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This easy gluten free artisan bread has an open crumb, a crisp crust, and comes together in one bowl—no stand mixer required.

It rises and bakes quickly, making just enough for a family dinner table. It’s the kind of bread that makes a gluten free meal feel like a night out.

Gluten free artisan bread sliced, closeup image

My take

How this bread gets a crisp crust and soft center

This loaf is made with just flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, and eggs—no stand mixer needed. It’s easier than my classic gluten free sandwich bread and less involved than my gluten free sourdough.

Think of it as an everyday boule: crusty on the outside, soft and airy inside because of the wet dough that rises high, fast. Perfect for tearing, dipping, sandwiching—or turning into homemade bread crumbs.

It bakes in a small glass bowl, then gets flipped near the end for a crisp, golden crust all the way around.

overhead image of ingredients for gluten free artisan bread in small bowls on marble surface with words for names of each one

what's in it

Recipe ingredients

  • Gluten free flour blend – Use a high-quality all purpose blend that includes xanthan gum. It should support a good rise and create a tender crumb.
  • Tapioca starch/flour – Adds stretch and height. Even though your flour blend probably includes some, this extra amount makes a big difference.
  • Yeast – Instant yeast is easiest. If using active dry, increase the amount slightly (7.5–8g) and activate it in some of the milk first.
  • Sugar – Just a bit to feed the yeast and help it rise.
  • Baking soda – Promotes browning in the oven.
  • Salt – Enhances flavor. I use kosher salt because it’s harder to overmeasure than fine salt.
  • Milk – Warm milk activates the yeast and adds richness.
  • Egg – Binds the dough, improves rise, and adds color and flavor.

How to make gluten free artisan bread

1. Grease your bowl or pan.
Use a 1 to 1½ quart oven-safe glass bowl for the classic round shape. If you're using something else, check the FAQs for tips.

2. Mix the dough.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, tapioca starch, sugar, yeast, baking soda, and salt. Add the warm milk, beaten egg, and oil, and mix vigorously until a sticky, pale dough forms.

3. Let it rise.
Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl. Smooth the top with wet or oiled hands. Cover lightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise until it’s about 1.5 times its original size—taller, not quite doubled.

4. Bake in two stages.
Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Then carefully flip the loaf in the bowl (bottom side up) and return it to the oven. Bake for another 15 minutes, until evenly golden and the internal temperature reaches about 195°F.

5. Cool before slicing.
Turn the bread out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing—cutting too soon can compress the crumb.

Gluten free artisan bread baked in bowl, fresh out of the oven.

My Pro Tip

Expert tips

No mixer required.
This is one of the few yeast bread recipes on the blog that you can mix entirely by hand—just a bowl, whisk, and spoon.

Expect a wet dough.
It should look sticky and feel loose. Resist the urge to add more flour or your loaf will turn out dense and heavy.

Let it cool fully before slicing.
The bread finishes baking from residual heat as it cools. Cutting too soon compresses the crumb and ruins that airy texture.

Use a serrated knife.
Even cooled bread can squish if you press too hard. Saw gently with a serrated knife instead.

Try a Dutch oven.
For a round loaf with a slightly different texture, you can bake this bread in a 3- or 5-quart Dutch oven. For the larger size, increase the recipe yield from 10 to 15 slices. Shape the dough on parchment into a round about as tall as it is wide, let it rise as usual, and bake uncovered at 375°F. Start checking at 40 minutes for a 3-quart, 55–60 minutes for a 5-quart.

light brown crusted round gluten free artisan bread in round black dutch oven pot with white parchment paper underneath and pot on blue cloth

substitutions

Ingredient substitutions

To make it dairy free:
Use unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk like almond milk. Avoid canned coconut milk or oat milk—they’re too low in moisture.

To make it egg free:
Swap the egg for a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia + 1 tablespoon warm water, mixed and gelled). Two egg whites (50 g) also work, but result in a slightly denser loaf, so aquafaba as an egg white replacement should work similarly.

If you don’t have tapioca starch:
You can substitute more all purpose gluten free flour. The bread will rise a bit less and have a tighter crumb, but it still works.

If using active dry yeast:
Increase the amount from 6 g to about 7.5 g (just use a little more than 7 grams). Be sure to activate it in some of the warm milk until foamy before mixing.

If you need to avoid yeast:
Try my yeast free gluten free bread. It’s a different style but a good alternative.

If you need to skip added tapioca starch:
It may be tempting to leave it out if your flour blend already includes it, but don’t. This recipe depends on the extra tapioca for stretch and rise. Without it, your loaf won’t be as tall or airy.

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Gluten Free Artisan Bread Recipe

4.99 from 154 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Rising time: 45 minutes
Yield: 10 slices
This easy gluten free artisan bread has a crisp crust, a soft crumb, and no need for a stand mixer. It’s the kind of loaf you’ll want to serve with every meal.
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Ingredients 

  • 1 ⅝ cups (227 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (See Recipe Notes)
  • 1 ⅝ teaspoons xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
  • cup (54 g) tapioca starch/flour
  • 2 teaspoons (8 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
  • 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) warm milk, (about 95°F)
  • 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg, at room temperature, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon (14 g) extra virgin olive oil

