Tom's Gluten Free Sandwich Bread was my first successful loaf of gluten free bread ever—and it's made without any rice flour. It's as easy as can be, super adaptable, and will always hold a place in my heart.
The origin story of this gluten free rice free bread recipe
I first published this recipe for Tom's gluten free sandwich bread in August 2009, only a few months after I started this blog. Looking back on it, I can see that it breaks every single rule I have come to embrace over the years about baking gluten free.
As originally written, it calls for bean flour, makes a very wet batter that has something of a tendency to overproof, and it isn't even my recipe! But all the same, it was a true beacon to me in those early years, when there was little to hope for in gluten free baking.
I've left all of the original comments on this post from beginning in August 2009. There were no photos of the bread (literally, not one), and the instructions were not very descriptive. But it was gluten free and dairy free, it called for ingredients we could all find one way or another, and it worked. Readers loved it as I did (and do).
I made this bread dough into every single possible form (a loaf of bread! a weepy roll! a fluffy pizza dough!) and it truly felt heaven sent way back in 2005. But it is most decidedly not mine.
Tom's Celiac Light Bread
This recipe was created by a man named Tom Van Deman, and he provided it, selflessly, to everyone who asked without asking for recognition or attribution. For a time, it was sold as a gluten free bread mix called Tom's Celiac Light Bread.
I first got the recipe from Tom in either 2004 or 2005 when I was part of an early celiac message board. At the time I had been ordering expensive, spongy gluten free bread from Canada that looked good but tasted bad. I was desperate.
Back then, there was essentially no good gluten free bread for sale that was any good—or affordable. Today, thankfully, we have lots of packaged gluten free bread options. But fresh is always better.
I could not believe that Tom's recipe worked even when my measurements seemed a tiny bit off. I used it for my kids' school lunches and for French toast. I practically used it for a pillow at night and had sweet, sweet dreams.
Tom's Bread is actually quite easy to make, freezes beautifully, and can be sliced as thin as you like. When it's freshly made, you don't need to toast it.
It is also naturally dairy free, and magically doesn't call for any rice flour—even though rice flour is at the heart of every well-performing all purpose gluten free flour blend I've ever tried.
Can you freeze this gluten free rice free bread?
Yes! If you don't plan to eat it all in a day or two, slice the whole loaf, then freeze it in a freezer-safe package. To defrost, just toast a couple slices and it'll come back to life.
How to make this versatile gluten free bread recipe
This recipe is a batter bread recipe much like our gluten free white sandwich bread recipe. But it's more old school than that recipe, as it doesn't call for a blend, but rather specific individual gluten free flours—and it doesn't call for any rice flour of any kind.
All you really need to do to make this bread is combine all the dry ingredients except for the yeast, and whisk them together. Then, add the yeast and whisk to combine (this keeps the yeast and salt from clumping together). Add the wet ingredients, and beat really well.
The dough isn't just a batter. It's a very wet batter. I remember that I used to “roll” it out and shape it into a rectangle in a sheet pan to make something resembling gluten free pizza. But it's so soft that I simply can't picture how I did it successfully. I think I used a ton of garbanzo bean flour to “shape” it?
A very forgiving gf bread recipe
For many years, to ensure reliable results in baking, I've measured nearly every ingredient by weight—including water, for which 1 fluid ounce (a volume measurement) equals 1 weighted ounce. I do measure the ingredients in this recipe by weight, but I made it successfully for so long without weighing a single thing. So clearly it's not essential!
You do need to include all of the ingredients as listed, or at least an acceptable substitute as outlined in the “Ingredients and Substitutions” section below. You do need to beat the batter/dough well, allow it to rise fully (but hopefully not too much), and slice it in the center, so it doesn't explode in a million different directions as it rises.
But there really aren't any secrets you need to know to be successful. When I began making this recipe again recently, after years of developing more gluten-like gluten free bread recipes, I was tempted to make dramatic changes to make it “better.”
I wanted to try replacing the oil with melted butter, for more flavor. I was dying to reduce the water a bit so it didn't rise quite as high.
I wanted to tinker with the balance of dry ingredients. But this isn't the place for that. This recipe is what it is, and it rescued me and my family in more ways than one.
Thank you, Tom Van Deman. You always said that this recipe came to you fully formed, from divine inspiration. It's hard to believe it happened any other way.
Gluten free rice free bread ingredients and substitutions
This recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free, as it was originally written. I have made a few changes to the recipe method, but they're slight and unimportant.
