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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
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
I have been a diagnosed celiac for almost 6 decades (diagnosed while still in diapers back when it was called non-tropical sprue.) This is the single best loaf of bread I have ever made. I have made it three times. My technique gets better with each try. I don’t have the right size bowl to rise/bake in it so it doesn’t look as pretty as yours (bowl on order) and I found of the various flour combinations in my house cup4cup had both the best flavour AND texture.
Thank you.
Wow, Margaret! I’m so happy you’ve been so satisfied with this recipe, and that compliment really means something coming from someone who was diagnosed in the time of non-tropical sprue! I’m glad you ordered a proper bowl, because you deserve to have the whole experience. Thank you for letting me know!
Thank you so so much for this recipe! My son is 4 and he just had his first slice of bread ever. He’s top 8 plus corn oats and barley, and I’ve always been afraid of making my own safe GF bread for him. This turned out so beautifully – it’s going to be a new staple for us. We replaced the egg with a chia egg and used Ripple milk to replace dairy.
I’m so glad, Elisa. I feel like I really understand your relief and pleasure at being able to give him something like a good piece of bread. It seems so simple, but sometimes it isn’t. Thank you for letting me know, and for sharing that the chia egg and milk sub worked well. I really love Ripple milk, and it’s becoming much more widely available. I’m going to be starting a vegan gluten free blog in the next few months, and I think it would be useful for you. Stay tuned!
This was my first ever yeasted bake ever and it. Is. DELICIOUS! And easy. Making it a second time today and going to sprinkle chopped pecans on tops for s & giggles. One wish is that the loaf was larger. I understand doubling doesn’t work but can it be scaled at all?
Jen N in Somerville, Ma
I really don’t recommend scaling it, Jen. So sorry! But it’s very easy to make two loaves at a time by measuring each ingredient into a separate bowl. They can rise together, bake together. Think of them as fraternal twins. ?
Added some flax seeds and chia seeds (about a tablespoon each) and cooked it on a baking sheet instead of in the bowl… Noticed it didn’t say to knead the dough in the recipe and i had some issues with it rising initially, but i kneaded it and left it to prove again and it raised perfectly. So perhaps those who had issues with it raising did not knead it.
Overall, an amazing GF recipe, its so great!
This batter style of gluten free bread dough is mixed, not kneaded. Glad you had such a great result, Vega!
Hi,
Well I made this twice and both times it didn’t rise enough. I let it go 2hrs. I didn’t make any substitutions, I use Better Batter flour and even had the saf-instant yeast. Oh well I should know better by now that there really isn’t a great loaf of g.f. bread.?
I’m sorry you’ve been disappointed by your results, Nicoletta, but this recipe does work when made as written. And if you read through the comments on this post alone, you’ll see that many, many are making this recipe successfully day after day. Did you measure by weight? Did you make any substitutions? And finally, it’s likely that you simply didn’t let it rise for long enough. As I explain, overproofing is the result of letting the dough rise too much, not rise for too long.
Do you have a vegan recipe for gluten free bread?
I don’t have a recipe for vegan gluten free bread specifically, Jennifer. I am working on one, though, that will live on a second recipe blog I’m creating. In the meantime, you can use the dairy and egg replacement recommendations in the Ingredients and substitutions section of the bread recipes here on the blog, like this one.
Hi Nicole! I’ve just made this for the second time and can’t figure out where I’m going wrong. Both times, my loaf has risen, but flattened across the top and not gotten that beautiful, round shape like yours. The first time, I thought it was because I had used an old packet of yeast I unearthed in my cabinet (it was my only option because the shelves were cleaned out!) However, this time was a freshly opened packet of yeast and everything else followed to a T. Any thoughts on where I might be going wrong?
Hi, Nichole, It’s nearly impossible for me to know anything, since I’m not there with you in the kitchen so all I can really offer are my go-to guesses: If you made any substitutions (especially in your flour blend), if you measured by volume instead of by weight, the temperature of your ingredients, the heat of your oven (most run hot, which causes a spike in rise and then a fall since the structure isn’t there to support the rise; you should always use a separate oven thermometer instead of your oven’s gauge as your guide). Also, I have a sneaking suspicion maybe you’re using active dry, not instant, yeast? You’d need to proof it and to add another 25% by weight.
Hi Nicole from Hong Kong. I write to say a big thank you to you! My 14 months old baby was diagnosed with wheat and egg allergy and I made this for her and she clapped her little hands when she felt the softness of it (unlike the gf breads that I made her before). I made this with your mock cup4cup flour blend and replaced non fat dry milk with her formula (Becoz i dont have it here) and replaced egg with a chia egg. I didn’t expected with these substitutes I still got a really soft and flavorful bread! Thanks so much and God bless you and your family! I couldn’t wait to try out more of your recipes and buy your books with amazon is available soon!
Oh my gosh, Sinyi, that image of her clapping her little hands when she felt the softness of the bread is just priceless! Thank you for letting us know that your substitutions worked well. Formula in place of nonfat dry milk in mock Cup4Cup is a first. That has to be a pretty expensive substitution, but at least it worked for you! Thank you for this note. Love it. ❤️
Hey! Not sure if you’ve gotten this question or not, but I’m curious if it’s possible to substitute the tapioca starch for corn starch. I don’t know how much of a difference there is between the two when it comes to baking with them, but I often don’t have tapioca starch on hand.
Another thing, would it be possible to make this in a metal loaf pan? Or would that just mess with the recipe and time too much?
Thank you!
Hi, Lillian, please see the Ingredients and substitutions section for information about tapioca starch. I really recommend making the bread in a 1 to 1.5 quart glass dish.
Thank you Nicole, it seems like yeast is back in the stores, so I’m going to try this.
Do you think it would work with a smaller amount of yeast and a longer rise?
Thanks for all your work!
Hi, Ali, no I’m afraid you can’t cut back on the yeast. You’ll need the whole amount, but it’s really not much. Glad you’re able to find yeast now!