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 loaf of bread.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
We'll send the recipe to your inbox, so you can come back to it later!
What makes this gluten free artisan bread recipe special?
This is a very pared down gluten free no-knead bread recipe that doesn’t call for much more than gluten free flour, yeast, a touch of sugar, salt, milk, and eggs. You don't need to use a stand mixer unless you want to, and it doesn't require a loaf pan or a baking stone.
Think of it like a table bread, not a big loaf of gluten free bread for sandwiches. It's like a gluten free crusty boule — the sort of everyday bread you can slice and make into sandwiches or tear into chunks to serve with your favorite soup. It would be perfect for making into gluten free bread crumbs too.
The crumb is open and tender, and the crust is thick but never hard to chew. Baked in a small oven-safe glass bowl, and turned over for the last 15 minutes of baking, the bread has a light brown crust that extends all around the loaf.
Oh, and at this point, it should go without saying, but this gluten free bread tastes like real bread!
Gluten free artisan bread ingredient notes
- Gluten free flour blend – I use Better Batter because it has just the right balance of strength and lightness to support the rise of yeast bread and still make a very tender loaf.
- Tapioca starch/flour – This starch helps add stretch to your gluten free artisan bread and lets it rise higher
- Yeast – I use instant yeast for its simplicity, but you can use active dry yeast if that's all you have (notes on that down below)
- Sugar – You only need a bit of sugar to feed the yeast and produce the bubbles that help your gf bread rise
- Baking soda – Works alongside the yeast to give your gluten free artisan bread its lift
- Salt – Adds a little flavor and complements the other ingredients; I bake with kosher salt since it's much harder to overmeasure than fine table salt
- Milk – Warm milk activates the yeast so your gluten free bread dough rises; just make sure it's not too hot or you'll kill the yeast instead
- Egg – Eggs act as a binder, assist the rise, and give the bread a richer taste and color
How to make gluten free artisan bread
Begin by preparing a 1 1/2 quart oven safe glass Pyrex bowl. This small bowl will help create the round shape that we are seeking.
Since we don't need to use a stand mixer to make this bread, whisk together all the dry ingredients except salt (gluten free flour blend (including xanthan gum), tapioca starch, sugar, yeast, and baking soda), then add the salt. We don't add the salt and the yeast together at the same time because we don't want to risk them clumping together and the salt inhibiting yeast activation once we add the liquid.
Next, add the liquids (milk, egg, and olive oil), and mix vigorously to create a dough that is relatively light in color (it will lighten in color as you mix). Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl, and smooth the top so there are no sharp bits sticking up that will burn in the oven.
This is a very wet dough, and it's best handled with wet or oiled hands. Cover the dough, and allow it t rise until it's about 1.5 times as large as it is right after the dough is mixed. It won't become 2 times as large, or double, like conventional wheat-containing dough does. The dough should rise relatively quickly, since it's so wet and moisture enhances yeast performance, but it will rise more slowly in a cool, dry environment, so be patient.
Finally, bake the bread for 30 minutes, then carefully turn the dough over in the bowl so the bottom of the bread is now on the top. Continue baking for about another 15 minutes so the bread is evenly brown all over and baked all the way through. The bread is done baking when the internal temperature is about 195°F on an instant read thermometer.
Now for the hardest part: let it cool before you slice it! If you don't, you'll smush and flatten the crumb and your slices will be wet and compressed.
Tips for perfecting your gluten free artisan bread
You don't have to use a stand mixer
Unlike all of my other yeast bread recipes, this gluten free artisan bread does not have to be made in a stand mixer.
However, I do often make it in my stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, because it’s easier and it does tend to make a slightly higher-rising loaf.
If you don't have a stand mixer or don't want to pull it out, you can easily mix the ingredients of this gluten free artisan bread recipe with a whisk and mixing spoon.
Gluten free dough isn't what you'll expect
If you're new to gluten free bread baking and have only ever worked with “normal” bread dough, you know that the traditional stuff is workable and easy to handle. That won't be the case with your gluten free bread dough — or more appropriately, your gf bread batter.
The dough will look wet and feel very sticky. You may be tempted to add more gluten free flour to help firm it up, but don't: Mess with the ratios, and you'll end up with a dense loaf that more closely resembles a brick.
Give the bread dough time; it will rise
If you are new to yeast bread baking, especially gluten free yeast bread baking, you may be nervous that your dough won't rise properly. Please keep in mind that yeast has a very wide temperature range in which it is active, but reproduces at different rates.
At lower room temperature, it will rise, just not as quickly. At higher temperatures, it will rise more quickly. But if you place it in a hot environment, you risk killing the yeast.
