Out of all of the baked goods I can think of, gluten free vegan bread has been the most exhaustive on my list. In the past week I have made (and failed at) probably somewhere near 6 loaves. Just in this past week. That doesn’t include the week before, which if added together I probably made a total of 13. I have been on a witch hunt trying to present to you, my friends, a truly worthy gluten free vegan bread to make at home that 1). Isn’t as heavy as a 24lb rock; 2). Is soft and moist but not gummy in the middle; 3). Actually rises like a normal loaf–not a goofy 2″ sized slice; and 4). Tastes good.
It’s been a mission more difficult than anticipated but one that has been accomplished. Come join me as I ring in the New Year with a new recipe for gluten free vegan bread!
First of all, can we talk about how sexy the rise is on this bread? Yes, let us! *insert wolf whistle here* Sexy, sexy. Maybe it’s just me but when I see a rise like this, I get a little sweaty.
Focus Cara. Let’s talk about this bread recipe and what went wrong with the previous ones, shall we? I kept trying repetitively to recreate a texture familiar in a regular loaf but found that simply combining yeast and gluten-free flour without eggs only created a very dense bread. If I want that, I might as well buy the store-bought versions. You know what I’m talking about. I’m not interested in a slice of bread that fits into the palm of my hand and weighs the same as my head. So I tried a mix of chia seeds, flax meal, and ground psyllium husk for each trial but I wasn’t happy with the results I was looking for (I might actually go back to chia and psyllium for a more compact sandwich loaf later). But right now I am looking for a soft bread that is reminiscent of the loaf I used to make in the bread machine. I would slice it in the morning, toast it, and spread some butter and apricot jam all over it and enjoy it with a cup of tea for breakfast. Slap yo’ mama, I found its gluten-free vegan version.
So how could I recreate that texture if not with the help of eggs? That got my brain thinking about other recipes I have and it hit me–Why am I not using my apple cider vinegar and baking soda trick that I love? 1). It will help with the rise in the bread for sure (see the first picture to remind yourself how well it actually worked), and 2). It will aid with a soft, light texture I’m looking for (as seen in the rest of these pictures). I made this recipe twice now, switching up the amount of vinegar and baking soda and I didn’t notice that big of a difference. I loved the results from both of them…and I’m really hoping you will too.
If you find your bread is too soft for your liking (might I add in here again that this is soft bread–just what I was trying to attain) go ahead and toast it up for a firmer slice.
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Gluten-Free Vegan Bread (xanthan gum-free)
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
Description
This is perfect gluten and egg free bread for toasting and slathering nondairy butter and jam all over it.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 tsp. dry active yeast
- 1 c. warm nondairy milk
- 2 tsp. granulated sugar
- 1 c. warm water
- 5 Tbsp. ground white chia seeds
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
!Dry Ingredients
- 1 c. oat flour (or see this post for a good substitute)*
- 1 c. millet flour (or see this post for a good substitute)*
- 1/2 c. arrowroot powder
- 1/2 c. tapioca starch
- 1/4 c. buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine the warmed nondairy milk with the yeast and sugar. Allow to proof until frothy (approx.10 minutes).
- Add the water, oil, vinegar, and chia seeds into the yeast mix and whisk until well-combined. Allow to sit for another 2 minutes so the chia seeds expand.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Spoon the batter into a 8×4 (20×10 cm) loaf pan. Using the back of a spoon smooth out the top and gently press down to ensure there are no gaps in the batter. Allow to rise until the loaf rise just to the top of the pan (approx. 30 to 45 minutes) in a warm, non-drafty area of your kitchen. If it doubles before the allotted time, that’s okay. Just proceed to baking it, no need to wait the total time.
- Preheat oven to 350*F (190*C).
- Place the loaf in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 60 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan briefly until you can remove it and transfer to a wire rack until it has completely cooled
Notes
*Do note that any changes made to the ingredients may alter the outcome of the bread.
Nutrition
- Calories: 2168
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 2073mg
- Fat: 82g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 62g
- Carbohydrates: 314g
- Fiber: 35g
- Protein: 53g
Since I started writing my cookbook, I began to play around with different blends. And by play around, I mean I ran out of my usual flours and since where I live in Los Angeles has a terrible selection of gluten free flours, I was in a great bind and needed to create a blend stat. I happened to have both whole oats and millet in my cupboard and so I ground them in my blender and found out how awesome this blend truly is! If you cannot digest oats, you can replace it with a Medium-Based Flour found in this post. Might I suggest that brown rice flour would also do well as a substitute.
Things to keep in mind when making this bread:
- The dough for gluten free vegan bread is actually more like a thick batter. Do not necessarily expect it to look as you remember it to be from its gluten-filled counterpart. When you pour the batter into the loaf pan, you are almost spooning it in.
- Make sure your oven is at the correct temperature. Too hot and the crust will be crispy with a gummy inside OR will even make your bread collaspe.
- Use a heavy loaf pan to ensure your bread is evenly baked.
- If you think your bread has cooled enough to slice into, wait another hour. If you are anything like me, I get impatient but then pay for it with an uncooked middle.
Looking for more easy-to-make bread recipes in your own home? Turn your oven on for these:
Hi Cara,
Would.you be able.to.use tapioca instead of the arrowoot?. My local supermarket sells the arrowoot but if you look at the ingredients it’s actually tapioca š¤¦āāļø
Hi there,
This bread is absolutely delicious and I actually made it with Olive Oil instead of vegetable oil.
Could you tell me if the nutritional information is correct? I have some of my family that I make this bread for and they have been asking me.
Any info will be great!
Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe.
Regards
Cathy-Ann
Could I make this in a bread machine? If so how? Thanks
have you done it in the bread machine ?
On my machine it’s seems that i have to put the ingredients in certain order. Have you ? if yes, can you tell me the exact order ? thanks
This bread is outstanding! Can’t believe how light and fluffy the texture is compared to the gummy interiors of so many GF breads. I had to make a few subs based on what I had in the house: used 1 cup superfine white rice flour in place of the millet flour; almond flour in place of the buckwheat flour; black chia seeds (ground in the blender) in place of white; and tapioca flour in place of tapioca starch (not sure if they’re markedly different or not). Mixed it all together in my stand mixer and then put it in a well-greased tin and let it rise for about 20 minutes. Baked at 350 (convection) for an hour. It’s lovely – like a whole wheat sandwich bread, with a nice crust. Thank you for this new and very different recipe!
★★★★★
Iāve been making this recipe for a couple of year now and itās always been perfect. I canāt get over the deliciousness of this bread. Iāve never ever tried bread this good and fluffy thatās gluten free. Usually they are always heavy like bricks lol š Thank you again! Looking forward to my new loaf in the morning š¤Ŗ
★★★★★
Hi, just made this for the first time, pretty awesome! I don’t go through bread very fast, but for the sake of slicing it all before I put it in the freezer…how long can the bread stay out before it goes bad?
