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.
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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 it tastes like “real” bread!
Key ingredients
- Gluten free flour blend – I like Better Batter or Nicole's Best (with added xanthan gum) here because they support the rise of yeast bread and still make a very tender loaf. You need a well-balanced blend, and particularly since they reformulated Cup4Cup, I can't recommend it especially for yeast bread
- Tapioca starch/flour – This starch helps add stretch to your gluten free artisan bread and lets it rise higher. You add this ingredient separately even though all good all purpose gf blends will already have some tapioca starch.
- Yeast – I use instant yeast for its simplicity, but you can use active dry yeast if that's all you have; just use 25% more active dry yeast by weight (here, almost 8 grams)
- Sugar – You only need a bit of sugar to feed the yeast and produce the bubbles that help your gf bread rise
- Baking soda – Helps the bread to brown in the oven
- 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 adds flavor, richness, and moisture to activate the yeast so your dough rises
- 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.
Make the dough
- 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.
- Add the liquids (milk, beaten 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).
Shape and let it rise
- 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.
Bake at 375°F, and then let cool
- 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. The first image you see above is before it was inverted.
- 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.
Recipe tips
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. Just 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. Don't add more gluten free flour to help firm it up, or you'll end up with a dense loaf that doesn't rise very high.
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 smashing your 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.
Making this bread in a Dutch oven
If you'd like to make this bread in a Dutch oven or other oven-safe, heavy bottom pot you can! Here's what I recommend to make it in a 5 quart Dutch oven:
- Increase the yield in the recipe card below by 50% from 10 slices to 15 slices
- Make the bread dough as directed (just beat 2 eggs and measure out 75 grams total for 1 1/2 eggs)
- Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to line the bottom of your pot, and place it in the pot
- Transfer the dough to the paper, wet your hands well, and shape the dough gently to make it about as tall as it is wide to mimic the shape it would take in a bowl
- Follow the rising and baking instructions in the recipe.
- Bake uncovered for about a total of 50 minutes to 1 hour or until it reaches 195°F internally and sounds hollow inside. Do not turn the bread over during baking.
For a 3 quart Dutch oven, don't increase the yield, and otherwise follow the same instructions but watch the baking time at about 40 minutes.
Serving suggestions
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 – soup and bread, a match made in heaven
- Gluten Free Meatballs – make this into homemade garlic bread
Storage tips
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.
An easy way to “save” yeast breads that have dried a bit is to run the whole loaf of bread under lukewarm water from the tap, and bake at a very low temperature (300°F) for 10 to 12 minutes. You can refresh individual slices by drizzling with water and toasting them.
Can I freeze the bread?
Yes! 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 bread will stay for up to three months.
When you ready to eat it, remove it from the freezer and let it defrost on the counter overnight. Refresh it as described above.
Popular ingredient substitutions
Here are my best educated guesses for how to remove any additional allergens in this recipe you may have in your family.
Dairy free
This recipe can easily be made dairy-free by replacing the dairy milk with your favorite nondairy milk. I recommend using something unsweetened that has a similar consistency to cow's milk, like almond milk. Avoid oat milk or coconut milk from the can, which don't have enough moisture.
Egg free
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 recommend using Better Batter's original blend or Nicole's Best multipurpose flour for gluten free bread recipes. Be sure to add I don't recommend using Cup4Cup for yeast bread, even though I really like it for many other applications. Especially since they changed the formulation in 2024, it really doesn't work for yeast bread, so please avoid it here.
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 at least 195°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. That means that it's 50% bigger than when it started. In a 1 quart bowl, it will rise to the top.
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.
Yes! 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. Follow the baking instructions above to place it on a piece of parchment, shape it with wet hands twice as wide as it is high, and bake fully without turning the bread over.
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!
I haven't, but since there is only 1 egg, I think a “flax egg,” “chia egg” or any other egg replacement you have had success using in baking, especially in yeast bread, should work fine.
This is a very wet dough. It will sticky, thick and shapeless when you mix it in the bowl. When you scrape it into a prepared bowl, it should hold together in a clump. Shape it with wet hands and fingers.
No, if your blend already contains xanthan gum, please omit that ingredient from the recipe.
I haven't tried making this in a bread machine, so I'm not sure, but the dough is wet enough that it might work. If your bread machine makes a larger loaf, consider increasing the yield of the recipe from 10 slices to 15, or even 20 to double the amount of dough. Make sure your machine uses only one rise.
Maybe! You can try shaping it as described for baking in a Dutch oven and baking it at 400°F since a sheet pan will not retain heat as well as a pan or bowl with sides.
If you'd like to try baking this bread in a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan, increase the yield from 10 slices to 15 slices to increase the amount of dough by 50%, follow the same instructions for the rise, and bake at 375°F for about 50 minutes to 1 hour. I haven't tried it, but I think it should work!
All yeast bread is always best the day it is baked. If you'd like to bake it a day ahead of time, I recommend letting it cool, wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and storing it at room temperature. Then, to refresh it before serving, run the loaf under cold water, place it on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven at 300°F until the crust is crisp and the loaf sounds hollow, about 12 minutes.
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 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.
Nutrition
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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!
Keri says
Hi Nicole
Do you think I can add lactose free cheese to this recipe to make it a cheese bread? Your artisanal cheese bread has too much dairy in it for my body to digest. I really miss cheese bread.
Keri Stilling says
Hi Nicole
What would happen if I were to add some lactose free cheese to this recipe? There is too much diary in.your artisanal cheese bread recipe for me to handle. Do you think it would still work? Really missing cheese bread!