The flours used in this bread recipe
This revolutionary recipe is unique among gluten free baking recipes since it's not made with any rice flour. Typically, when a reader asks about baking gluten free without rice flour I steer them toward my Paleo recipes, which are entirely grain free. But this recipe is also rice-free, and also quite adaptable.
The original recipe is made with garbanzo bean flour, or chickpea flour, which was a staple of my earliest gluten free baking—even though I really didn't like the taste or the smell. But garbanzo bean flour worked in gluten free baking, and I was grateful to be able to bake literally anything that worked.
These days, more than a decade later, I just won't bake much of anything else with garbanzo bean flour. Raw and baking, it just smells awful to me. It's less pungent once baked, but still, I refuse.
Luckily, this recipe has proven to be quite versatile. In place of garbanzo bean flour, I use an equal amount (by weight) of sweet white sorghum flour. I think navy bean flour, which happily lacks the taste and smell of a typical bean flour, would work well, too.
I have not replaced the cornstarch or the tapioca starch/flour. I like baking with both of those starches, and never saw a reason to eliminate them.
If you need to try replacing tapioca starch, I recommend trying arrowroot. If you'd like to eliminate the cornstarch, try potato starch. If you're only replacing the cornstarch, try replacing that, instead, with arrowroot.
Can you make this gluten free rice free bread without eggs?
This recipe relies heavily upon eggs, calling for 3 whole eggs. They provide rise and structure. I'm afraid I don't recommend making this bread egg-free. If you need to be egg-free, my newer bread recipes made with gluten free bread flour are what I'd recommend trying.
What type of oil is best for this gluten free rice free bread?
The recipe calls for a “neutral oil,” which just refers to something neutral in taste and aroma. Grapeseed, peanut, canola, vegetable, and avocado oils all work just fine.
I don't like to specify which type of oil since they really are interchangeable. Plus, so many readers seem to think that canola and vegetable oils will be responsible for the demise of civilization.
Gluten Free Rice Free Bread | Tom's Bread
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ cup (105 g) garbanzo bean flour or 3/4 cup (105 g) sweet white sorghum flour
- 1 cup (144 g) cornstarch
- 1 heaping cup (129 g) tapioca starch/flour
- 3 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons (41 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ¾ teaspoons instant yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast)
- 3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
- 1 ⅛ cups (9 fluid ounces) hot (not boiling) water
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, grapeseed, peanut or avocado oil)
- Cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Grease and line a standard 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan, and set it aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the garbanzo bean or sweet white sorghum flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch/flour, xanthan gum, salt, brown sugar, and cream of tartar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the yeast, and whisk again to combine.
- Add the eggs, water, and oil, and beat on medium speed until well-combined and smooth.
- Turn the mixer speed up to high and continue to beat for 1 minute more. The mixture will be very soft and much thinner than even a typical gluten free batter bread dough.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and, using a moistened spatula, spread it into an even layer in the pan.
- Spray the top of the dough with cooking oil spray, then cover the pan with plastic wrap.
- Set the pan in a warm, draft-free location and allow it to rise until the dough has nearly doubled in size. This will take less time in a warm, moist environment, and more time in a cool, dry environment.
- Once the dough begins to rise unevenly (you’ll begin to see shallow craters on top), it’s risen fully. Do not overproof.
- Near the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Remove the plastic wrap and, using a moistened sharp knife, slice the top about 1/4-inch deep from one short end to the other horizontally.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven with plenty of head room to rise.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped with a spoon. The internal temperature will be about 200°F.
- Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Gluten Free Rice Free Bread | Tom's Bread
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ cup (105 g) garbanzo bean flour or 3/4 cup (105 g) sweet white sorghum flour
- 1 cup (144 g) cornstarch
- 1 heaping cup (129 g) tapioca starch/flour
- 3 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons (41 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ¾ teaspoons instant yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast)
- 3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
- 1 ⅛ cups (9 fluid ounces) hot (not boiling) water
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, grapeseed, peanut or avocado oil)
- Cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Grease and line a standard 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan, and set it aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the garbanzo bean or sweet white sorghum flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch/flour, xanthan gum, salt, brown sugar, and cream of tartar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the yeast, and whisk again to combine.
- Add the eggs, water, and oil, and beat on medium speed until well-combined and smooth.