It should be good in the fridge for 3-4 days and then I would recommend freezing.
Question Cara! After some doctor visits and allergy testing, Iām trying to find a bread that leaves out all of my food allergies. Your recipe seems perfect for me, other than the chia seeds. Is there another replacement that you think might would work in place of it?
Thanks much!
Try ground flax seed. I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it works with my others.
I tried this recipe and all it did was explode over the side and out of the pan. I measured everything exactly the way I was supposed to also. I have made alot of recipes amd this is the first time this happened. I’m not sure what went wrong.
Would you happen to have the recipe in grams/weight? I’m excited to try it!
I don’t, sorry!
Hi Cara,
First time i see recipe with yeast and baking powder/soda. Is it possible to skip the baking powder&soda? And do only with yeast? thanks for feedback!
You def can try that! The reason it’s there is to really help with the rise of the bread (since gluten free vegan anything doesn’t rise well) BUT give it a shot!
Do yoy think this recipe would work in a bread machine?
It could and others have said they’ve done it!
I just baked this bread, and itās my first attempt at baking bread ever! It came out rather crispy on the outside and what looked like an undercooked center. Is it possibly due to the fact that I let it rise for too long before baking? Thank you!
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This sounds more like an oven temp issue. Do you have a thermometer to gauge whether or not your oven is baking at the right temperature?
I donāt actually. What type of thermometer?
I donāt have a thermometer actually. What type of thermometer would work?
You can buy a simple one on Amazon; just a regular oven thermometer. I just moved and my stove is around 75 degrees off so it makes all the difference to know if your oven is set to the correct temperature.
Just made this bread and it turned out as a quite liquid pancake-type batter. Way too liquid for a bread to rise without spilling if ever it goes over the rim of the bread mold. Had to add one cup of oat flour for it to turn into a thick batter as you say. Went over the quantities 3 times and I made no mistake. Let’s see how it turns out.
Danielle, how did yours turn out??? I have had the exact same thing. Followed the recipe to a ‘T’. Desperate for a sandwich bread that my kids can take to school and have had so many flops. It was perhaps too loose of a batter, rose like crazy and exploded over and booo….hoping that we can still use it, but i don’t want to cut it too soon. so trying to be patient…
Hi Cara, If I wanted to make this amazing loaf but canāt do the startches(or at least reduce them) what would I do? Is there a way to make it all whole grain? Also I have a package of neat egg, do you know how much I would use to replace the chia? Thank you so much! Your site is amazing!
That is a tricky question because I haven’t reduced or omitted the starches and then are actually needed in this. Also, I’ve never worked with neat egg so I really don’t know the sub ration. You can give it a shot though and see what works. Sorry I am not much help!
Anyone tried this in a silicone loaf pan? Is it too soft? Thanks!
I live in South Africa. Gluten-free,sugar-free vegans are not well catered for. This was the 2nd bread I made. The first was a solid brick that I had to slice very very thinly and chew for a long time. It tasted ok. This bread is magnificent! I forgot to add the salt and watched it rise fast and fall – just like our politicians. But it was still quite light inside, crusty on top, which I like and the taste is delicious. I made it in a bigger pan because there was too much dough for the 10 x 20 cm pan. The only problem is that the ingredients are very expensive. I might try substituting other flours which are more easily and cheaply available here.
★★★★★
Hi Cara,
Have been baking the gf vegan recipe of yours and the taste has turned out great. But few things arenāt working for me and wondering if you could help me fix it. The bread rises but falls midway through baking. How can I fix that? Also what shelf life do you get for this bread. Mine does not last more than 48 hrs. There is a change in taste and it is stringy when broken into half. š please help. Thanks.
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Niharika – have you discovered anything that helps with this? rising fast and falling midway?
Holy sh*t, I made the bread today and I just ate 5 slices š I can’t stop!! It is so good! It’s the second gf bread recipe I tried (the first one is really good as well) and it turned out great! It is super addictive though haha! reading the comments I was thinking that apparently we are pretty lucky in Germany, since there is quite a lot of tasty gf bread in stores. But still, I find it cheaper making my own in the end š
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Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I don’t normally leave comments but this bread is a game changer for me! Discovered lately that I am intolerant to many things but store-bought gluten-free bread often has egg, flax or corn (which I shouldn’t have). I made this loaf today with psyllium and teff (what I had on hand) instead of chia and buckwheat and it was FANTASTIC!!! A crispy crust and a soft, moist inside – nothing like store-bought GF! I can eat this all day, every day š
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Hi Olivia, what was the amounts of psyllium and teff you put in? was it the same amount as the chia and buckwheat?
Hi I have use this recipe about five times each Time playing with different flower combinations (Using the very helpful substitution guide you provide). The bread comes out delicious but I was wondering why my bread always seems to fall during baking. Itās not a huge issue but it not a nice dome like I woul prefer. Any help would be awesome! Thanks
Meg, have you discovered the trick to making a nice dome bread?
I made this recipe yesterday and I LOVED IT!!! omg, so good!
Can you replace the chia seeds with flax?
I have š I used half chia and half flax and it works. I’m sure that all flax would work as well – might change the taste a bit.
Thanks so much for this recipe. It is wonderful toasted. I am so glad to finally have an egg free and xanthum free recipe for gluten free bread. I would recommend following the recipe exactly and also recommend using the aluminum foil suggestion mentioned in one of the comments above which comes from Americaās Test Kitchen. The only substitution I made was rice flour for the millet flour. I so appreciated the list of substitutions as well.
Hi Cara,
I love this GF Vegan Bread recipe.
I would love to feature it in our website, Greenthickies.com. I will not be posting the actual recipe, but will only use one image from the post and a small quote and link directly back to the original post in your site.
Will that be all right?
Thanks a lot :),
Katherine,
Greenthickies.com
★★★★★
Hey there!
We have a gluten free mix (Cloud 9 from Costco) it has rice flour, buckwheat flour, cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch and xanthan gum in it. Could we substitute 3 cups of this for this portion of your recipe:
1 c. oat flour (or see this post for a good substitute)*
1 c. millet flour (or see this post for a good substitute)*
Ā½ c. arrowroot powder
Ā½ c. tapioca starch
Ā¼ c. buckwheat flour
It’s so tough to find a gluten free AND vegan recipe so I really wanted to make yours work! Please let me know š Thanks!
★★★★★
Just tried this. While it looks lovely I can’t get it out of the pan. š Was I supposed to grease the pan? Did I miss that in the instructions?
This isn’t in the instructions but I used coconut oil to grease the pan and it worked beautifully, it came out so easy.
