Gluten-free Sandwich Bread
gluten-free | dairy-free | tree nut free | corn free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Oct. 10, 2024
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It’s finally here!! A gluten-free bread recipe that is easy to make and turns out light, fluffy, and perfect every time! As a modern pioneer, my goal is to make more foods instead of buying them at the grocery store… and that includes bread. For the longest time I struggled with making a gluten-free bread that was even remotely close to the gluten-free breads sold at grocery stores. But then this bread recipe came along! A combination of careful ingredient selection and trial & error brought about this fluffy, soft gluten-free loaf that is perfect for the modern pioneer homestead!
Home-baked bread is a pioneer recipe! The early pioneers would have made their own bread, both when they were traveling across the prairie and once they established their homesteads. They were working with a lot purer ingredients, so the challenge of making a gluten-free loaf wasn’t necessary. However, as modern pioneers, we can still enjoy bread that is healthy for us and able to made right in the homestead kitchen!
This recipe was one of the long sought after recipes that I wanted to create as I’m trying to replace store bought foods with homemade ones. Brands like Canyon Bakehouse, Little Northern Bakehouse, Udi’s, and Rudi’s Bakery are making gluten-free breads that are soft, fluffy, and a delicious alternative for those on a gluten-free diet. But many gluten-free breads are made with cheap ingredients, like corn, wood pulp (cellulose), canola oil, and sugar. So not only did I want to make my own bread for the sake of home-baked bread, but I also wanted to steer clear of those ingredients.
This homemade gluten-free bread recipe was a labor of love, but with a few carefully selected ingredients, it finally came about! It is fluffy and soft, especially when enjoyed within a day or two baking. However, even if the bread does start to become denser as it ages, you can re-soften it by warming it (not toasting). This loaf also freezes very well!
I found many homemade bread recipes that looked soft, light, and fluffy when I was searching for bread recipe tips, but none of them were gluten-free. So to those of us who have to bake gluten-free, we are already working with challenging ingredients that behave differently from standard ingredients like all-purpose baking flour or wheat flour. But this homemade bread recipe is gluten-free and is free from other allergens too! This loaf is:
One of the key ingredients to a beautiful loaf of gluten-free bread is the gluten-free flour that you use. Not all gluten-free flour is created equal. Ideally, I would like to make a homemade loaf that does not require a gluten-free all-purpose bread flour, but for now I will enjoy this recipe until I further refine it into even more of a pioneer bread recipe.
Which brings me to the discussion of choosing the best gluten-free flour for bread baking. This bread is made with gfJules Multigrain Biscuit & Breakfast Baking Flour. This gluten-free flour blend contains modified tapioca starch, potato starch, arrowroot, white rice flour, cassava flour, golden flaxseed meal, buckwheat flour, maltodextrin from tapioca, and xanthum gum. I know some of these ingredients are not ideal, but I am willing to compromise with them when compared to the ingredients of store-bought gluten-free breads.
With that said, I have also tested this bread recipe with the gfJules All-Purpose Flour and King Arthur gluten-free all-purpose flour. The gfJules flours have performed the best. The King Arthur loaf turned out delicious, but it was not light and fluffy. With that said, feel free to experiment with other gluten-free flour blends, but just note that this recipe performs the best with gfJules Multigrain Biscuit & Breakfast Baking Flour.
Complete one of the challenges on your Modern Pioneer Checklist Challenge when you bake a loaf of this gluten-free sandwich bread!
I got tired of making gluten-free bread that never behaved like store bought gluten-free bread. My sandwiches were always stiff, my French toast was always dense, and my breakfast toast was never light and soft. BUT, this gluten-free sandwich bread recipe changed all of that! Now I can use homemade gluten-free bread in ever single way that I would normally use bread!
This gluten-free bread performs perfectly for…
Keep in mind that, since homemade bread doesn’t contain stabilizer ingredients, it won’t remain soft and fluffy for as long as store bought breads. However, if your gluten-free bread does start to get stiff, just reheat the loaf or individual slices. You can reheat the bread in a warm oven or toaster oven, or by microwaving the bread. When using the oven or toaster oven, you want low heat (200°F or less) for a prolonged time. High heat will end up toasting the bread and making it crispy instead of re-softening it.
I have not tried this recipe without the dry milk powder. However, there are some options for you to adapt the recipe. You can use dry coconut milk powder, dry oat milk powder, freeze-dried oat or coconut milk, or even gluten-free potato flakes.
This recipe does require a little bit of natural sugar in order to give the yeast something to feed on. You can use maple syrup or raw honey. Agave syrup, coconut sugar, or maple sugar would also work.
One of the key ingredients that I was missing in my homemade gluten-free breads was a carbonated liquid. I used to use dairy-free milk or water, but I found that a carbonated beverage works best with gluten-free flours. With that said, you can use milk in this recipe, it just won’t yield quite the same light, fluffy loaf.
Just because you need a carbonated beverage to make this bread doesn’t mean you need to buy another ingredient at the grocery store. If you brew your own kombucha you can use that in your bread recipe! I like using home-brewed kombucha in my homemade bread, but other carbonated options include store-bought kombucha, Zevia, or Olipop. Just make sure the carbonated beverage is at room temperature before using it in the recipe.
I have not tested this recipe in an egg-free version. The eggs do give the loaf some structure and some loft, so using a substitute may change the properties of the loaf. If you do want to try a substitute, I would say two flax-egg substitutes would be your best bet.
Homemade gluten-free bread needs plenty of yeast in order to rise and stay fluffy. This recipe does require more than your standard yeast packet (which is usually only 2 teaspoons + 1/4 teaspoons), however, a full tablespoon of active dry yeast is necessary for a tall, fluffy loaf.
You don’t want this bread to double in size prior to baking. A little rise time before baking is necessary for the yeast to activate, but a majority of the rising should be done while the bread is baking. So, in general, a 30 minute proof time is all that is needed when making this bread. However, the temperature of the room where the loaf is proofing will play a part in proof time. A super warm room (75° or higher) may only necessitate a 20 minute proof time, whereas a cool room (65°F or lower) may necessitate a 40-60 proof time.
A stand-mixer is very helpful for getting a fully incorporated, smooth, airy bread dough. However, it is not essential for baking bread on the homestead! All you need is a strong arm, endurance, and a wooden spoon to mimic a stand-mixer! Instead of mixing the dough for 5 minutes in a stand-mixer, thoroughly stir and mix the dough with a wooden spoon for at least 3 minutes, 5 minutes if you can.
This homemade gluten-free sandwich loaf is fluffy and soft… just way homemade bread should be! Fill your homestead kitchen with the aroma of freshly baked bread when you whip up this easy gluten-free loaf!
Every homestead needs a reliable and delicious homemade bread recipe… and now this recipe is the perfect solution for gluten-free modern pioneers! Finally, a gluten-free loaf that is light, fluffy, and soft! I love using this bread for sandwiches or toasting up a slice to to go with fresh eggs for breakfast. If the ends of the loaf get crusty and dry, they are make delicious bread crumbs or can be saved for making gluten-free stuffing! This gluten-free bread recipe is an essential recipe in my homestead kitchen!
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