may also use warm non-dairy milk (such as almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk, soy milk or coconut milk) instead of water. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use normal milk instead.

• Eggs: The eggs help to bind the ingredients as well as gives the bread more lift. If you are allergic to eggs, or prefer to make this recipe completely vegan, you may use aquafaba or an egg-replacer.

How to Make Teff Bread (Step by Step)

1. Grease and Preheat

Preheat the oven to 350F and arrange the oven rack to the middle third position. Grease an 8″ x 4″ nonstick metal loaf pan with oil.

2. Combine Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the gluten-free all-purpose flour, xanthan gum (if using), teff flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, salt, instant yeast, and sugar together.

3. Add Wet Ingredients

Add the vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and warm water to the large bowl with the dry ingredients, and mix well until combined. Add the beaten eggs and mix for another minute until you get a dough that looks like thick cake batter (the dough will be sticky and wet, but that’s exactly the texture you want).

4. Transfer Dough to Pan

Transfer the teff bread dough to the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with a wet spatula.

5. Let Dough Rise

Cover the pan with kitchen towel and let the dough rise for approximately 30 to 40 minutes in a warm, draft-free place, until it has roughly doubled in size and almost reaches the top of the pan.

(Tip: I like to place the pan in the microwave with the microwave switched OFF while the dough rises.)

6. Bake Until Ready

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the teff bread is dark brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped.

7. Cool Completely Before Slicing

Let the freshly baked teff bread cool for at least 10 minutes in the loaf pan, before removing it and letting it cool fully at room temperature on a wire rack (the bread will continue cooking on the inside from the residual heat).

Only slice into the loaf with a serrated knife once it’s fully cooled.

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:

• Use a Metal Loaf Pan: I recommend using a metal loaf pan because metals conducts heat more evenly and ensures that the bread is evenly cooked and golden brown on the sides and the bottom. I find that glass pans or ceramic pans may result in the bottom being a little less cooked.

• Pan Size Determines Loaf Height: I use an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan for this teff bread recipe and the bread comes out in the perfect height. If you use a larger pan (such as a 9″ x 5″ pan), the loaf will naturally be wider and flatter.

• Use a Serrated Knife to Slice: To slice, make sure you use a serrated bread knife (a knife with ridged edges) instead of a smooth-edged knife so as not to flatten the bread.

Recipe FAQs:

Jam Recipes to Eat With Teff Bread:

• Apricot Jam (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Plum Jam (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Mixed Berry Chia Seed Jam (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Fig Jam (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Our Favorite Yeast Breads to Enjoy:

• Gluten-Free White Bread (Dairy-Free)
• Buckwheat Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Brown Rice Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Sorghum Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Millet Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Quinoa Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Potato Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Artisan Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Other Gluten-Free Bread Recipes You’ll Love:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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