Just be patient. Over-proofed bread, that breaks through and has something of a pockmarked appearance, is bread that has been left to proof after it's done. It's based upon rise, not upon time.
Let your freshly baked bread cool completely
Even after you take your gf artisan bread out of the oven, it will continue to cook as the residual heat and steam burns off.
For this reason, you must let your bread cool completely before slicing. I know fresh bread is irresistible, but don't rush this step or you'll end up with squished bread.
Use a serrated bread knife for easier slicing
Another way to avoid smushed gluten free artisan bread (even after you've allowed it to cool completely) is to use a serrated bread knife, and saw back and forth without pressing down hard. The little teeth on this type of knife cut right through the bread rather than mash it down.
What to eat with gluten free crusty bread
I feel like the honest answer is “anything you please!”, but I will admit that there are some recipes that pair with this gf artisan bread like no other. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Creamy Gluten Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup – use the bread to soak up every last drop
- Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup – seriously: soup and bread, a match made in heaven
- Gluten Free Slow Cooker Meatballs – make this into homemade garlic bread
Storing gf artisan bread
If you plan to eat your gluten free bread throughout the week, you can store it on the kitchen counter in an airtight container, like a plastic food container or zip-top bag.
You can also store it in the refrigerator to extend its life, but note that this will cause the bread to dry out faster. An easy way to “save” no-gluten breads that have dried a bit is to simply drizzle some lukewarm water on top, and toast your slices before eating.
Can I freeze this crusty gluten free bread?
Absolutely! Let your fresh loaf cool completely, and then place it inside a zip-top freezer bag with as much air squeezed out as possible. Your artisan gluten free bread will store up to three months.
When you ready to eat it, remove it from the freezer and leave it in the fridge overnight. The bread won't be as crusty as when it was fresh, but you can remedy this by dropping slices in the toaster.
Ingredients and substitution suggestions for gluten free artisan bread
Here are my best educated guesses for how to remove any additional allergens in this recipe you may have in your family.
Gluten free dairy free artisan bread
This recipe can easily be made dairy-free by replacing the dairy milk with your favorite nondairy milk. I recommend using something unsweetened.
Gluten free egg free artisan bread
There is only one egg in this recipe, so it can likely be replaced with a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel). I've also made the recipe with 2 egg whites (50 g) in place of a whole egg, and it's a bit denser but the recipe still works.
Tapioca starch/flour
I've also made this recipe with an all purpose gluten free flour (specifically, Better Batter) in place of tapioca starch/flour. It works, but it doesn't rise as high and the crumb is tighter.
Instant yeast
In place of instant yeast, you can always use active dry yeast by multiplying the amount (by weight) of the instant yeast (here, 6 grams) by 1.25 or 125%. Here, that would mean 7.5 grams of yeast, which is clearly difficult to measure precisely but just add a bit more after you reach 7 grams.
Active dry yeast has a thicker coating around the yeast, so you should soak it in some of the liquid in the recipe (here, milk) until it foams before adding it with the rest of the milk.
If you don't have yeast at all, I'm afraid there is no substitute in this recipe. But we do have plenty of yeast-free bread options like our yeast free gluten free sandwich bread.
FAQs
No, traditional artisan bread is not gluten free because it uses gluten-containing wheat flour.
But if you've been searching for an artisan-style gluten free bread that tastes like real bread, you don't have to look any farther. This gf bread recipe is so good, no one will know that it doesn't contain gluten.
Artisan bread usually just describes homemade bread that's made in smaller batches. Unlike traditional sandwich bread that comes out looking the same every time you bake it, gluten free artisan bread may different slightly each bake. How long you let the bread rise, the gluten free flours you use, and any other ingredients you add all work to create a unique loaf with every bake.
I use Better Batter when I make this and other gluten free bread recipes. I've always had excellent experiences with it and highly recommend it, especially for yeast bread. I don't recommend using Cup4Cup for yeast bread, even though I really like it for many other applications.
I suggest avoiding almond flour and garbanzo bean flour — they're not all purpose gluten free flours and they won't work in a recipe like this that calls for an all purpose flour blend.
The best way to determine whether your gluten free no knead bread is done baking is to use a thermometer. Stick it in the center of the loaf, but don't go so far down as to touch the bottom of the pan. Your bread is ready when the thermometer reads 205°F to 210°F.
There are several possibilities why this gluten free artisan bread recipe didn't turn out for you:
You used too much flour or not enough milk — don't be afraid of a wet batter! It needs to be wet to be light later.
You used the wrong gluten free flour blend — Your blend should contain the right balance of gf flours like white rice flour, brown rice flour, and potato flour for a strong blend that is still able to produce an airy result.
Your gf flour didn't contain xanthan gum — you need this gluten alternative to bind everything together.
