Learn how to make the best squishy soft gluten free bread easily from scratch! My homemade sandwich bread is made using *for real* simple ingredients, requires just a dump and mix, one rise, and, honestly, will be the end-all for GF bread searches. If my word isn’t good enough, read the hundreds of 5-star reviews below, or better yet, make this easy loaf today and let me know what you think!
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Hands-Down Best Gluten-Free Bread (SERIOUSLY!)
It has taken me years to fully stand behind a gluten-free 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 gf bread sufficed because at least I was saving time.
So many readers, though, have asked for a great-tasting gluten-free bread. Just like when testing squishy-soft gluten-free dinner rolls or a tender, fluffy gluten-free biscuit, 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. Seriously. Read the comments below!
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! Take a look to see how this magical bread recipe has transformed our community members’ lives, and I hope you will be so convince to start working through the rest of our highly-reviewed gluten-free bread collection!
Delicious, easy bread! I have been gluten free for over 15 years and have tried countless bread recipes. This by far is the easiest AND best tasting 👍🏼
—FancyMom
I never comment on things like this, but oh my god….I’ve tried so many gluten free recipes and none fitted me properly. But this one? AMAZING!
—Ana
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
Ingredients Tid Bits
Since sandwich bread is an everyday staple, the ingredients should be simple, affordable, and ready to go whenever. This recipe also works perfectly for toast, grilled cheeses, or I like to use leftover slices to make homemade gluten-free bread crumbs (freeze a batch to have on hand for recipes).
- Gluten-free flour – Using a good gluten free flour (I highly recommend Cup4Cup GF 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 alternative GF flour recommendations.
- Psyllium Husk Powder – I’ve made the bread multiples with and without the psyllium husk powder. It doesn’t affect the taste, but it does help maintain moisture and prevents the bread from becoming crumbly. Want to know more? Learn why psyllium helps gluten-free baking.
- Honey – Granulated sugar may be substituted, but I like the moisture the honey adds. Some readers have asked about reducing the amount of sugar, and that is fine.
- Oil – Use any preferred oil. I usually use canola, but whatever floats your boat! Or substitute the same amount of melted butter, but not for gluten-free dairy-free bread.
- (Optional) Milk Powder – This is a new addition to the recipe, so it’s completely optional, but adds moisture to the bread. Recently Cup4Cup removed milk powder from their formulation, so now when I make the bread I remove 2 tablespoons GF flour and replace it with a gluten-free milk powder. Works fabulously!
Watch The Recipe
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Mix dry and then wet – easy enough?
For best results use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add all the dry ingredients – gluten-free flour, instant yeast, psyllium husk, salt, and baking powder. Once that’s combined together, add the wet ingredients – room temp eggs, oil, honey, and water.
Time to beat the dough
Now you just mix everything together on low speed. Once it’s combined, increase the 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. When you’re done your dough will be slightly runny and almost pourable. You’re on the right track!
Rising, but how much?
Scrape the dough into a greased bread pan. I recommend using a small pullman loaf pan because you won’t risk the bread overflowing as it bakes and it makes a nice, tall sandwich style loaf (no dinky bread slices here!) 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 30-40 minutes. The bread should rise about two-thirds to the top of the pan.
How to know when it’s done and cooling tips
Remove the plastic wrap and bake the bread for 40-50 minutes, tenting a piece of foil loosely over the bread for the last 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205ºF.
I highly recommend using an instant read thermometer (the linked one is my fave!) before pulling the bread. GF breads often “look done” before they are cooked through inside, means not enough time for moisture to evaporate and a dense, gummy crumb.
If you use the recommended pullman loaf pan, you may even want to lay the loaf on its side to cool, since the loaf is a lot taller. That way you won’t risk the bread sinking in the middle as it cools. Voila, now you have the most legit, soft and squishy sandwich bread ever!
Most Important Part – Quality Gluten-Free Flour
Once the recipe was perfected, it was tested with different gluten free flours to make sure the results were consistent. This is the process I use with many of my bread recipes, including my signature artisanal GF sourdough loaf.
Initially I tested withCup4Cup, which rates as the top gluten free flour, King Arthur Measure-for-Measure, Bob’s Red Mill, and Pillsbury gluten free flour because some readers have been asking about its performance. However, as new blends have been introduced and formulas changed, I have expanded my tests.
