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

Incredibly soft, tender and fluffy, this easy sorghum bread is perfect for making sandwiches or toast. We love spreading it with homemade jam, or making avocado toast with it. Totally gluten-free and dairy-free, but no one would know. You’ll be making this delicious yeast bread recipe on repeat, so bake a loaf or two and freeze to enjoy homemade bread anytime!

Jump to:

• Homemade Bread is the Best
• What is Sorghum?
• Is Sorghum Gluten-Free?
• Making Gluten-Free Bread with Sorghum Flour
• Why This Recipe Works:
• Ingredients You’ll Need:
• Ingredient Notes/Substitutions:
• How to Make Sorghum Bread (Step by Step)
• Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
• Recipe FAQs:
• Other Yeast Bread Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
• Bread Recipes to Bake:
• Soft, Fluffy Sorghum Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Homemade Bread is the Best

I’m a BIG fan of making homemade bread – and at least once a week, we bake a loaf of bread.

Sometimes we bake quick breads such as this super popular easy honey oat bread, this low-carb almond flour bread, or this easy coconut flour bread.

Other times we bake yeast breads such as this favorite soft gluten-free white bread, this tender brown rice bread, or this fluffy buckwheat bread, or this tasty rosemary focaccia bread.

Mostly, I’m always testing and developing new bread recipes to try, because baking bread is my passion. And this time, we’re making sorghum flour bread.

What is Sorghum?

If you’ve never heard of sorghum before, here’s a quick background of this grain.

An ancient cereal grain that belongs to the Poaceae plant family, sorghum is the fifth most-produced cereal crop in the world.

Although it is still relatively uncommon in the western world, sorghum is highly popular in Australia, India and other Southeast Asian countries.

Is Sorghum Gluten-Free?

Given that sorghum is naturally gluten-free, it makes it a great grain alternative for those with Celiac disease or have gluten intolerances or allergies.

Making Gluten-Free Bread with Sorghum Flour

In its whole grain form, sorghum can be cooked in the same way as rice or quinoa. Alternatively, sorghum is often milled to produce sorghum flour, which is a great alternative gluten-free flour for making gluten-free baked goods.

From cookies and muffins, to cakes and even breads, there are just so many different ways to bake with sorghum flour.

I made these gluten-free sorghum graham crackers with sorghum flour a long time ago, and this time, I decided to bake a loaf of bread with sorghum flour. After testing this recipe, I’m so happy to share it with you! It’s become a favorite bread recipe at home, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too!

Why This Recipe Works:

1. It’s super easy to make: This easy recipe for sorghum bread cannot be any simpler. All you need to do is mix the dry ingredients together before adding the wet ingredients to form a dough, which is allowed to rise before baking.

2. It has the perfect texture: For me, the perfect gluten-free bread must be soft and fluffy (and we know many storebought gluten-free breads are usually hard, dense and way too expensive!). Fortunately, this easy sorghum bread recipe always results in a light and tender loaf that we love eating in sandwiches, or toasting and spreading with homemade jam. Let’s just say that this sorghum bread is so good you’ll never even know that it’s totally gluten-free and dairy-free too!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Ingredient Notes/Substitutions:

• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: I recommend that you use a good-quality gluten-free flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch or potato starch (as this result in a lighter and fluffier texture). I do NOT recommend using flour blends that include heavier flours such as garbanzo bean flour (as this will result in a denser texture).

• Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is what replaces gluten in gluten-free flours, and is necessary for binding the ingredients and giving the flour more elasticity. If your gluten-free flour blend does not already include xanthan gum, make sure you use it.

• Psyllium Husk Powder: Psyllium husk powder is basically whole psyllium husks that have been ground into a fine powder. This gives the bread more elasticity and helps it hold its shape after rising. If you don’t have access to psyllium husk powder, you can make your own by grinding whole psyllium husks in a high-speed blender or coffee grinder until very fine.

• Sorghum Flour: In this case, sorghum flour is the star ingredient in this sorghum bread recipe. However, you can also make other bread variations by substituting the sorghum flour with buckwheat flour, quinoa flour, brown rice flour, or amaranth flour in equal quantities.

• Baking Powder: Baking powder helps to give the dough a little more lift as it bakes in the oven. Make sure to use gluten-free baking powder if you’re Celiac or gluten-intolerant.

• Instant Yeast: I like using instant yeast as no activation time is required. If you don’t have instant yeast, make sure to activate the yeast beforehand.

• Sugar: The sugar is required as food for the yeast to feed on and be activated, so do not leave it out! 

• Sunflower Oil: I use sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. However, you may also use other neutral-flavored oils in equal quantities instead.

• Apple Cider Vinegar: The acidity from the apple cider vinegar in combination with baking powder creates a reaction that results in more lift in the dough. If you don’t have ACV, feel free to use other types of edible vinegar instead.

• Warm Water: Make sure to use warm water with a temperature between 105 to 115F. The yeast requires a warm environment to be activated, but if the water is too hot it may kill the yeast.

• Eggs: Eggs help to better bind the ingredients as well as give the bread more lift. I personally haven’t tried making this bread recipe without eggs or using an egg-substitute. If you do so, please let me know how it goes!

How to Make Sorghum Bread (Step by Step)

1. Grease the Pan

Grease an 8″x4″ metal loaf pan.

2. Whisk the Dry Ingredients

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

3. Add the Wet Ingredients

Add the sunflower oil, apple cider vinegar, warm water, and eggs. Beat well to combine for a minute or two until you get a dough that resembles thick cake batter (the dough will be sticky and wet, but that’s completely normal for gluten-free bread dough).

4. Transfer the Dough to the Pan

Transfer the bread dough to the previously greased loaf pan and smooth out the top with the back of a wet spatula.

5. Let the Dough Rise

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

6. Preheat the Oven

While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 350F and arrange the oven rack to the middle position.

7. Bake Until Golden Brown

Once the dough has doubled in size, bake it in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the top is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped.

8. Let the Loaf Cool Completely Before Slicing

Allow the sorghum bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing and then let it fully cool on a wire rack before slicing with a ridged knife. 

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:

• Use a Metal Loaf Pan: I recommend using a metal loaf pan to ensure that all sides of the sorghum flour bread get cooked evenly and have a nice golden brown color. I do NOT recommend baking this bread in a glass pan as the bottom of the loaf may not cook properly and may end up sticking to the pan.

• Smooth the Top: Once the dough is in the pan, you can use the back of a wet spatula to smooth it out, or dip your fingers in water and smooth the dough out with wet fingertips.

• Allow Bread to Cool Completely: When the sorghum flour bread is done baking, make sure to let it cool completely as it will continue cooking for a few minutes with the residual heat. Cooling the gluten-free bread completely will also ensure you do not get a gummy middle.

• Use a Ridged Knife for Slicing: The best knife for slicing bread is a bread knife (or basically a life with a ridged edge). I do NOT recommend using a smooth knife as it will cause the bread to be flattened when you try to cut it.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Yeast Bread Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

• Soft Gluten-Free White Bread (Dairy-Free)
• Fluffy Buckwheat Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Tender Brown Rice Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Rosemary Focaccia Bread (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Soft, Fluffy Dinner Rolls (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Bread Recipes to Bake:

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