Thank you SO MUCH for this amazing recipe. Ever since I got gluten allergy I had been missing eating tasty bread… Most of the recipes I found didn’t work, my attempts mainly failed and I don’t really enjoy store-bought gluten free bread, it’s almost a 100% cornstarch… I have to admit I did found one recipe that I really liked, but it was too time consuming and I ended up not making it much because of that. I made this one today, and even though I had to make a few adjustments because of ingredients I can’t find (or are simply too expensive) and my oven felt like messing around with the temperature (for some reason it couldn’t keep it at 190ĀŗC and it fluctuated, it went as down as 130ĀŗC…) I am sooo happy with the results! Cheap, easy, fast, and super tasty! I think this recipe is gonna be my go-to from now on, I’m willing to play around with it a little hehe! Again, thank you so much, and thank you as well for the gluten free flours guide. I learnt a lot from that!
★★★★★
Finally, a GF vegan bread recipe that actually tastes good!! After countless failed loaves, I decided to try one more recipe, and am I ever glad I chose this one! I used psyllium husks (4 tbsp) instead of chia, and while the loaf came out a little less “fluffy” than yours, it was still wonderful in taste and texture. I also substituted the buckwheat flour for teff flour (because I don’t like the taste of buckwheat). The entire thing was a raging success. I can have toast in the morning again! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
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I just wanted to say thank you Cara for your willingness and passion to find recipes that both work and taste good and more over, take the time to share with others! I don’t typically make comments but I thought others might appreciate hearing my two cents on this. I’ve recently changed my way of eating and the bread is the toughest find. Even though I had 8 bags of different types of flours and starches, I bought more to try this recipe in hopes it would be “the one”. I live in Central Canada in a province called Saskatchewan (in Cree, means swiftly flowing river). My bread rose over the bread pan and then sunk a bit in the oven. I waited until it was completely cooked (leaving it in the oven after turning it off after said time to allow middle to cook; Haye those gummy centers) and sliced it gingerly as it was quite crumbly. I took the end piece to taste with butter and jam. As I sat in my chair, with great anticipation I thought the texture looked promising and the smell was even more promising. I went to sink into my first bite only to grimace and say, s%*t! Well, I went back to the comments and plan to try again with different flours (as per your link to light, medium and heavy alternatives) and the garbanzo liquid trick. All of this isn’t why I shared. My share is for those who may think to throw it in the garbage I say, wait! You went through all the trouble and expense so slice it up, put it in the freezer. In the morning take a couple slices and pop it in the toaster in a setting that is higher than for regular bread. Once it’s done, take care to pull out the slices and put softened coconut manna. I took a tablespoon with a tad coconut oil to make smoother and warmed in microwave for 10 secs then added 1 drop of alcohol free stevia, stirred and slathered on the bread carefully so to keep slice in tacked. Eureka! A taste I could palette and even hummed with enjoyment. š
★★★
Thank you for this, Cara!! I’m a vegan with celiac and a corn allergy, but I was able to find safe versions of the ingredients listed (I just subbed avacado oil for veggie oil), and it is SO good. I almost cried, I was so happy that I have a way to eat delicious bread again. Its taste and texture is so good that it doesn’t even need a topping. Now the trick will be to try and avoid eating all of it too quickly š Brilliant job. Thanks for figuring this out and sharing.
★★★★★
The fact that you tried to make this so many times and failed is a testament to your perseverance. However, it has made me scared to try it. Love the recipe though.
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Hi Cara – thanks so much for an amazing recipe. Baking this was only my second foray into bread making and it turned out mostly great, but there were a couple of issues that you might be able to advise on. Firstly, once everything had gone into the tin the rise was REALLY quick. The recipe says 35 – 40 minutes but it was in danger of spilling over the top of the tin in about 10 so I had to get it into the oven quick smart!
When it came out it looked great (though the loaf felt weightier than I was expecting) and once it had cooled down overnight I sliced it and it still looked great, BUT though the crust was perfect, the bread itself was far more moist than I think it was mean to be – not uncooked but just a bit on the wet side. It’s fab for toasting and tastes amazing, but not so much untoasted.
I assume the wetness is down to whatever made the batter rise so quickly. Could you advise on why the rise was so quick and how to avoid it? Maybe the soya milk/water were too warm when I added them? Or I left the batter to rise in an area of the kitchen which was too warm?
Aside from all that, thank you so much – this is a fantastic recipe!
★★★★
This bread recipe is by far the best and closest in texture to gluten bread. I have made this recipe in my bread machine and it turn out fantastic. It does not crumble and I don’t need to toast it to make it taste good! Even my daughter loves it, I am currently waiting for my second batch to finish.
Thank you so much for the work you must of put in to come up with this awesome recipe. It has taken years ( over ten) to find something that we love and can make ourselves, that is natural.
THANK YOU THANK THANK YOU
★★★★★
did you use the gluten free setting on your bread machine?
Hi there, is it possible for the recipe to work without the addition of sugar? Is the sugar just for taste?
If baking powder and soda are used, can yeast be excluded? I wonder.
Can i just use oat flour and millet flour to replace all other flours listed?
Thank you.
The sugar helps feed the yeast but if you want, you can use maple syrup or honey in its place. You can also try omitting if you really need to. Yeast cannot be excluded because this is gluten free and needs a little more boost. If you need yeast free, you can search “yeast free bread” in the search bar and I’ve got the recipe for you š You can always use your own flour blends but I just cannot say it will work 100%. You won’t know unless you try! Let me know how it goes and best of luck!
Can you sub ground flax seeds for the chia?
You can try but you might have to play around with the measurement variations.
This sounds wonderful, but could you email me or re-post the recipe using weight? When I bake, the only way I can get things to turn out is by using a food scale and weighing the ingredients. I will work on purchasing the items I do not already own. I’m almost desperate because the bread I currently buy is 6.99 a loaf! (Also, I can’t have oats, so which flour would you personally recommend as a replacement? I looked, but there are lots of choices.)
I just made this yesterday, and I love it. It has a slightly nutty flavour. The only thing I changed was I used a sugar alternative. The only thing complicated about this recipe is finding all the ingredients, which my local Bulk Barn had me wandering all over the store to find. This bread is a little crumbly but I don’t use it for sandwiches so it works for me! (I just put spread on top and eat it open). MUCH less crumbly than any other gluten free bread I’ve ever had from the store/restaurants, so that’s a win! Actually it’s the best gluten free bread I’ve ever had š
I’m 31 and this is the first loaf of bread I’ve ever made in my life. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
I do love gluten free bread and it is hard to find so I often make it myself.
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Great easy recipe! I used teff instead of buckwheat flour and sourgum instead of millet. Might need to reduce the heat cause my oven runs hot. Will definitely do this again with some revisions. Thanks for the great base recipe!!!
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hooooolyyyyyyy jeez. i just found out i have an egg allergy (in addition to a wheat and milk sensitivity) and couldn’t find any commercial gluten free bread without eggs. and now i’m glad i couldn’t, because it meant that i made this. by *far* the best gluten-free bread i’ve had. yeasty, nutty, delicious– like a good, soft whole grain loaf. i followed the recipe exactly except i subbed brown rice flour for the buckwheat flour (another allergy). mine didn’t rise quite like yours did (though it did get a rise!), so i’m going to keep working with it. i’m sure every experiment will be delicious!