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. Cup4Cup was the softest, with King Arthur in between.
As far as taste, Cup4Cup was the clear winner. There was nothing “gluten free” tasting about the bread. It was soft, squishy, and slightly sweet. Since King Arthur has came out with their bread flour formula, I also found this to work very well.
King Arthur Measure-For-Measure and BRM absorbs liquid at different rates. Since I want this recipe to be accessible to many flour blends, I added some recommended adjustments to the recipe below yielding great results!
Sadly the bread made with GF Pillsbury flour went straight into the trash. It tasted like dry cardboard and was inedible. Pillsbury GF flour might work for other recipes, but definitely did not work well with this one!
If you have a question about using a different flour, other than mentioned here, I encourage you to read the comments below. A lot of readers have written in with which brands they used, and I have added my notes in the recipe card below.
Important Note About Serving
Generally GF bread requires toasting or a buttered griddle to taste good, but not with this GF bread (another reason why it’s the cat’s meow). Room temperature bread is exceptionally soft and fluffy.
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.
Do I Need 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.
If you don’t want to invest in a stand mixer (although don’t get me started on how obsessed I am with mine!), a gluten-free bread machine would be a cheaper option and just as easy!
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Legit Squishy-Soft Gluten Free Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups (438 g) gluten free all purpose flour, Cup4Cup gluten free flour highly recommended – see recipe notes for optional milk powder addition and alternative flour notes
- 1 (9 g) packet (2 ¼ tsp) instant rapid rise yeast
- 1 tablespoon (11 g) psyllium husk powder (optional), helps with bread moisture & structure (what is psyllium husk?)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½* cups (338 g) warm water (110°F), *see recipe note if using alternative flour
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup (85 g) honey
- ¼ cup (55 g) oil , any preferred
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix together gluten free flour, yeast, optional psyllium husk powder, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined.3 cups gluten free all purpose flour, 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) instant rapid rise yeast, 1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder (optional), 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add warm water, eggs, honey, and vegetable oil. Mix on low speed to let the dough come together, about 1 minute.1 ½* cups warm water (110°F), 2 large eggs, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup oil
- Increase speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes, scraping down paddle and bowl halfway through. The batter will be stiff, but sticky.
- Grease a 9X4 baking pan (recommended). Pour into the pan and smooth top evenly with a spatula. Spray a large piece of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray. Lay the plastic, greased side down, over the pan.
- Set in a warm, draft-free place to rise until the bread reaches two-thirds to the top of the pan (do not let it go over this point because it rises more in the oven). This should take about 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove plastic and bake bread on middle rack for 40-50 minutes, tenting a piece of foil loosely over the bread halfway through. The internal temperature of the bread should read 205°F.
- Allow the loaf to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack. Allow bread to cool completely, at least 2 hours, before slicing. For best results, serve the bread at room temperature, toasted, or grilled. Chilled, cold bread has an adverse effect on texture.
Notes
Adding Milk Powder
This is a new addition to the recipe, so it’s completely optional, but adds moisture to the bread. Recently Cup4Cup removed milk powder from their formulation, so now I remove 2 tablespoons GF flour and replace it with 2 tablespoons gluten-free certified milk powder. You can do this with any GF flour blend, it doesn’t have to be C4C.Alternative Gluten-Free Flour Adaptations
KA Measure-For-Measure – I find this flour to be more absent of flavor and moisture, so adding an additional ¼ tsp salt, as well as modifying with milk powder (use method explained above) can help. I also recommend cutting the water to 1 ¼ cup + 2 tbsp (305 g) to build out the structure and prevent the bread sinking during cooling. King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour – I recently tried this and loved the results! It has a great taste and nice soft texture. My only recommendation would be to cut back on the psyllium husk powder to 1/2 tbsp since it’s already in the flour’s blend. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-To-1 Baking Flour – I worked with this flour quite a lot to try to mimic the texture with C4C. To counteract a “spongy,” wet crumb I recommend omit milk powder, cutting water to 1 ¼ cups (295 g), and adding ¼ cup cornstarch to the dry ingredients.Psyllium Husk Powder
