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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gluten Free Artisan Bread Recipe
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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
- ⅜ 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
- Gluten Free Meatballs – Slice, toast, and rub with garlic for easy homemade gluten free garlic bread.
- Creamy Gluten Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup – Nothing soaks up soup like a warm hunk of this bread.
- Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup – Classic comfort food pairing
HI, I just copied the recipe and am eager to try it. A question b/c of high costs: Some gluten free flour blends are expensive. Prices everywere have gone up. Walmart has a Great Value gluten free flour blend which is easier on the budget during these times, could you come up with a similar easy artisan bread recipe using that flour perhaps? I am sure many would appareciate the lower cost. Other wise could that flour be substituted with any good results? Thanks
Hi, Nadette, I’m afraid that I’m not able to come up with a way to use that particular flour blend, no. I’m very sensitive to the cost of flour blends, along with everything else, which is why I’ve always tried to put as much pressure as possible on the whole industry to improve its products. Unfortunately, most flour blends available just do not perform very well. You could try using King Arthur Flour’s gluten free bread flour in this recipe, which is lower in cost than some others, but yeast bread requires a workhorse of a blend and most blends just aren’t up to the task.
You are such a godsend for every celiac out there. Honestly. No source of information more readily available, accessible, and helpful to actually get back some of the foods I used to love without paying premium prices for it. THANK YOU.
You’re very welcome! Thank you for the kind words. :)
I make the Artisan bread every week. Just love this recipe. Never flops. I have just made a loaf today and tried something different. I added pumpkin seeds absolutely perfect bread
So glad you love this bread, Shirley! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, especially after making the bread multiple times!
It would be great for the video to include a demonstration of rotating the bread in the bowl. I was unsuccessful and attempting to do that (I am a “ bread maker bread baker” but was intrigued by this recipe. )If you could provide some helpful hints on how the rotation is supposed to work, that would be great. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Hi, Sandra, the step by step photos in the text of the post have a photo of the bread both before and after rotating it in the bowl. It’s just a matter of turning it 180°.
The taste is very good and texture similar to ‘real’ bread. Mine didn’t look as pretty. The crust was much lighter in color and not as smooth but the inside temp was 195 so I didn’t want to cook it any longer. Any suggestions on getting a darker crust?
I’d take a look at the all purpose gluten free flour blend you’re using, Stephanie. If you’re not using one of my recommended blends, it won’t brown properly. You should also keep in mind that internal temperature is only one of multiple doneness indicators, so you may just have to bake it longer.
I am going to go ahead and give this 5 stars because I know it was likely user error, and it truly tastes amazing! However, my crust was crisp when taken out of the oven, but after it cooled it is no longer crispy. Maybe a bit chewy, but definitely not crisp anymore. I did use King Arthur GF Bread Flour, could that be it? I also didn’t have a glass bowl, so I used a tall side rectangle ceramic dish close to 1.5 qt.
Any suggestions to maintain the crispy crust after it cools? Thank you!
Yes, I didn’t develop this recipe to be made with bread flour, which could account for your different results, Angie.
I love this bread and make it frequently! Now I would like to know if I can store the dough in fridge overnight and then bake it. Also does it make good baguettes?
Hi, Debby, I’m afraid I don’t recommend that, no, since this dough is very wet and rises very quickly. I don’t recommend using this for baguettes, no. Instead, please try my gluten free French bread baguettes recipe. You can find it using the search function.
I follow a lot of gluten-free blogs and your recipes consistently turn out well. This bread is delicious. It even has a
tear/ chew to the crust! It’s going to be my go to toast in the morning for sure if not sandwiches as well!!
Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the bread, Katy, and that you know you can rely on my recipes to work. I appreciate the kind words!
My son is GF and nightshade free due to arthritis. I sub’d 40 grams of arrowroot and 21 grams of cornstarch for the potato ingredients – just wanted you to know that it turned out great!
I’m using an apple computer. Not sure if that’s the problem but when I printed the recipe, it printed without the (grams) included.
Thank you for all your work on these GF recipes. Everyone in my family is coeliac except me – it’s made my life so much easier.
Hi, Karen, thanks so much for sharing that that substitution worked well for you. There’s nothing wrong with the printed recipe or your computer, Karen. The software program for the recipe card doesn’t allow you to print both customary and metric measurements. You have to toggle between the two before printing. And you’re so welcome. Thank you for letting me know that my recipes have made your life with a family of celiacs easier. Everyone should be able to eat well, and eat the same thing together! ❤️
what do the steps look like for a Dutch oven? do I need to preheat the Dutch oven like you do for sourdough? how do I transfer it from the counter to the Dutch oven? can I put it in the lid of the dutch oven and put the base over the top?
Since it’s a variation on the recipe, I don’t have step by step images to share with you, Monique. No, you don’t need to preheat the pot. As the text of the post states, you shape it on a piece of parchment, and then use that place it in the pot. I don’t recommend doing it upside down, no.
Reporting from Germany — I used Schär’s all-purpose gluten free flour and it worked out great! What worked out less great was baking it in a metal pot — even after I greased it, the bread stuck to the sides and bottom. Next time I’ll use baking paper, or track down an oven-safe glass bowl. But the texture and flavor was perfect and I’m so deeply grateful to be able to eat a nice crusty loaf again without having to travel two hours by train and pay upwards of ten euros for a loaf that frankly wasn’t as good as this one. I also really appreciate that it doesn’t require a stand mixer. Thank you so much!
Hi, James, thanks so much for sharing your experience, particularly using Schar’s all purpose gluten free flour blend. I’ve never tried that blend since it’s really not available in the U.S., but I’ve used Dove’s Freee, the other blend that’s readily available in Europe, and haven’t liked it at all. I’m glad to know that Schar’s blend worked well.