★★★★★
does your gluten free egg free recipe work in a bread machine.
Do you have a recipe using GF flour blend (Namste brand)?
I have been using your recipe but I never really got the perfect texture as it is in your picture. What do I have to change to the recipe if I use just GF blend?
I was going crazy for a tuna melt four months into my doctor deleting gluten from my diet. I’ve now been able to enjoy those as well as toast with pumpkin butter. Marvelous!
My fifth loaf of this bread is in the oven (one per week – not a baking marathon). They’ve all tasted good but the first two were not pretty, fallen, cracked and a little too dense. I still haven’t gotten the beautiful risen loaf in your photo but by number three I’d achieved a rise that stayed even with the top of the pan and a lovely crust and good texture all the way through.
I’d never made bread and it did take a couple minor changes to get this right. (1) dairy milk (just because that is what I have in the refrigerator); (2) a piece of parchment on the bottom of the pan after loaf #2 stuck worked well; (3) It is winter and baking when it is 15 degrees outside means the furnace has sucked all the moisture out of the air in my house. I put a pie plate of hot water on the bottom shelf under my bread while it baked and that took care of cracking. (4) Two loaves fell. So I borrowed from another internet recipe and took 1/4 can of the brine from a can of garbanzo beans and added 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tarter and whipped it up (like whip cream). I deleted 1/4 cup of milk from the liquid to compensate. After all the ingredients were just mixed, I folded the garbanzo brine foam in and put the dough in the pan and it seems to have solved fallen loaves. I froze the remaining garbanzo brine and it whipped up nicely for the next loaf.
To any other bakers not getting exactly what you want, keep playing with this recipe. It is well worth it.
★★★★★
Thank you for these tips. I made this today for the first time and used both the brine and the parchment paper and got a great loaf of bread – I’m so happy, since I’ve been searchigng for an egg-free gluten-free bread recipe and have finally been gifted with one that really works! And it’s good, too!
Thank you so much Cara, and thank you Cat for posting your tips. Oh, and I cooked it on 300 degrees for an hour in my convection toaster oven, then I let it sit in the pan for about a half hour before taking it out to cool on a rack. It turned out perfectly.
Oh, and the real critic in our household – my son – gave the bread a thumbs up. Yay!!!
★★★★★
Hi Cara.
love your blog. I am about to attempt this for the first time, and on reading comments, it looks like lots of temperature problems. I saw a previous reader asked if you had fan force or convection oven as I have a fan force and trying to get that answer… so for those with a fan force oven 190 degrees is equal to 210degrees if it’s not based on a fan force oven which might be apart of the problem? Is your oven fan force? If it’s not then that means I would need to cook my loaf at 170 degrees. Would like to get it right up front rather than waste my ingredients!! Can you reply? thanks a million, Nic
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been experimenting and hunting for gluten-free bready recipes that are also egg-free for ages without much success until this.
My first attempt turned out brilliant and was most importantly devoured by my daughter š I deviated slightly from the recipe:
– I used full-cream cows milk (DD is only allergic to wheat and eggs)
– I used Woolworths brand gluten-free plain flour which I think is mostly white rice but some tapioca as well. I used this in place of your millet, oats, and tapioca
– I used whole buckwheat groats as this is what i had in the pantry. Milled in the thermomix like the chia seeds
I was also a bit hasty and sliced one end off. It was quite tacky but not gooey, and it definitely improved as it cooled down. I’m going to freeze the loaf sliced. This is what I do for regular sourdough. If it’s for school lunches I make sure it’s in a sealed container – this keeps it from drying out. If it’s for immediate eating I warm it in a sandwich press that’s reached temp and turned off.
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Hi there,
So you used 2 1/2 cups of the gluten free flour?
Cheers
This is a really good bread! I do have one question – is it 5 Tbl Chia seeds and then grin them up or is it 5 Tbl of them when they are ground? I measured them first and then ground them and it seemed to work fine. I just started to question myself.
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I have made this recipe five times over, and have loved it more and more every time – even when it doesn’t come out perfect. I have tried it with different flour blends, different baking temperatures, and even an overnight rise. Sometimes, the bread has risen in the oven, other times, it has fell.
For me, baking the bread at 350 for a whole hour results in a slightly burnt crust with a very gooey center, so, I tend to bake it at 300 now-a-days, although it doesn’t result in a pretty, risen end result. I think that next time I make it, I will bake it at 350 for 20 minutes or so and then turn down the temperature to 275 for 40-55 minutes to cook the center through.
None the less, I love this bread and am super thankful for you finding this perfect recipe for us. I turn it into texas toast and serve it with bbq jackfruit, which has been so much of a friend favorite that I shared it on my blog, kimberlyandryan.tumblr.com.
Thank you for going through so many trials and errors so that we don’t have to do as many!!
★★★★★
made this bread for the first time (first ever gluten free bread actually) … followed exact recipe except I placed pan on higher rack (not the middle rack) … bread turned out wonderful … crispy on the outside (a touch crumbly) and fluffy in the middle (a cross between bread and banana bread texture) … used olive oil as the vegetable oil … the batter was definitely moist – I could have reduced this by a couple tbsp … bread rose well before the oven and a bit more in the oven … will become a regular baking recipe routine and may try different additions: figs, raisins and cinnamon, olives, herbs etc … thank you for all your experimenting to bring this to the community
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I made this bread about 4 times, but it looks so doughy. It does have a nice crust but the inside looks uncooked. I tried to make it in a bread machine but I got the same result. What I am doing wrong?
2 questions: 1). Do you have an oven thermometer to verify that your oven is at the right temp? I have just recently had my oven fixed and they completely messed up the temp (about 50 degrees higher than it reads) so I’ve had to invest in the thermometer. It has made such a difference! Before, I was getting the same results for all of my baked goods. 2). Are you waiting for the loaf to cool completely?
I wonder if I can make this recipe in the breadmachine.
I made this bread with my friend who has kids who need to eat gluten-free! I am used to following recipes and we did except we substituted a few things. We used Rice Dream Drink for the nondairy milk and we used brown rice flour instead of the oat flour (they have allergies to oats too). The batter was SO dry and that was my first hint that it was going to fail. Anyways we were SO disappointed as it didn’t rise. The flavor wasn’t great! The kids didn’t like it, turned up their noses to it. It was super crumbly and hard to swallow! What happened?
Hey Debbie, my first guess as to why it was dry is because you used a different flour than what the recipe suggested. Any time you swap out gf flours you run the risk of creating a more dry outcome, which is what happened with you. Oat flour is very close to regular flour in terms of the way it performs in a recipe and it also absorbs liquid differently (as do all gf flours). It sounds like it didn’t rise because one of 2 things: your yeast was old and/or the fact that the bread was too dense.
Hi Cara –
Do you have to use white chia or will black chia seeds be OK?
Thanks!