Instructions 

  • Grease a 1 or 1 1/2 quart glass oven safe bowl and set it aside. If you don’t have a glass bowl, you can use a small round pan or cast iron skillet with high sides. If using an aluminum pan that isn’t dark in color, raise the oven temperature to 400°F (as written and described below, the oven temperature is 375°F).
  • In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, tapioca starch/flour, sugar, and yeast, and baking soda, and whisk to combine well. Add the salt, and whisk again to combine well.
  • Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk, egg, and oil, and mix vigorously. The bread dough/batter should come together and lighten a bit in color as you mix.
  • Transfer the dough/batter to the prepared baking bowl, skillet, or pan, and smooth the top with clean, wet hands or a moistened spatula. Do not compress the dough at all.
  • If you aren't using a bowl or pan with high sides, using a light touch and wet or oiled fingers, try to shape the dough so that it's about as tall as it is wide, to mimic the shape in the photos of the dough in the bowl. Your dough will definitely spread more during baking, though, and may take less time to bake.
  • Cover the dough completely with an oiled piece of plastic wrap. Be careful not to compress the dough, but cover the bowl securely.
  • Place it in a warm, moist place to rise for about 45 minutes, or until the dough has increased to about 150% of its original size. In cool, dry weather, the dough may take longer to rise; in warm, moist weather, it may take less time to rise.
  • When the dough is nearing the end of its rise, preheat your oven to 375°F.
  • After the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the bread is lightly golden brown all around.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and rotate the loaf in the bowl, so it’s upside down. Return the bread to the oven and bake until the crust has darkened slightly all around, and the bread sounds hollow when thumped anywhere, on the bottom or top, about another 15 minutes.
  • The internal temperature of the bread should reach about 195°F on an instant-read thermometer.
  • Turn the bread out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

Flour blend choices.
This recipe works best with a well-balanced all purpose gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Better Batter's original blend or Nicole’s Best multipurpose (with added xanthan gum) both perform well.
King Arthur’s gluten free bread flour also works, but yields a slightly shorter loaf. Caputo Fioreglut produces a fine-crumbed loaf, but it doesn’t brown much and can stick to the bowl—add liquids first if using.
I don’t recommend Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 for yeast bread.
If your blend already contains xanthan gum, omit the extra amount listed in the ingredients.
For custom options, check out my all purpose gluten free flour blends page.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

make ahead/leftovers

How to store and refresh this bread

Room temperature:
Store your loaf in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days. A zip-top bag or plastic storage box works well.

To refresh a dried loaf:
Run the whole loaf quickly under lukewarm tap water, then bake at 300°F for 10 to 12 minutes. For individual slices, drizzle with water and toast.

Freezer storage:
Let the loaf cool completely, then freeze in a zip-top bag with as much air removed as possible. It will keep well for up to 3 months.

To defrost:
Leave the bread on the counter overnight. Refresh as above before serving, if needed.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why is my bread dense?

Most often, it’s from adding too much flour or using too little liquid. Make sure the dough looks wet and sticky—that’s what gives you a light crumb. Using the wrong flour blend or skipping xanthan gum can also lead to dense bread.

Why didn't my dough rise?

Yeast dough needs time and the right conditions. Make sure your yeast is active, your milk is warm (but not hot), and your kitchen isn’t too cold or dry. Be patient—it may take longer than 45 minutes.

What if I don't have a 1 1/2 quart glass bowl?

Use a small round pan or cast iron skillet with high sides. Try to shape the dough so it’s as tall as it is wide. If your pan is aluminum and light in color, raise the oven temp to 400°F for a better crust.

Can I use a bread machine?

Maybe! This dough is wet enough to work in some machines. If yours makes a larger loaf, scale up the recipe yield to 15 or 20 slices. Make sure it only uses one rise cycle. You can also use my gluten free bread recipe for a bread machine for the perfect loaf in a bread maker.

Can you bake this in a loaf pan?

Yes—just increase the yield from 10 to 15 slices (1.5x the recipe). Bake in a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan at 375°F for 50 to 60 minutes.

What about a sheet pan?

You can try it, but the dough will spread. Bake at 400°F to help the crust form quickly. Shape the dough into a round on parchment and bake uncovered.

The simplest recipe for gluten free artisan bread, that can be mixed by hand in one bowl with the most basic pantry ingredients, is here. It's your everyday gluten free bread recipe.

What to serve with this bread

This crusty loaf is perfect for dipping, dunking, and tearing into pieces at the table. Here are a few ways to turn it into a full meal:

About Nicole Hunn

Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough!

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194 Comments

  1. Sarah Morrice says:

    5 stars
    I’m in UK, new to gf and have tried six different gf bread recipes this week but this is def my number 1. It’s genuinely tasty fresh or toasted. I love that I’m using whole eggs and not wasting yolks like in some recipes. Also love that you just mix in a bowl with a spoon, don’t need a mixer or anything. I used Doves gf plain flour which was great. Today am trying the recipe again but larger quantities in a loaf tin do we’ll see how that goes but I love the bowl method too. Thank you!

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      I’m really glad to hear you were happy with the results using Dove’s plain gf flour, Sarah. That will definitely help others in the UK! Thank you for sharing that.

  2. Maria says:

    5 stars
    This bread came out wonderful! I did mess up though and baked the bread in a dark pie pan on 400 degrees instead of 375 degrees but it still came out great!
    I would like to add some add ins like maybe garlic, sun dried tomatoes, etc. any suggestions on what to put in that would work and how to incorporate?
    Thank you for an awesome recipe!

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      Hi, Maria, so glad you enjoyed the bread. You can easily add anything that doesn’t add moisture or fat, like dried spices. But if you start adding sundried tomatoes, I really can’t predict how that will change the chemistry. You’d have to experiment!