Nicole Hunn says
I think lactose-free cheese would be fine, Keri, but I’m afraid I don’t know for sure since I haven’t baked with that. You could also use the plain artisan bread recipe (linked in this post) and just make a grilled cheese with your lactose-free cheese if you’re concerned about the recipe turning out.
Lori says
I don’t have tapioca flour – can I sub almond or coconut flour for it?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid not, Lori. Please see the Ingredients and substitutions section of the post for your answer.
Rose says
Nicole, this is an outstanding Gluten Free Artisan Bread Recipe and one of the easiest I’ve found. Thank you for sharing this with us. The taste was wonderful too. Ran out of tapioca starch today, so I became a little creative and crossed my fingers. I put in 1/8 cup of corn meal and 1/8 of corn starch in place of the tapioca starch. Felt like a mad scientist and wasn’t sure they would work. I understand some people stay away from corn items, but I have to say it was pretty tasty! The only thing I noticed was the crust was a little crispier.
You have a new fan. Glad I found this recipe!
Lorraine says
I have a grain grinder….if i grind my white or brown rice flour that has been purchased from a store…will that yield a super fine flour ? i cannot purchase superfine white or brown flour at a market locally.
Nicole Hunn says
Please see my post on homemade superfine white rice flour, Lorraine.
Clara says
Hello,
i just made this recipe and i used the flour blend recommend. but the batter was not as runny as yours was,mine was a bit dry and hard. Do you have any ideas of what happened ?
It smells amazing though! And i cant wait to eat it! its probably my fault but if you have any ideas that would be great! Thanks for the recipe.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Clara, it sounds like a measuring issue, assuming you didn’t make other substitutions. You must measure by weight, not volume, for consistent results.
Nosheen Kidwai says
Wonderful and easy recipe. Turned out great! Thanks
Colleen King says
I just got all my ingredients for your flour blend with when protein isolate. Can I substitute that for the flour in this bread and if so, do I still need to add the tapioca starch? Love your recipes and your cookbook.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m not sure I’m following your question, Colleen. You cannot use whey protein isolate to substitute for anything at all, and you can only use the bread flour blend in recipes that call for it. This is not one of those recipes!
Lisa says
My gluten free flour blend already has tapioca flour in it. Do I still need to add it per your recipe?
Nicole Hunn says
Yes, Lisa, you do! In fact, I don’t even know of a single rice-based gluten free flour blend that doesn’t already have tapioca flour in it. This is an additional amount.
Rosie says
This recipe is fantastic. Thank you so much! It’s been 2 years since I’ve had to go gluten free and have really missed eating bread. I find gluten free bread off-putting, but this is delicious.
Amanda F says
I have been looking at this recipe since it came into my email back in March. For years, I’ve been looking at many of your bread recipes. I kept putting it off because bread has always scared me. Give me cake, cookies, casseroles, or complicated entrees, but tell me to buy yeast and I’m out. Not gonna happen. Until today.
This was easy and absolutely delicious. I did take it out of the oven a little too soon though. It was a golden brown instead of the rye coloring in your pictures. It sounded hollow and was at the right temperature. I just know it’ll be better next time!
My stepmom has been GF for years and I have an allergy so I try to stay away from it. Bread is still my weakness and I always rely on Mrs. Baird when I really have a craving. I’d like to keep this on hand. Has it ever lasted long enough to see what the shelf life is? Does freezing ruin it (toasting isn’t for everyone)?
Thank you for sharing so much!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Amanda, Congratulations! I wish I had the option to add some virtual confetti to this response. You deserve it. If you’d like to freeze it, just slice it first, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or wrapping, eliminating as much air as possible (air causes freezer burn). Then, defrost a slice at a time in the toaster. So glad you went for it!
Jasmine says
This bread has changed my life
Michelle says
Hi Nicole,
Instead of instant yeast in this recipe, can you use sourdough starter? I know you have a sourdough bread recipe but I’m keen to try a slightly different recipe for the starter as I’ve used that recipe a couple of times now. Just wanting to try something a bit different is all ?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid not, Michelle. You can’t use a sourdough starter and commercial yeast interchangeably.
Martha says
I read your recipie .
I am from Canada and the only all purpose flour GF where I leave is Robin hood all purpose GF.
Will that work for that recipie
In your opinion
Thanks
MARTHA
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Martha, I’m afraid I don’t like that blend, but you can make your own all purpose gluten free blend using one of the recipes on my all purpose gluten free flour blend page.
Deb says
I’ve made this twice now. Both times I used bob’s red mill 1:1 gluten free flour mix, a flax egg for the egg, and ripple for the milk. I only have active dry yeast and the first time I didn’t realize I needed to soak the yeast. The flavor was good but the bread had a yummy texture. The second time I slashed the yeast and the texture was spot on, but it sun didn’t rise very much. I was hoping for a take load and this was only a few inches. I know that rose times vary but do you have a general idea for how long? I let it rise for two hours the second time and it still hang quite doubled in size. Maybe I’m not letting it rise long enough? I usually put dough to rise in the oven on the low warm setting (about 150F). Is that too hot?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Deb, Bob’s Red Mill flour blends are not proper all purpose gluten free flour blends. They won’t work in my recipes. They aren’t properly balanced, and use gritty rice flour. Please follow the link to the all purpose gluten free flour blends page that is linked every time a recipe calls for an all purpose gluten free flour.
Priya says
Thanks Nicole. I will keep trying :) still tasted good, even if it’s a bit oddly shaped. Lol.