You can use black š
I’m on loaf 6 now, and I seem to have the same problem every single time. I let the dough rise just to the top of the pan, stick it in the oven, and it falls almost immediately. My yeast is foams/proofs perfectly (I’ve tried 3 different types now), everything is warmed to 110*, I’m using the exact ingredients in the exact amounts, and my oven is the proper temperature. I’ve tried varying the amount of water and rise time like some have suggested, but the same thing happens every single time. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The major issue I run into with baking (especially gluten free) is altitude. If you live at higher altitude, then you are dealing with low pressure. Essentially, the lower the pressure, the faster water boils (or lower temperature that water boils at). This means that the liquid is boiling out of your recipe too soon, drying out your ingredients, making things not rise, etc. Also, high altitude causes issues with rise in breads.
So its important to know what altitude the recipe was made for (most recipes are designed for sea level) and then look up the altitude where you live. (You can type your city into Google and the word altitude, and it gives you a pretty accurate number). After that, you can look up how to alter a recipe for the altitude you live at.
Because if the altitude of my parents house, the gluten free wedding cake I tried to make had to be scrapped after 15 failed recipes for white cake, and I switches to a chocolate cake that only took 3 recipes until we finaly had a high altitude recipe.
Good luck. Hope this helps.
Andrew – Same problem. Try replacing 1/4 cup of the liquid with following (I used 1 cup water and 3/4 cup milk in the “liquid” part of Cara’s recipe):
Take a can of garbanzo beans and drain off 1/4 of the brine (keep remaining brine in freezer for later batch and eat beans). Add 1/2 teaspoon of Cream of Tarter to the 1/4 cup brine. Whip about 5 minutes until it gets like thick whip cream. I found it whips faster if I refrigerate first and get a little cold. Also, it might whip faster with a stand mixer (I only have a hand mixer). Once all your bread ingredients are mixed together, take the brine fluff and fold it into the bread dough until barely mixed and then put dough in the prepared pan. Hope that works for you too!
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Thanks for this great recipe! I’ve tried many other gluten free vegan breads but this one always turns out really nice. I never manage to have all the right ingredients at home but I’ve used teff flour mixed with rice flour and it worked as well. Thank you for sharing!
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Have you tried chickpea fava water or any other bean for that matter? I had similar issues when trying to get a good loaf in my bread machine with whole wheat flour and vegan (no dairy or eggs). I came across a suggestion that bean juice helps. I substituted the fava for some of the water and voila, works great!
Great suggestion!
HELP! I made this bread and followed the ingredients to a T for the most part! (My local store didn’t have oat flour or millet flour, so I bought millet and oats and just used a processor to grind them down to a flour. I also used regular chia seeds instead of white.) My dough didn’t rise at all, it was barely 3/4″ up! It’s quite tasty, but why didn’t it rise??? It also seems very crumbly….is that normal??
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Did your yeast fizzy up first when it set there for those minutes? If not, you found your problem–your yeast has expired or placed in too cold/too hot water.
Thank you so much for this recipe! My bread turned out great- nice and crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. I love the slightly yeasty flavor it has (that I’ve missed for so long!) and the texture.
I wanted to post in case anyone else needed to make the substitutions I made. I used soy milk, ground flax instead of chia, brown rice flower instead of oat flour, and sorghum instead of millet.
Also, wondering how many eggs I would use if I went that direction instead of flax/chia?
Thank you thank you thank you again š
I made your Gluten-Free Bread recipe with high hopes. I haven’t found a decent recipe yet for GF Bread. The only thing I changed in your recipe was I substituted avocado oil for vegetable oil. The bread rose a little above the pan and while baking spilled over and the bread collapsed. It turned out to be 2 1/2″ high at the most (I tried to add a photo here, but was unable to). I am so bummed. My son has a gluten intolerance and the hard thing to find is good bread or a good recipe for it. Help! Any thoughts?
Is it even worth eating bread these days due to parasites? First I hear gluten sticks to your body like glue and attracts garbage. Now I am hearing that grains just attract the crap out of parasites. I don’t know what to think.
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I made this bread last night – followed the recipe exactly. I cut a slice to try this morning and it is delicious! Will definitely be making more as I don’t expect this loaf will last long before we eat it all.
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Can this bread be made without adding any oil?
I was wondering the same thing. Did you try it?
This looks like a great recipe. Has anyone tried it in a bread-maker? If someone out there has any variations, settings (1lb etc), or order of ingredient tips? Thanks all!
I have followed the recipe (with the obvious bread machine variations like the order to put in ingredients) and it came out good. The second time I added 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum and it had a slightly better crumb. But it was fine without it too.
★★★★
Making it in the machine as I write this…
Cross yer fingers!
I’ll be trying this over the weekend but with aquafaba to replace the eggs. I’ll come back and update. Thanks for the hard work Cara!
How did it turn out with aquafaba? My son has aseed allergy so no flax.
Hi Cara–dude, bread is not my thing. I had “fun” with trying to make GF breads in the far past. I am so happy with the results of this loaf and I haven’t even eaten it yet. It’s in the oven–I can smell it–yum. The recipe was simple, easy to mix together, and it has risen!!! It smells great! You are a genius! Thank you for putting in those tough weeks of trial and error to bring forth this recipe!
★★★★★
First of all, LOVED that you called me dude. Secondly, love hearing this. All of it!! Much love, Stephanie, xo.
Hi Cara, Can I make this in a bread machine? Wuuld I need to change anything? Thanks!
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Yes, I did in my bread machine. Just follow bread machine ingredient order (wet-dry-yeast).
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WARNING!!! Don’t try this with parchment paper! I always use it – but it was a bad idea with this recipe. Bread stuck to it, even after baking. š I hope it can be salvaged! Smells great, and LOOKED good (until I saw the stick).
★★★
I just made it and used parchment paper and it didn’t stick. Did you use wax paper instead of parchment maybe?
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Hey Cara! Thanks for the recipe, its truly awesome, one question though, can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
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Of course š
I always use parchment paper, no problem at all…… and also use olive oil.
I used corn starch instead of tapioca and it still turned out great!
Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve had this problem (rising, then falling in the oven) before and American Test Kitchen suggests:
1) build a 1″ tin foil collar around the bread pan.
2) Put in he oven when bread has risen almost to the top of the pan.
3) When done, turn oven off and leave bread in the oven for while to cool down naturally.
I now need to try this bread…looks fabulous!
My loaf sunk just a tiny bit in the oven. Is it going to sink even more when I pull it out of the oven? Do I let the loaf cool in the pan? Do I cover the load with a towel while cooling?
Hi Cara! I was wondering if there were any substitutes for the starches used to make the bread more nutritious. I’m not vegan, but I have celiac and this looks like a great recipe!
★★★★
Try whatever starch/mix of starches you are okay with!
Would it be possible to post measurements in weight in addition to volume?
PLEASE!!! I really want to get this recipe right. My first attempt sunk in the oven. I’d love to try it again with weight measurements. Thanks!