- Turn the mixer speed up to high and continue to beat for 1 minute more. The mixture will be very soft and much thinner than even a typical gluten free batter bread dough.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and, using a moistened spatula, spread it into an even layer in the pan.
- Spray the top of the dough with cooking oil spray, then cover the pan with plastic wrap.
- Set the pan in a warm, draft-free location and allow it to rise until the dough has nearly doubled in size. This will take less time in a warm, moist environment, and more time in a cool, dry environment.
- Once the dough begins to rise unevenly (you’ll begin to see shallow craters on top), it’s risen fully. Do not overproof.
- Near the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Remove the plastic wrap and, using a moistened sharp knife, slice the top about 1/4-inch deep from one short end to the other horizontally.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven with plenty of head room to rise.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped with a spoon. The internal temperature will be about 200°F.
- Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
Catherine says
I’m so glad to hear you’re putting a book together, Nicole! Consider my order placed.
I have a little note to add about this great sandwich bread. After making it religiously, and successfully, since August, 2009, yesterday for the first time I tried something slightly different. For half of the garbanzo bean flour, I substituted amaranth flour (because I’d bought some, I’ve read it’s nutritious, and I was just curious). The bread came out beautifully, perhaps slightly denser than usual — so one would definitely not want to use too much of this amaranth — and a bit sweeter and more interesting tasting. MOST IMPORTANT: the texture of the crumb is changed to more sturdy and stretchable-without-crumbling, making it even more useful for sandwiches. If you’re already making this bread and thus have all the stuff on hand, this, I think, is a worthwhile tweak to try.
Thanks, as always, Nicole! This is the only “blog” I’ve ever read, and it’s just so darned useful!
Catherine
Nicole says
Hi, Catherine,
Thank you for the tip. The bread sounds amazing. I will have to try that. I have never fooled around with Tom’s recipe one iota, but I’m glad to hear that you did!
Thanks for the kind words about the book. :)
Warmly,
Nicole
Wendy says
You just made my day! THAT is a book I would buy. In fact, I’ve contemplated compiling my own book from the recipes you’ve posted here!
Nicole says
Hi, Wendy,
Thank you for your enthusiasm about the book. I guess it’s a good thing that I mentioned it, or you’d beat me to the shelves with my recipes!
Warmly,
Nicole
Jennifer says
Nicole!
Thank you for getting back to me! I made another load yesterday, and it is so flat! It is the worst one yet, but still yummy!
The batter is very think and sticky, but is not stiff. It is more “gloppy” than stiff. It does not make a ball. I used my stand mixer, once with the dough hook, and once with the paddle. Perhaps I should add the water in slowly and stop when it is becoming a ball? Also, I realized that I am using extra large eggs, is that too much egginess? How high should I let it rise? When I fill the loaf pan with the batter, it is half full. Shoud it be level with the pan or more? I am actually a great cook, so this is frustrating me! Any help would be welcome! Thank you in advance!
Nicole says
Jennifer! You need a yeast bread intervention.
Definitely do not use the dough hook. And beat the mixture for a long time with the paddle attachment. That activates the xanthan gum, which is what forms something of a net to catch the bubbles the yeast creates during the rising. You should try adding the water slowly, and erring on the side of less. It should be stiff. It would definitely be too sticky to handle, but stiff. Sometimes the problem can be that it is rising too long, but it doesn’t sound like that is what you are experiencing. And how big is your pan? Gluten free batter is heavier than conventional flour, so the dough is heavier. It does best in a slightly smaller loaf pan, say 81/2″x41/2″, for example.
Keep me posted. Email me for some one on one attention, if you’d prefer.
Warmly,
Nicole
Jennifer says
Hello Nicole!
The taste of this bread is so great! But I’m having trouble with the texture. Your photo of the Turkey sandwich has me wondering. My bread does not look like that! I am following the exact recipe, doing the rise in the oven(set at 200 for 5 minutes, then turn off) for an hour, then baking for 40 minutes. During the baking process, it rises beautifully! When it cools, it falls and is very moist. I have made 2 loafs, and they are definitely edible, but are very heavy and moist. Do you think I need to cook it longer?
Nicole says
Hi, Jennifer,
I’m glad you posted. I’m sure we can troubleshoot this. Yeast bread is very sensitive to environmental conditions, so sometimes you need to tweak things. A loaf that rises but then falls almost always has too much moisture. The batter should be very thick and sticky, and sort of stiff. What does your batter look like?
Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.