I’ve made the bread multiples with and without the psyllium husk powder. It doesn’t affect the taste, but it does help maintain moisture, prevents the bread from becoming crumbly, and makes it softer. Psyllium husk powder is very affordable to buy, lasts a long time, and greatly improves GF breads texture because it helps absorb moisture. I recommend the psyllium listed in the ingredients because the lighter color doesn’t affect the bread. Some powders are darker, which will make GF baked goods a grayish, purple color.How to Make in a Bread Machine
Although I have not personally tried making this recipe in a bread machine, several readers have written in and said they’ve had great results using one! You will need a bread machine with a gluten-free setting. Add all the wet ingredients to the bottom of the bread baking pan. Then add the dry ingredients over that. Start the bread machine and set it to the “gluten-free” setting.Freezing / Storing
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. Generally GF bread requires toasting or a buttered griddle to taste good, but not with this recipe. Room temperature bread is exceptionally soft and fluffy. 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.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
Hands down, the best GF bread recipe I’ve made so far!!! Super easy. It came out just as described. I did make one substitute because I only had ginger flavored honey – used corn syrup instead. I do wonder if I could cut back on the honey or corn syrup to maybe 1/8 cup? Will try a loaf and see. Thank you, thank you!!! Oh, and I used King Arthur GF Bread Flour. Making french toast for tomorrow’s breakfast. 🙂
Hi Mary Ann,
Yes, the sugar is pretty flexible. You can cut back the amount or swap out granulated sugar for the honey as well.
Best,
Melissa
After years of trying so many recipes I finally made a respectable loaf of gluten free bread!!! It’s perfect!!!
Yay! Celebrating with you, Diane! Thank you for sharing this win with me.
Best,
Melissa
This is hands-down the best GF sandwich bread I’ve eaten, including my store-bought go-tos.
I made this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill GF AP flour and threw in 2 tbsp of ground flax, since I didn’t have psyllium husk. I also added a little extra salt purely for my own preferences.
Got an excellent rise and a lovely, golden bake. The flavor is good—mild, but not bland; a little sweeter than I prefer, but still very palatable. Overall, a more complex and nuanced flavor profile than most store-bought sandwich breads I’ve tried. Toasting brings out some nice caramelized notes.
Texture is great—springy bite with enough structure to hold together, ideal for sandwiches. Toasting adds just enough crunch without making it excessively hard.
I’m pretty sure I could serve this to my non-GF friends and family and they’d like it as much as I do.
In short, I’ll definitely be making this recipe again, and in fact I plan to make another loaf tonight so I can stick it in the freezer for next week.
Thank you, Asher! I’m incredibly grateful you took the time to leave such a detail note of your experience. Makes my day!
Best,
Melissa
This turned out great! My gf friends loved it, and even the gluten eaters thought it tasted like bread! Do you ever double the recipe? Have you tried baking it in little loaf pans?
Hi Laura,
I haven’t doubled the recipe, but 6 cups of GF flour would probably be a lot for a mixer unless you have a professional series or something with a bigger watt motor. I like the idea of the mini loaf pans though! I haven’t tried that either, but you would just have to cut back on the baking time, maybe around 30 minutes.
Best,
Melissa
This is a fantastic recipe, the bread tastes amazing and has great texture. However my dough did not rise as much as it should have and my loaf didn’t rise up out of the pan at all. Any pointers?
I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 and followed the notes down below. I used instant yeast and added it to the water for about 2 min before mixing. (Water was 126°). All other directions followed as written.
Hi Dominic
It sounds like the water was too warm for the yeast. I usually keep it around 100-105℉. Also, if you are using instant yeast you don’t have to activate it in the water first, just dump it in with the dry ingredients. Active dry yeast is the kind that needs to be activated in the water first. All easy fixes and you should have a perfect loaf on the next batch! I’m glad you wrote.
Best,
Melissa
It’s in the oven at the moment – I am very curious to see how it turns out. I followed the instructions exactly, but instead of a slightly runny/nearly pourable batter, I got something similar in consistency to cinnamon roll dough. (I used the flour, psyllium husk powder, and yeast recommended in the recipe!). Crossing my fingers!
Hello,
When I took the pics I was using C4C old formula, which I found to be a little looser than it is now. However, it’s still not as stiff as roll dough. But, this all depends which brand of GF flour you used. For instance, KA bread flour has psyllium in it so adding extra psyllium would make the dough really stiff. Which did you use? And how was it after baking?