Sorry Lily, I don’t post weight š
Hi Cara! I’m new to your site but looking forward to exploring! Our family has been gluten free for a few years due to a sensitivity but have now recently needed a bread that is egg free because of new egg restrictions at my daughters school (the GF bread we buy has egg whites). I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe! We do not need to be dairy free, so, I was wondering if you think it would be ok to use dairy milk instead of the non dairy listed in the recipe?
Hi Sharri, welcome! Happy you are here š To answer your question, you will have absolutely no changes to the recipe if you use regular ol’ milk. Good luck with the bread making! xo
Oh my goodness!! SO incredible! First bread I have had in 9 months!!! This morning I made your pancakes! Both divine and so grateful to have finally found amazing GF, Dairy and Egg free recipes!! I’m in heaven today! I’m going to try the French toast recipe tomorrow. Thank you SO very much!!
YAY! Love making your bread dreams come true š
Hi Cara, it was a great bread, mine did not fail and it tastes so good. It was my first successful try at gluten free bread. I think my issue was that it was too crusty, the inside was very well done though! Is it perhaps due to the fact that i used tapioca starch only instead of arrowroot? Anyways, thanks for the perfect recipe!
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This recipe is lovely! I haven’t had bread in sosososo long and this is just perfect with non-dairy butter and strawberry jam! thankyou
★★★★★
how did you get it not to be crumbly when slicing??
Allowing it to cool COMPLETELY prior to slicing and using a serrated knife.
I have been making this bread for a few months now. I use Tapioca in place of arrowroot.
I have before also added sliced black olives for a savoury olive loaf and it is delicious!
This is a house staple.
Thank you š
★★★★★
Thank YOU for taking the time to share this Kerry! xo
Hi Cara, there are six types of millet flour, which one did you use in this recipe ? Thank you & God Bless
… Hi Cara, there are six types of millet flour, which one did you use in this recipe ? Thank you & God Bless …
Hey there Cara I stumbled upon this recipe searching for a healthier bread alternative. Just a few questions.
I have black chia seed – would that be okay instead of white? I also have read some questions about flax – I have both and wondering what would be better.
Also I have a bread maker – if I wanted to use that instead of the oven do you have any tips for making the bread in that?
also how many slices does it usually yield?
Thank you for posting this recipe, like may others that have commented, I too have been looking for a GF recipe that looks like and tastes like bread (not gummy at all). Just made this today, have a slice already with lashings of butter (yummy!!), to top it off it rose beautifully (unlike my other attempts), with a great crust, so no more ‘tiny’ or ‘brick-like’ slices.
One slight variation to the ingredients, since I didn’t have plain ground chia seeds, i used ‘Neat Egg’ which has chia and garbanzo and it worked well.
Thanks again, keep posting those recipes.
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Ooooh, thank you for that! Sounds awesome. I have yet to try the Neat Egg but now I am so curious to try. Thank you š
You are a genius!!! I can’t thank you enough for creating and sharing this wonderful recipe. I’ve tried so many other GF and vegan bread recipes and they are no where close to real bread. This recipe hit the spot, thank you!!!
YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!
I’m having some trouble finding ground white chia seeds that aren’t a million dollars. Would flax seeds be an acceptable substitution in this recipe?
You can always try it out, yes. Might slightly change the liquid amount but not too much. Good luck!
White chia seeds are expensive. It won’t change the taste to use “regular” chia seeds, just the look. And it already looks kind of anemic so why not? š
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I must say this is one of the best gluten-free breads I’ve tried. I actually ended up dividing the dough into two separate bread pans, because the first time I tried it the dough overflowed my pan and I lost a bunch. I baked it for only half the time, and it was soft and delicious!
Also tried using it for pizza dough, spreading it into two pizza pans, letting it rise and baking it for 15 minutes at 425. Then I topped and baked for another 15 minutes. Wonderful. Thanks so much for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Loved your blog – I have been on the same mission – without success and can relate completely to the brick. Can’t wait to try this.
Hi Cara,
For your special flour blend what could I use instead of oat flour? coconut or rice? I can’t have any oats, spelt, wheat and natural gluten.
Thank you
Hi Cara,
Having some trouble getting the dough to rise. It rises before cooking and then settles down during baking and turns out crumbly and dense. I had to substitute the buckwheat for millet (in the special blend as well due to allergy) and I am unable to use chia seeds or flax seeds due to allergies. Any pointers or suggestions on the proper substitution?
Thanks!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I followed it very precisely and the bread turned out amazing. I made my flour mix based on your instructions (buckwheat+white rice+cornstarch) and the result is perfect, perfect taste, rise, density, softness, etc.
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Hi Cara, Thank you for this recipe. It saved the day. I almost lost hope in baking gluten-free bread until I found your recipe. I’ve made it three times so far with great success! My gf bread journey is documented on my blog. This recipe’s a real keeper. Thank you again!
★★★★★
Christine! I love hearing this, thank you so much!!
Not too sure what to say about the issues people are having, because I followed this recipe pretty closely and it came out beautifully (just perhaps too browned on the outside for my own taste, but I’m afraid of cooking it in less time in case it doesn’t cook the insides enough). It rose both before and in the oven.
I used Bob’s red mill GF mix, not the 1-1 stuff, and the designated amount of buckwheat flour. I didn’t have any milks other than full fat coconut, so I cut it in half with water to thin it, and I used coconut oil as my oil. Also, I used whole chia seeds. But… I did accidentally forget the salt! Whoops.
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I’ve had great success with this recipe too. I doubled the amount of salt and it tasted even better! š
★★★★★
That is awesome to hear. Gonna try the more salt method next time too (love me some salt!) xo
Hi Cara!
I’ve made this recipe twice now, neither time getting that glorious bread you have pictured. The first time was certainly my fault! To any readers out there getting a dense loaf…weigh your ingredients! That GF blend can really get packed into a measuring cup even if you are being careful! Also, ensure to measure chia seeds after grinding, not before! The second time I made this bread (this morning) by weighing out my ingredients, my dough turned out much more like you said it would, like a batter and not very thick like my last loaf. I had very high hopes! It rose well before baking, and then had the same problem as other readers where it fell in the oven. Not sure what I’ve done wrong…I will try only letting it rise for 30 minutes next time instead of 45, and maybe reduce the liquid by 1/4 Cup? Any other suggestions? I am absolutely determined to get some of that delicious bread above! Thank you so much!
Let me just say that I am so excited to make this bread. I’ve been drooling over this recipe for ages. A couple of questions, if I may:
Firstly, how would using sprouted grain flours affect the outcome of this bread? I’ve never used sprouted flour before but I’m very much interested in utilizing them for gluten-free baking (to offset the lack of nutritional value in the starches)
Secondly, and I do apologize if this has been asked but how do you think flax meal would work in lieu of chia seeds? Also, do they need to be ground?
Thank you so much for all of your inspiring recipes!