Your bread didn't rise enough — rise time will vary based on temperature; let your bread dough increase to 150% of its original size, no matter how long it takes
Your bread wasn't done baking — make sure to use a thermometer so you can tell when your bread is ready, and use a standalone analog oven thermometer to gauge your oven's temperature since ovens fall out of calibration easily and often.
It's not necessary to use a dutch oven to make this delicious, crusty gluten free bread, but you can certainly use one if you'd like. If you do use a dutch oven, I suggest baking it without the lid so the bread get that golden crust on top before you flip it over to get the bottom just as crisp.
Rising takes time, and lots of patience. If you follow the recipe as written, don't make ingredient substitutions, measure by weight, and allow your yeast bread dough enough time, it will rise. If your kitchen environment is cool and dry, it will simply take longer to rise. Overproofing is a function of too much rise, not too long a rise, so be patient!
No problem! If you don’t have a glass bowl, you can use a small round pan or cast iron skillet with high sides. Just 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. If you use a round aluminum baking pan that is light in color, it won't get as hot as or retain heat as well as a cast iron pan or glass bowl, so increase the oven temperature by 25°F to 400°F.
No! Every good all purpose gluten free flour blend has tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour) as an ingredient. This gluten free artisan bread dough is made using an all purpose gluten free flour blend with additional tapioca starch/flour for more stretch and a higher rise. Do not ever just leave an ingredient out of a recipe. Every ingredient has its purpose!
How to make simple, crusty gluten free artisan bread
Easy Gluten Free Artisan Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ⅝ cups (227 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used & highly recommend Better Batter; please click thru for appropriate blends)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 6 tablespoons (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.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
We'll send the recipe to your inbox, so you can come back to it later!
Thanks for stopping by!
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! Come visit my bio!
Myla says
Heya! I feel dumb, but any idea why the batter/dough would be much more liquid despite using the exact measurements you called for? It rose fine despite being goop, but would not leave the bowl after/during baking
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Myla, my first guess is always a combination of flour choice and measurement method. If you didn’t use one of my recommended flour blends and didn’t measure by weight, you won’t get good results. What you describe sounds like an issue with one or both.
Ginna Bird says
This recipe seemed too simple to be true, but it was super tasty. I have been spending days making GF sourdough bread, and I think my family prefers this quick and easy bread better. Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Evelyn "Eve" Knight says
Have made this twice now – we all love it. Would have made another but out of the GF flours (difficult getting to the store as my hubby will not let me go and insists he go with his protective gear of course). Thanks so much.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so glad, Eve! I hope you get more flour soon. ?
Brittni says
I used Bob’s Redmill 1:1 flour and active dry yeast but followed all of the directions. I didn’t have an oven safe bowl so I used my Dutch oven but it was just too big and the dough/batter spread out thin but otherwise looked good. But when we tasted it the bread turned out really bitter and salty. I’m very confused as to why that happened.
Nicole Hunn says
As I explain on my gluten free flour blends page which is linked to in every recipe that calls for an all purpose gluten free flour blend, Brittni, Bob’s Red Mill flour blends generally will not work in my recipes. Using a much larger container was also part of the reason for your result, but mostly it was your flour blend. Please see my gluten free flour blend page here.
Janet says
For Anne McCracken, maybe Nicole can confirm this, but potato starch and potato flour may be the same thing. If potato starch can work, look for a Kosher food area in your store, if available. There may be canisters of potato starch.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid, no, they’re not the same thing at all, Janet! Potato flour is a powder ground from cooked, dried, whole peeled potatoes, and contains nutrients like fiber and protein. Potato starch is a completely flavorless starch, that is more like the pure starch left behind after peeled potatoes are washed. If you can find pure dried potato flakes, you can grind them into a flour and use that in place of potato flour, but with mixed results.
Claire Marson says
Absolutely delicious thank you! I mixed my own flour blend using equal parts 1-1, almond and potato and I added some dry dill and ground caraway. Such an easy and delicious recipe. Thanks again!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Claire, I’m glad you were pleased with your results using those flours. For others’ benefit, please use an all purpose gluten free flour as directed in the recipe.
Kim says
This recipe is fantastic!! The bread size is a bit too small for my family. Do you think it would work if I made two of them separately but then combined them into one bowl for proofing and baking? Would I need to make any changes?
Nicole Hunn says
No, you cannot double the recipe and proof and bake them in the same bowl, Kim. For a similar recipe in a larger size, I recommend using my recipe for gluten free white sandwich bread, linked in the recipe. Here’s another link.