Best,
Melissa
Okay, so a better description of the dough consistency is the refrigerated GF Pizza Dough from Trader Joe’s. Kinda rubbery. Baked up okay but definitely not the intended squishy, pliable bread I was hoping for. It’s pretty dense with a cornbread-like consistency. I used the GF Cup 4 Cup linked in the recipe (even ordered it through the amazon link!)
I do a LOT of GF baking and I’m just not sure what went wrong here!
Hi Kassy,
My apologies for your experience, and all that after buying the Cup4Cup flour too. I know that had to be frustrating. It sounds like something went wrong. If you haven’t worked with C4C before it, the batter does have a more congealed feel because of the cornstarch, but then it does bake up quite nice. I’m a little thrown by the cornbread consistency. If you try it again and send me a pic I can help troubleshoot.
Best,
Melissa
Love this recipe! But one time I tried substituting 1 cup of the flour for sweet rice flour (Mochi flour) and it was even better!
This is good to know, Dreylynn! Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Melissa
I just made this today and it came out perfect!!!! I’ve never.. in 20 years of trying bake gluten free bread had such an easy recipe that worked exactly the way it was supposed to!!! No paying 10 dollars a loaf at the store now🤸♀️🤸♀️🤸♀️🤸♀️🤸♀️
I absolutely love getting comments like this, Diane! Makes my day every time. Thank you!
Best,
Melissa
Do you have a suggestion for an egg replacement?
Hi Tina,
I have readers use egg replacers, like Bob’s Red Mill or Neat Egg, and flaxseed eggs. They say it works great!
Best,
Melissa
A decent bread but more the consistency of cornbread. Definitely not “squishy-soft” nor able to turn into a sandwich. Tasty, yes, but not close to as it’s represented in our attempt at making it yesterday. Behaved far more like a quickbread. Used it for French toast instead, but won’t be making it again.
Hello,
Hmm, I’m wondering why you got a cornbread consistency. You can see by the pics in the post that it definitely has more of a yeast bread texture. I’m wondering if there were any ingredients substituted or which brand of flour you used. My apologies that it didn’t work out for you!
Best,
Melissa
With all the success stories and love for this recipe here in the comments, it looks like your results were due more to user error than the recipe itself. I make this bread every week, never once has it come out with a corn bread texture. I would suggest trying again. We all make mistakes sometimes when baking, sounds like a possibility here for you.
I have honestly tried to make gluten-free bread so many times that I have lost count, I made this not expecting it to work and when I saw it rising in the oven I got so excited!!! I actually have bread that I can eat!!! My question is what is the best way to store this so that I can it easily during the week?
Hi Brittany,
If you want to leave it at room temp I would suggest wrapping it up very well in plastic wrap after it has cooled and placing a in a ziplock bag. Just leave it on your counter and slice off what you need each day. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Best,
Melissa
Hi!
Great GF bread recipe! Thank you!
I am searching for the best GF bread recipe. I tried KA’s recipe and it wasn’t bad but flavorless. I tried your recipe twice once using KA GF flour and once using thecup4cup flour.
Cup4cup made a very nice tasting loaf, much better than the KA flour.
Here’s my dilemma…..I used a standard loaf pan and I had some gummy-ness at the bottom on the loaf. Where did I go wrong? Do I need to bake it longer?
Hi Karen,
Was the gumminess with the C4C or KA? KA requires a little less water, otherwise it could be gummy. If it was the C4C I would try baking it a little longer. Sometimes after it comes to the internal temp around 205℉, I’ll turn off the oven and just let it sit in there for 5 minutes to make sure the extra moisture is evaporated off. Also, if this bread is something you’ll be baking regularly, I do recommend investing in the pullman loaf pan!
Best,
Melissa
This has become my go to gf bread recipe. I love the simplicity and the speed with which it comes together. For the first time today, I doubled the recipe and made two smaller loaves (great lunchbox size!) and then used a brownie pan to make slider rolls. Just out of the oven, they look, and smell, amazing! We’ll see how they do when they’re cooled and cut, but so far I’m impressed!
What a great idea, Aubrey! Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks! I appreciate it.