★★★★★
Sprouted grains won’t necessary change the outcome considering that it’s just the way it was processed; just makes it a little more nutritious. Flax could work but I cannot guarantee it. Any changes can alter the bread but it’s such a slight one, it should be fine! xo
I would totally be interetsed in a sandwich bread version of this š
350F is not 190C, it is 177C. I didn’t catch that the first time I made this and just followed the 190C, which explains why the outside was crazy crunchy and the inside really gummy. I’m going to try it at 177C tonight and hope it turns out right this time.
The bread is in the oven as I type. It raised well to the top of the pan in 30 minutes. I then placed in a preheated oven. From the point I put it in, it never raised anymore. I didnt have buckwheat or brown rice flour that u thought might be a substitute so I used a sticky medium grain white rice that I ground to a flour. I also added 1 tsp of xanthan and increased baking soda by 1/2 tsp. I subbed cornstarch for the arrow root. Any ideas what could be wrong? Was it maybe my subs?
The first time I tried this recipe I had the problem that a lot of other people were having, where the middle of the loaf deflated and was doughy.
After reading through the comments I decided to make a few adjustments:
1. I cut the water down to 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup.
2. Instead of using 5 Tbsp of ground chia, I used 2 Tbsp ground chia + 2 Tbsp ground flax + 1 Tbsp of psyllium husk powder.
3. I used honey the second time instead of sugar. But I don’t think it should make a huge difference.
I think that taking out that 1/4 of liquid really was the biggest help.
I made this in bread machine BTW.
We have this bread machine, and I used the gluten free mode:
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CBK-100-2-Pound-Programmable-Breadmaker/dp/B001C2KY7Y/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0
This was only the second loaf of bread I’ve ever made in this machine. We only recently purchased it and it’s the first one we’ve ever had.
I’ve never really been a baker (maybe an advantage in my case since I don’t have to overcome gluten free or vegan issues and unlearn traditional methods of baking) so I was pretty happy with the way my second loaf (with my recipe tweaks) of this came out.
I was also pretty happy to be able to find all of the flours listed here at the local health food store, which I happen to work at. It’s a small store so I thought for sure that I’d have to go to more than one place but nope!
I’ve been gluten free for over twelve years now but never really got into baking because the idea of having so many different flours in my house was kind of intimidating. I also stopped eating many “bread” products since options over a decade ago seemed over priced, unappetizing and lacking in nutrients.
We’ve gone basically vegan in our house (excluding honey obviously) but trying to find commercially made bread products has held us back because almost all of them have eggs in them. My boyfriend’s a bit more of a bread eater than me but I can’t complain since he voluntarily offered to go GF when we moved in together.
So anyway, thanks for the recipe! If anyone has any issues you could try some of the adjustments that I mentioned above.
Here’s a photo of the second loaf that I just made today. I sprinkled a little extra ground flaxseed on the top before it started baking. I’ll probably try adding some additional things to the mix at some point like caraway, poppy or pumpkin seeds.
https://instagram.com/p/1_U4D0SA4w/
Here’s a photo of a loaf made the same way as I mentioned above, with hemp and pumpkin seeds added. Also made in our bread machine.
https://instagram.com/p/2yYDrWyA4u/
I’ve also used the same method as mention above and also switched out the oats for Bob’s red mill gf baking mix. Still came out with a pretty good loaf.
Hello Cara ,
I m sorry if this question is repeated but I tried to read all the comments.
Can I replace the dry yeast with fresh yeast and how much ? I can t find a good source of dry yeast where I live because of the additives.
Thank you š
Hi Cara,
Is oil necessary for baking this bread? Can it be replaced with anything?
Thank you so much for your beautiful recipes! š
Blessings
What size setting should I use for this loaf recipe in a breadmakerC? Many thanks!
Hello again, I’m also questioning your measurement to weight ratio for the chia seeds. 1 tbsp of chia seeds weighs approx 14 grams. You call for 5 tbsp of chia seeds bracketed (35 grams) but by my calculations 5 tbsp would equal 70 grams being 1 tbsp = 14 grams.
I really love the recipe but are having failure after failure of sinking loaves in the oven. I’m determined to get a loaf looking like yours in the photos.
I think she is measuring the weight of GROUND chia seeds. Have you tried measuring after grinding? You can store leftover ground chia in a jar in
…The fridge
It seems people have been having the same problem of a good rise then sinking in the oven. I live in the southern hemisphere, New Zealand to be exact and I too have experienced this problem. What are we all doing wrong? I have followed this recipe ‘to the T’, read all the comments and replies, and followed all the recommendations as to why the bread is sinking and its still sinking?!
Do you live in a place with higher elevation?
The elevation of the town I live in is 9 meters so no not high.
I have a question on yeast. I see you use active dry yeast and proof it. Can I use instant dry yeast instead? Would I still need to proof it or just add into the dry ingredients? Has anyone else done this? Can you proof instant yeast and gain the same results as active yeast? I have googled this and read mixed results, some say the rise will not be as good, some say it worked just the same as active yeast.
Instant = less proofing time so just be mindful of that when letting the bread sit on the counter. I always say just try and see š
I use instant dry yeast that comes in small sachets. I have tried using it by mixing straight in with the dry ingredients and also proofing it with the milk. Results are the same.
Cara, Do you have a bread recipe that is gluten, dairy, egg, yeast, corn & soy free? I don’t care if it weighs 24lbs! I have moderate to severe negative side effects from these ingredients š
I haven’t read all the comments, so forgive me if this has been answered….have you used coconut flour in any of your recipes? I may try and substitute some or all of the oat flour in this particular recipe. Thanks!
Today was the second time I tried this recipe, and the second time that my loaf sunk in the oven. Both times it rose beautifully on the counter, but upon putting it into the oven it sunk. (After reading a few comments above, I’ve come the conclusion that this could be due to the fact that I live on Kauai. It’s warm and humid here.)
The first time I tried the recipe I did not grind my chia seeds. Instead I used them whole. Today I thought I would try grinding them to see if that would make the difference. It obviously did not.
Both times, instead of using store-bought oat and millet flour, I ground my own oats and millet in the dry container of my Vitamix. Could this have something to do with the sinking upon entering the oven?
I really want to try this recipe again, as that rise and that crust in your pictures is almost to die for! I anxiously await your feedback… š Thank you!
I have made several loaves of gluten-free bread (although I haven’t tried this particular one yet) and I have noticed that if a loaf rises too much before it goes into the oven, it will sink while baking. When it rises too much beforehand it seems to blow out, so to speak, and then it doesn’t have any rising left to do once it’s in the oven. So now I only let them rise until they are just about 3/4 doubled in size, if that makes sense. I think perhaps the warmth and humidity of your climate might speed the rising process as well.