ML Bader says
So. I’ve never made bread before and after receiving this recipe in an email, I decided to jump into the fray. It tastes fabulous!! But it didn’t rise and it was very dense… I take full responsibility for all of that. I’m sure my milk wasn’t warm enough, pretty sure my pan wasn’t the right size. And I’m not sure if 375° in a convection oven is the way to go. Plus, I don’t think I baked it long enough but it was already pretty brown after 30 mins. All of that aside, I baked bread today! Yay me!! And I was slathering hot, fresh, out of the oven bread with gobs of fresh butter and shoving it in my mouth. Absolute Heaven! I’m making this again tomorrow and I’ll do things a little differently. Thank you for such a tremendously wonderful bread recipe – and all your recipes. They are the absolute best!
Nicole Hunn says
It sounds like you didn’t allow the dough to rise long enough, and then you baked it in a too-hot oven, and didn’t bake it long enough. A convection oven temperature should be lowered 25°F from the directed temperature for a conventional oven. It runs about 25°F hot. Baking in a too-hot oven bakes the outside very quickly, and the inside doesn’t have a chance to bake fully before the outside is overbaked. So imagine if you fix those issues how much you’ll like it! ? Thank you for disclosing the issues up front, by the way. I often am told a recipe was followed “to a T” even when it wasn’t. ❤️
Janet says
Hey Nicole i love the smell of fresh baked bread i only had a Corning ware dish so used that couldn’t turn it over but it looks like it worked guess i will have to wait for the cool down to find out
Anne McCracken says
Hi Nicole. The Better Batter flour recipe asks for 2 TBSP potato flour. I cannot find it anywhere where I live. Will the Artisan Bread recipe still turn out without it?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid you can’t make the mock Better Batter without potato flour, Anne, no. I can only suggest that you try making the mock Cup4Cup blend instead.
Christina Wharton says
Hi Nicole I live in Australia and we don’t have Better Batter flour. Which one of your flour blends would you recommend I make for an all purpose flour? I get confused with the mock better batter and better than mock and cup for cup?♀️ My daughter and I are both Coeliac and I’ve tried so many different flours.
In these uncertain times of Co-vid 19 I just want to bake but sometimes the results of my efforts are discouraging…. scones in particular just aren’t the same anymore! I have your bread book and GF on a shoestring but not sure which flour to try. Please can you advise? Also I’m in Queensland with high humidity a lot of the time.
Hope you are keeping well
Regards Christina Wharton
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Christina,
If you’re able to get the ingredients, start with the mock Better Batter. If you can’t find some of the more difficult ones, like pure powdered pectin or potato flour, then try the Better Than Cup4Cup. I really do explain it all on the gluten free flour blends page, so just read through that carefully and it should soothe your worries.
Sadiemom says
I tried this tonight, and was surprised at how well it turned out! Even with my oven doing crazy things with the temp, the bread was soft and delicious, with a great texture. Thanks, Nicole!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so glad, Sadie! I really like that it’s so simple, and that it doesn’t make too much bread. I’m so happy you’re enjoying it too.
Lari Goldsmith says
I love this bread. I made it with KAF Measure for Measure. As I can not have eggs and don’t have any chia seed I used 3 tablespoons of aquafaba. I baked it in a 1 quart cast iron bean pot. The loaf did not brown much and did not raise avove the edge of the pot. However it is delicious. It slices well. I do plan to try the chia egg. I use a flax egg in pancakes/waffles but am not always happy with the texture.
Anyways….Nicole thank you for the recipe and substitute information. This will make a nice rotation with your English Muffin loaf.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Lari, I’m really glad you were happy with the results. Your loaf didn’t brown much or rise enough because of the flour blend you’re using. I’m afraid I don’t recommend any of the King Arthur Flour blends since they’re poorly balanced and tend to be gritty. Since you allow yeast bread to rise, the grittiness tends to soften so it’s not as much of an issue, but the poor balance of ingredients remains, unfortunately.
Dorothy Odrosky says
I live in Columbus Ohio and can not find any yeast at this time. Is this a problem in other parts of country?
I would try the recipe above if I had yeast. Thank you for the recipe. Dottie
Nicole Hunn says
I addressed that issue in the post as best I could, Dottie. I promise I’m doing all I can, but I can’t deliver!
Samantha says
Fot clarity, a recipe that needs 45 minutes to rise should not say it has 10 minutes prep time, i should say 10 minutes ACTIVE PREP TIME and 45 minutes inactive prep time. Shame on me for not reading the recipe all the way through before I started…
Lois M Campbell says
I just ordered a set of three glass Pyrex mixing bowls (1 qt, 1.5 qt and 2.5 qt clear bowls) just so I could try this recipe. This size loaf will be perfect for me as I live alone.
Nicole Hunn says
I think you’ll get a ton of use out of the bowls in that set, Lois. I have a few shapes and I use them daily for many different things.