Warmly,
Nicole
Michele Hamilton says
Thanks so much for the wonderful bread recipe! I’ve tried several different recipes and had almost given up until I stumbled across this one. We finished off the first loaf as French toast this morning, and I’ve got our second loaf rising right now. This will be added to our “staples” recipes.
Nicole says
Hi, Michele,
I’m so glad you are having a lot of success with this bread. There’s nothing like a reliable bread recipe. Thank for posting!
Warmly,
Nicole
Wendy says
Hey Nicole – would you consider writing a blog entry with some of the basic GF cooking tips? ie:
Tapioca flour = tapioca starch
Xanthan gum need to be aerated (I never knew that)
What does “hot water” mean in GF cooking?
A word or two about flour blends??… I saw you were using Bob’s Red Mill, now you’re using something different? Why? Is it cheaper? Better?
I’m a scientist by training, and approach cooking the same way….for better or worse. The more I understand, the better success I will have!
Thanks for this blog! Wish I would have found it months ago! I recommended it to our CSA Group’s communications director to include in the next newsletter.
Thanks again for all that you do!
Wendy
Nicole says
Hi, Wendy,
I apologize for taking so long to get back to you in reply to this comment of yours. I think a post with some basic guidelines like you suggest is a great idea. I haven’t announced this yet officially on the blog, but I am in the process of writing a Gluten-Free on a Shoestring book, and it should be in stores by January 2011. So it might take me a little longer than usual to get to a post like that, but it’s on my list. I promise! Thank you for the kind words, and for all your comments. I think the comments are as important as the recipes/posts themselves, you know?
Warmly,
Nicole
Nicole says
Hi, Catherine,
I’m so pleased that this bread has made things easier and more enjoyable for you. That’s so important. It really does go a long way in maintaining or regaining a sense of normalcy. Thank you for keeping me posted on your progress!
Warmly,
Nicole
Catherine says
And since I see you’re talking about your/my favorite bread (two loaves of which are cooling on the kitchen table as a write), let me say that I get a really good rise every time, and I use only a pastry cutter (to make sure the brown sugar gets properly broken up) and a wooden spoon for mixing. It’s requires a bit of muscle, but it works! Occasionally, my husband says, “Shouldn’t we really try some other recipes, just to see?” But I’ve looked at them, and they don’t seem as sensible as this one. (How many egg whites?!)
I am definitely giving thanks for this bread. It has made the transition to celiac life so very much easier.
Nicole says
Hi, Wendy,
I completely understand why you’re so excited. It’s very exciting when you hit it just right! The Kitchen Aid is really helpful in reliably turning out a loaf of gluten free yeast bread. When the xanthan gum is properly activated, it is ready to “catch” the bubbles the yeast creates (that’s also the function of gluten in conventional yeast baking, and that’s why you knead gluten-containing yeast bread dough).
Hot water means about 110 degrees. Too hot and you could kill the yeast. Too cold and the yeast won’t rise (or will rise very slowly). No need to boil the water.
I hope that’s helpful. Keep up the good work!
Warmly,
Nicole
Wendy says
Just got a Kitchen Aid today…. My bread is in the oven – best attempt yet. It REALLY REALLY ROSE!!!!!!!
Question on “hot water”, since you’re such a proficient teacher….
What exactly does “hot water” mean? I understand water needs to be hotter than when cooking with regular flour, but I don’t know how hot.
What I”ve been doing is heating water in the microwave until boiling. Letting it cool just a little bit, and then mixing it in…..so it is probably still 200 degrees. It seems to be working, but I am always looking to improve on my technique.
Thanks Nicole – I think I Cyber-Love you :)
Wendy says
You are divinely forgiven – as if I was even upset to begin with.
As you well know, this GF cooking gig has a fairly steep learning curve. Just trying to get the ‘facts, ma’am’, so I can build on my successes and get back to a totally normal way of life.
Incidentally, the last loaf of bread I made killed my hand mixer. Motor overheated and is now DOA. Time to get a nice mixer…..silver linings, right?
Nicole says
Hi, Wendy,
Thank you for forgiving so readily. :) Yes, it’s a steep learning curve, for sure. It’s like learning another language. But you are clearly well on your way over that curve. Oh, and I’m not really surprised that your hand mixer died. Gluten free flours are significantly heavier than their conventional counterparts, so you need a hard-working mixer. Where in baking with gluten you have to be careful not to overwork the gluten, in gluten-free baking, you need to mix very well to activate the xanthan gum and to aerate the product, which helps it rise. Look for a Kitchen Aid on sale. They’re the best!