Best,
Melissa
This bread is AWESOME!! Truly squishy soft. THANK YOU!!
Hearing this never gets old! Thank you, Linda!
Best,
Melissa
the softest gf bread =)
Thank you, SallyAnn!
Best,
Melissa
how does organic arrowhead mills 1:1 all pupose flour work
Hi Wendy,
I’m sorry, I haven’t tried that flour yet, but people have made their own blends and it has worked with this recipe. My only suggestion would be to hold back 1/4 cup water and add it in gradually until the dough becomes stiff, yet sticky and moveable.
Best,
Melissa
Mama G, each time I make this bread the family only wants more! Easy and quick to put together, it has a soft crumb and a good rise. I’ve been substituting a couple of TBSPs of Egg White Protein Powder for the flour amount and have been very satisfied with the outcome!
What a good idea to add a little protein. I appreciate you coming back again to leave this note, David! I’m so glad you’re here!
Best,
Melissa
I made this recipe with absolutely no hope in it turning out good as this was my 6th attempt at gluten free bread & we wont even talk about store bought. I had used all my rapid rise yeast & psyllium powder on my last fails so I improvised with the same amount of regular yeast letting it proof first & 3 TSP of whole psyllium husks. I did not have a 9×4 pan so I used a regular loaf pan. Boy, oh boy! I had to eat my negativity! The bread is definitely the best gluten free I have ever had! I would like to try this with added seasonings, nuts & seeds next. Thank you!
Haha … That’s great! This makes my day. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me this note. I really appreciate it, Belinda!
Best,
Melissa
What’s the ratio for whole psyllium husk. I don’t have powder.
Hello Giueppa,
If you are using King Arthur bread flour you can leave it out. Otherwise add about 14 grams whole psyllium.
Enjoy!
Melissa
Thank you, plan on making this today. Praying my Italianess is happy with it. It’s pretty difficult to make me happy when it comes to bread.lol
Hey Guiseppa! I’m Italian (well, 50%, my mom is full), and I’m very happy with it! I know what you mean, though, when you grew up eating fresh bread and pasta it’s hard to put up with what passes for it in a gluten-free version. But I make it my biggest mission to make it as close as possible. If you love this bread, please try my focaccia recipe as well!
Best,
Melissa
Tried to tonight was amazing thank you ever so much, used Schar brown bread flour.
So glad you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Melissa
Hi Melissa, I had great success with your original recipe. Have you ever tried this as a hybrid sourdough (adding sourdough starter in addition to yeast)?
Hi Christy, I have not with this recipe, but I will be publishing a GF sourdough recipe very soon!
Best,
Melissa
This bread was so incredibly easy to make and delicious. I have bought gluten free bread from the store and it was all so expensive, small and horrible. This bread is soft and chewy. I will be making this again and again.
I’m biased but I completely agree, Jill! So glad you found this recipe. Thanks for commenting!
Best,
Melissa
I was testing out some gluten free bread recipes for a friend this week and this one is definitely superior to any of the other recipes I tried. I was actually shocked how similar the texture and flavor was to bread made with wheat flour! I’ve already shared this recipe with several people because it is that good. I used King Arthur measure for measure gluten free flour.
This makes me so happy to read, Sarah! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience. I appreciate!
Best,
Melissa
Have you made this with whole psyllium husk instead of powdered? What is the conversion in grams as I know it doesn’t absorb as much water. I have both but hate the purple tint from the powdered that I purchased. Excite to make this recipe.
Hi Stacy,
I have not personally tried with the whole husk, but others have. I would add about 3 grams more whole husk. Yes, the dreaded purple color! If you end wanting to buy a different brand, the one I link in the ingredients keeps the bread white.
Best,
Melissa
Hello again Melissa,
I meant to report back after the bread was cool. I cut it open to beautiful crumb. It appeared more moist than I anticipated but we enjoyed it both plain — and even more so toasted with butter. I wrapped loosely in parchment (think deli sandwich style) and this morning the interior is still tender but not as moist as last night.
My husband (recently diagnosed Celiac) is so excited to have a sandwich today! Thanks very much for sharing your recipe.
I’m so glad you all are enjoying this recipe, Christy! Thanks for sharing your storage details here in the comments as I’m sure it’ll help others.
Best,
Melissa