Easy Gluten Free Bread Recipe

Read this before you bake

This special recipe, along with my expert tips, is all you need to create a bread with a full rise and a tender crumb that won’t collapse as it cools.

The recipe below is just as it appeared in my flagship gluten free cookbook in 2011. I’ll explain how and why we use ingredients like cream of tartar, vinegar, and egg whites, along with a good gluten free flour blend and a well-aerated dough, to build structure without gluten.

Once you understand how they work together, you won’t need to rely on overpriced store-bought loaves ever again.

Key ingredients explained

You don’t need anything fancy to make this classic gluten free sandwich bread—just a few pantry staples and fridge basics.

• Gluten free flour – Many high-quality all purpose gluten free flour blends will work to provide enough structure to support a good rise. Make sure yours, like Better Batter's original blend, Nicole's Best multipurpose blend (with 3 teaspoons added xanthan gum), King Arthur Flour's Gluten Free Bread Flour, or Caputo Fioreglut flour, is designed to be used in yeast bread.
• Instant yeast – Helps give the bread a proper rise without proofing or activating it first. If you use active dry yeast, you'll need to soak it first in the warm milk in the recipe. Make sure it becomes foamy and bubbles within about 5 minutes, or your yeast is not good.
• Sugar – Just enough to feed the yeast and help tenderize the loaf without making it taste sweet.
• Milk – Adds richness and helps tenderize the bread and create an open crumb.
• Butter – Gives the bread flavor and just enough moisture for tenderness without weighing it down.
• Egg whites – Help bind the dough, add lift without adding flavor or color. Especially in gluten free bread, egg whites work hard to help hold the rise so the bread doesn't collapse as it cools.
• Salt – Essential for flavor.
• Vinegar – Reacts with the cream of tartar to help with rise; apple cider vinegar in particular seems to encourage yeast to rise in a stable way.
• Cream of tartar – One of 3 elements of baking powder, it reacts with the vinegar to assist the bread's rise and helps the egg whites maintain it as the bread cools.

This simple combination gives you a reliable dough with a stable rise that bakes up soft, tender, and perfect for slicing.

Expert tips

I've been baking gluten free bread since 2009. After all these years, here are my go-to tips for making yeast bread-baking a success:

Use a pan with high sides
A loaf pan with high sides helps the bread rise up—not out. Gluten free bread dough is wetter and more fragile, so upgrading from a classic 2½-inch-tall loaf pan to one with 4-inch sides can make a big difference. A 1 pound Pullman pan has high, straight sides (and often a lid) and would be ideal here.

Proof slowly
A slow rise is a stable rise. Cover your dough loosely with greased plastic wrap and don't try to speed its rise too much. Let it rise slowly and steadily, and not much past the top of the loaf pan. Once the rise starts to break through the top of the dough, bake it.

Choose ingredients carefully
Avoid making ingredient substitutions unless absolutely necessary, and then use my suggestions to make good choices.

Use a digital kitchen scale
Choose your gluten free flour blend carefully and measure it by weight using a digital kitchen scale for accurate results. Then ignore the volume measurements since they're not standard or precise.

Make a smooth dough
Beat the ingredients well, ideally using a stand mixer, to activate the xanthan gum and aerate the dough for a smooth, assisted rise.

Bake the bread fully
Be sure to bake your bread until it reads at least 205°F on an instant read thermometer. If the loaf seems underbaked at all after removing it from the pan, place it on a baking sheet, reduce the oven to 300°F, and bake until the crust is firm all around, up to 20 minutes more.

Use an oven thermometer
Most ovens run hot—mine included. A basic oven thermometer helps you bake at the correct temperature. Replace it regularly to avoid surprise temperature swings that can cause your loaf to fall by causing rapid oven spring and a burned crust and wet middle.

Cool it completely
Let the bread sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Remove any paper liner that traps moisture so the crust stays crisp, and let it cool for 1 to 2 hours to prevent gumminess.

Use a serrated knife
Once the loaf is completely cool, slice it with a serrated bread knife for clean cuts—no squishing, no tearing.

Ingredient subtitutions

It's best to avoid substituting ingredients, especially in gluten free bread baking, but if you must avoid other allergens, here's how:

Dairy-free

• Use block-style vegan butter; Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen are my favorites.
• If using Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon—they have more moisture and may cause the loaf to sink slightly as it cools.
• Choose any unsweetened, unflavored nondairy milk with a consistency similar to cow’s milk.

Egg-free

• Replace the 2 egg whites with 1 “chia egg” (1 tbsp ground chia + 1 tbsp lukewarm water, mixed and gelled).
• Some readers have also had success with 1 egg’s worth of Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer.
• Aquafaba is another option.

Xanthan gum-free

• Replace xanthan gum with 20 grams of psyllium husk powder.
• First, hydrate it in the milk and let the mixture gel. Then add it when you’d normally add the milk, and beat well to incorporate.
• Note: The texture will be a bit more rustic and chewy, and it may rise less.

Using active dry yeast

• This recipe calls for instant yeast (aka rapid rise or breadmaker yeast).
• To substitute active dry yeast, use 10 grams (3 tsp), soaked in some of the milk until foamy before adding.
• Want a version without commercial yeast? Try my gluten free sourdough bread instead.

Add seeds for texture

• Sprinkle the risen dough with sesame, chia, sunflower, pumpkin seeds—or even finely chopped nuts—for a flavorful crust and added crunch.

make ahead

Storage tips

Room Temperature Storage
Let the bread cool completely, then wrap the unsliced loaf tightly in plastic wrap or another airtight wrap. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

How to refresh stale bread
If the bread feels dry or stale, sprinkle or brush slices lightly with lukewarm water, then toast on low heat. This helps the bread reabsorb moisture and softens the crumb.

Freezing Instructions
To serve: Toast slices straight from the freezer—no need to defrost first.

Whole loaf: Cool completely, then freeze the entire loaf unsliced for best results.

Pre-sliced: Slice the loaf first, then wrap each slice individually in freezer-safe wrap. Or, separate slices with small pieces of parchment paper and freeze together.