Warmly,
Nicole
Wendy says
Nicole – are you sure about the tapioca starch vs. flour? Before I went shopping, I called around town and no one had tapioca flour. Then I talked to the owner of the local natural/bulk foods store and he said they were the same thing.
Due to my skeptical nature, I Googled it. Every reference I can find says they are the same thing. (Now potato starch and potato flour are distinctly different, as are corn starch vs. corn flour).
I only bring this up because I am still new in the world of GF cooking and want to do my best to learn.
Thanks for educating me! :)
Nicole says
Hi, Wendy
I’m so sorry I sent you on a wild goose chase! I was thinking of potato flour and potato starch, as you suspected. You are absolutely right. My husband saw your post and called me out, too. Can you ever forgive me? Thank you so much for posting back and correcting me. I wouldn’t want anyone else to have to chase their tail! :)
Warmly,
Nicole
Nicole says
Oh, and Wendy, tapioca flour is not the same thing as tapioca starch! Different products….
Warmly,
Nicole
Nicole says
Hi, Wendy,
That’s great! I’m glad to know that it was comparable with the all purpose flour blends. It’s good to know, in case you’re ever in a pinch. Once you get used to having fresh baked bread, you can’t go back to prepared breads. You just can’t…. Thanks for letting us know how it turned out!
Warmly,
Nicole
Wendy says
Made this today, following the recipe exactly.
Guess what – it tastes *exactly* the same as what I tried the other day with Bob’s and Grandma Ferdon’s mixes.
However, it will definitely be CHEAPER to follow the recipe as written, than use the GF flour blends. So that is what I will do.
Next step – try a slightly smaller pan so I can get a little higher loaf.
Wendy says
Next try – the right ingredients.
Is tapioca flour = tapioca starch???
Thanks!
Nicole says
Hi, Wendy,
It sounds like you had some measure of success, even with different flours. I have never varied this recipe at all. It’s not mine, and it seems like it has some sort of supernatural magic just as is. You’re brave! I’m glad your 4 year old liked it, though!
Warmly,
Nicole
Wendy says
Hi Nicole – I took my first stab at this recipe today. It didn’t rise quite as much as I hoped, but tast is the true test. I admit that I was impatient (I usually am) and didn’t buy the individual flour/starch components. I used about 2.25 cups of Bob’s Red Mill flour blend and 1 cup of Grandma Ferdon’s Flour Blend.
My 4 year old (he’s not GF, just me) and I just sat down and had a slice straight out of the oven and he said, “Momma, you make the best bread.” It is good.
Now I’ll have to buy the right ingredients and try again.
Carol says
I have a breadman pro bread machine. Do you have to put in all the wet ingredients first. There are gluten free bread recipes that came with the machine, and they all call for putting in the wet ingredients first. I have never used it and would like to make this bread in the machine. It looks so scrumptuous.
Carol
Nicole says
Hi, Carol,
When we make this recipe in our bread machine, we put the wet ingredients in first, then the dry ingredients (EXCEPT the yeast) on top of the wet ingredients. Next, create a small well in the dry ingredients with a spoon and place the yeast in the well. Then turn on the machine and sit back and wait for your bread.
Warmly,
Nicole
Amy K says
Hey thanks jlemke for the great ideas!!!
jlemke says
You can use buckwheat, teff, quinoa, almond, lentil, or soy as a substitute for chickpea flour. If you don’t want the chickpea flour tasting so bean-like you can toast the flour dry in a pan over medium-low heat till the aroma smells better, almost nutty.
Brenda Wilkey says
I was also wondering if anyone has tried a different flour(not chickpea). I had bought some in the past and ended up throwing it out because I never used it (I kept it for a few years and gave up). Maybe Sheila and I should both try it with a substitute and report back.
Nicole says
Hi, Brenda,
I would love it if someone were brave enough to substitute in another flour to replace the chickpea. I would suggest something with a good protein content. Let us know if you try!
Warmly,
Nicole
Nicole says
Hi, Annette,
I’m so glad you loved the bread. It’s magic bread!
Hi, Sheila,
I’m honestly not sure. This is not my recipe, and I have never made any substitutions in it at all. I know that Tom, the creator of the recipe, grinds his own chickpea flour. Maybe you could try that? I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
Warmly,
Nicole
Sheila says
I have every flour but chickpea, can I substitute? I’m also making it in a bread maker…. first time.