Best Gluten Free Bread Recipe

The best gluten free bread recipe makes an easy, homemade sandwich bread that tastes better than anything out there! Soft, fluffy bread, made out of simple ingredients, will be your new go-to gluten free, dairy free recipe. 

gluten free bread recipe

It has taken me years to fully stand behind a gluten free sandwich bread recipe. Every homemade recipe I tried was difficult, time consuming, and yielded the most disappointing results. 

For the longest time, buying expensive, subpar store-bought bread sufficed because at least I was saving time! 

So many readers, though, have asked for a great-tasting, soft, homemade gluten free bread recipe. There have been a lot of trials, but I finally landed on a recipe that exceeds my essential criteria.

• Easy to make! It mixes together in one bowl, has one short rise, and bake. 
• Simple ingredients I have stocked and ready at all times
• Quick and effortless – No one wants to spend all day making a loaf of bread.
• Most important – Tastes BETTER than any gluten free bread out there.

I wouldn’t stand behind this recipe if I didn’t feel it 100% met all these crucial elements. I know what it feels like to waste precious time and expensive ingredients, and I wasn’t about to add another recipe to that vortex!

I truly hope this recipe makes all your gluten free dreams come true, just as much as it has for me!

Ingredients Needed

Since sandwich bread is an everyday staple, the ingredients should be simple, affordable, and ready to go whenever. 

• Gluten free flour – Using a good gluten free flour makes or breaks the quality of the bread. I tested the recipe with different flours to make sure it consistently turns out, but some performed handedly better than others. See below for what to use and avoid.
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Instant (Rapid Rise) Yeast – I would suggest buying this is bulk and storing in your refrigerator. 
• Honey – Granulated sugar may be substituted
• Eggs
• Oil  – Or substitute the same amount of melted butter, but not for gluten free dairy free bread. 

Method

1. First combine the dry ingredients in a bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to combine on low speed.
2. Add the liquid ingredients – warm water, eggs, honey, and oil. Mix on low to combine for 1 minute.
3. Increase speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes. This gives time to hydrate and relax the starches so your bread is soft instead of gritty.
4. Scrape the dough into a greased bread pan. Spray a large piece of plastic wrap with nonstick spray and lay over the top of the pan. Set the pan in a warm place while the oven preheats to 350ºF, about 45 minutes. The bread should rise almost the top of the pan.
5. Bake bread for 50 minutes, tenting a piece of foil loosely over the bread for the last 20 minutes. or until the internal temperature reaches 205ºF.

Best Gluten Free Flour to use for bread

Once the recipe was perfected, it was tested with three different gluten free flours to make sure the results were consistent.

Using information from the best gluten free flour article, I eliminated using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 GF Flour because it had such disappointing results across the board.

I tested with Cup 4 Cup, which rates as the top gluten free flour, King Arthur Measure-for-Measure, and Pillsbury gluten free flour because some readers have been asking about its performance.

From an ease and baking standpoint, they all performed well. Pillsbury had the most solid structure, which turned out to be a not very good thing. Cup 4 Cup was the softest, with King Arthur in between.

As far as taste, Cup 4 Cup was the clear winner. There was nothing “gluten free” tasting about the bread. It was soft, squishy, and slightly sweet. 

King Arthur still tasted good and had a favorable texture, but had a strong rustic taste to it. It reminded me more of wheat bread than white bread.

Sadly the bread made with GF Pillsbury flour went straight into the trash. It tasted like dry cardboard and was inedible. Pillsbury gluten free flour might work for other recipes, but definitely did not work well with this one!

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to store the bread?

Gluten free bread does not have the shelf life like normal bread. Refrigerating will dry it out, and is not recommended. It may be wrapped tightly and left at room temperature, but will lose optimal taste and texture quickly.

For best results, slice and freeze the bread after it has completely cooled (at least 3 hours). Pull slices as needed from the freezer to defrost or toast from frozen. 

Is this recipe dairy free?

Yes! All the ingredients in this gluten free bread recipe are dairy free. 

Can I make it in a bread machine?

I have not tried it in a bread machine, so I don’t recommend it. 

Do I have to use a stand mixer?

Yes and no. It definitely makes the sandwich bread recipe easier to throw together. It may be done with a hand held mixer, but since it uses a large amount of flour, it will be a lot more taxing on the mixer and yourself.

What kind of yeast should I use?

Instant Rapid Rise yeast, either Red Star or Fleishman’s brand is best. Instant yeast has smaller granules so it does not have to be proofed before using. Just be sure your water is warm enough to activate the yeast while mixing.

Can I substitute any ingredients?

Yes. In experimenting with this recipe I found swapping out sugar for the honey has similar results. Also, replacing oil with 4 tablespoons of melted butter is fine. However, then the recipe will not be dairy free. 

What kind of bread pan should I use?

Use a 9X5 or 9X4 loaf pan. A 9X4 pullman pan makes bread with the most authentic sandwich bread shape for slicing. 

How do I know when gluten free bread is done baking?

I highly recommend using an instant read thermometer to check the temperature. The bread will “look” done before it’s actually done adequately baking. If you pull the bread too soon it will be gummy, instead of soft and fluffy. 

It should reach a temperature of 205ºF. Checking quickly with an instant read thermometer will help the bread retain valuable heat while the temp is being read. A Thermoworks Thermapen does this efficiently and accurately.  

Ways to enjoy this recipe

Generally GF bread requires toasting or a buttered griddle to taste good, but not with the best gluten free bread recipe! Room temperature bread is soft, fluffy, and delicious tasting!

However, please note, if pulling from the freezer and serving at room temp, thoroughly defrost the bread first. If it is chilled slightly it will become more crumbly.

Can I make gluten free breadcrumbs from this recipe?

Yes! If you do not enjoy bread heels, save them up in a ziplock freezer bag, and make a batch of gluten free bread crumbs as needed.

More of the best gluten free bread Recipes 

We need delicious gluten free bread for all occasions! If you are looking for something besides sandwich bread, here are more of my most popular gluten free bread recipes.

• Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
• Best Gluten Free Banana Bread
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
• Gluten Free Cornbread
• Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits

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