Hi there,
Just wondering if I can use grind up brown rice with ground oats, instead of the arrowroot flour and millet flour? In shops near me, srem to not sell it…
If you grind up brown rice yourself, just know that there is the great possibility that it will be gritty and because it’s not a fine grind (which allows for more liquid absorption), you will need to make sure that the flour to liquid ratio are appropriate. At that point, it’s a totally different recipe which I always encourage experimentation with different flours however I cannot guarantee it will work. Hope this helps!
Hello,
I had the same problem as Francesca. Achieved a beautiful rise before baking and then it fell in the oven. I want that sexy rise! Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Kami,
If I have an success after trying some of Cara’s suggestions, I’ll post what worked. Please do the same if you have any luck. My son can’t tolerate oats, eggs, or gluten, and so far I haven’t had any success recreating a GF version š
Hi Franceca,
I realize it has been quite a while since this thread was posted, but I thought I would try out this question anyways:
My son also doesn’t tolerate gluten, oats, and eggs and I am desperate to find a good wholesome bread recipe for him. Have you had any luck yet? We all have to help each out, right? It is sometimes just madness trying to give our children a simple enjoyable chiled hood while avoiding many of the food other people rely on as staples!
Hi,
I’ve tried this bread a few times and each time it rises before I place it in the oven, but once in the oven it falls. The end result is dense loaf.
I had to replace the oat flour as my son can’t tolerate oats, so i used your guidelines for making a blend and tried the combo with Sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and arrowroot in the proportions you noted. I replaced buckwheat with brown rice flour as my son didn’t like the buckwheat version.
I mixed the batter until just blended as the last time I though that perhaps, I oversized.
I’m very new to GF baking, so any advice is greatly appreciated as to why I’m not getting the fluffy loaf you have pictured.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Unfortunately it might be because of the replacement of the oat flour. The brown rice is a little more dense so it can have the tendency to weigh it down. What you can try is to up the amount of starch vs. grain in the flour blend, which will create a little more air/lightness. Also, how long does it take for your pre-heated bread to rise? Is it shorter than the recommended time on the recipe? Because part of the problem could be that due to where you live, the bread rises faster but if kept out longer than needed, it can cause it to deflate in the oven. One last thing, do you have an oven thermometer? Let’s start there š
Thanks so much for the feedback. I would say that the bread rises in about 45 min and I actually don’t have an oven thermometer anymore (lost in a move), but I’ll get one to double check the temp. Thanks for the input about the flour – I’ll make some adjustments with the starch vs grain ratio. I really appreciate the suggestions. Thank you!
Would brown rice flour work as a substitute? Also, how would I get a slightly more compact loaf? Before going vegan I used to enjoy gluten free brown rice loaves simply because I preferred the texture to that of gluten bread. Sadly, it was made with eggs:(
p.s. does this do well in bread maker & how many slices the size of normal white bread would this give?
Second time i didn’t get a reply to simple questions. How rude.
I did not see these questions, so sorry! It’s not out of rudeness, I try so hard to answer every question but sometimes an influx of comments come in and I completely miss it. Yes you can use brown rice but you might not get the compacted texture your looking for as this recipe creates the lighter texture. As for the bread machine, I cannot answer as I haven’t tried it.
I must apologize too. You see, I was a bit frustrated after receiving negative comments from others.I do look forward to more recipes and maybe deleting my previous comment could help us both move forward. From the photo the bread does have a decent texture, but should I add less liquid to achieve a more compact loaf, or do I just lave it?
Totally understandable. Gluten free is hard work and eating bread is a MUST š No worries,seriously, we are moving forward and I’ve already forgotten about…what were we talking about š About the compact texture, hmmm…you know, I have a yeast free bread recipe up that is similar to what you are looking for. Maybe using those measurements with the inclusion of yeast might Work. Does that help at all?
Thanks, it worked perfectly!
Also, your pita recipe s to die for!
So great to hear Tsyana! And that pita bread…ooooh, don’t get me started. Perfection!
Hello. My daughter cannot have milk, eggs or wheat/gluten. I wanted to make this bread as I thought suitable and ordered all the ingredients and didn’t notice before that buckwheat flour has gluten in? Why r u using buckwheat when it is not gluten free? If you could message me back I wuld love to hear from you. I am very new to all of this. I am struggling with cakes, breads and pastries because of the eggs! Thank you
Buckwheat, despite the sound of its name, is not wheat. its actually a fruit. You can read more about gluten free flours on my site that will greatly help you ease into this new world Tracey. Just search Guide to Gluten Free Flours (on my phone currently and cannot link it up on here). I also have Dairy and Egg Substitute guides as well. Good luck!
To clarify just in case I misrepresentated my wordss I meant that buckwheat is a flour made from a fruit š
Thank you for your reply. Do you think our buckwheat over in England is different? As the packet says it contains gluten! It says that it is a member of the rhubarb family. Am I ok to use it?
I’ve never heard of buckwheat having gluten in it unless it’s mixed with regular flour…
Buckwheat is in the rhubarb family. It could be that the processing mill also processes grains that DO contain gluten and so that flour would be cross contaminated. Rotten deal.
Hy there, buckwheat is naturally gluten free, you can also use organic rice, corn, millet, chickpeas flours. Eggs can be substituted with “flax eggs” (1 Tbs ground flax + 3 Tbs water, leave for 10 min.) . You can also make chia seeds gel for natural thickener. Almond milk is super creamy and great for every dish, canned coconut milk is also thick and very nice, you can even make coconut whipped cream out of solid parts. Search vegan recipes all over the internet and it shouldn’t be problem any more š
Just thought I’d add that I learned that about buckwheat when I bought buckwheat honey in New York. Was at the time recently diagnosed with Hashimotos and surely didn’t want to mess up my system. Blessings and thank you Cara for all you do for us folks out here in computerland.
Sending you blessings right back at ya š xo
Made this today and enjoyed it! The appearance is just like in your pictures, except mine didn’t rise quite as much. Maybe because I subbed ground flax (denser) for the chia. I also added 1 tb ground psyllium and 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to the dry mix, substituted chickpea flour for the buckwheat, and used 50/50 brown rice & teff instead of millet. Despite all of my tinkering, it turned around really awesome, great flavor, texture and crust. Can’t wait to try it again with other flours. Thanks! š
Love that, Shannon! Great knowing that you can make several subs to this bread and it still comes out similar. Thank you for the feedback! xo
Would brown rice flour work as a substitute? Also, how would I get a slightly more compact loaf? Before going vegan I used to enjoy gluten free brown rice loaves simply because I preferred the texture to that of gluten bread. Sadly, it was made with eggs:(
You are my new favorite human. I can’t wait to gather the ingredients and make this for myself. Then eat it all up and repeat!! Thank you š
Haha YAY! xoxo
Hey Cara!!
I loved this bread so much that I made a post about it on my blog, giving you full credit of course! It’s so good. You are a genius! Thanks for the awesome blog and healthy food. As a healthy eater it’s hard not to feel like an outsider but here I feel welcome and “normal”. Namastasty is awesome!!
Mandy Dugas from MandysHealthyLife.com
You are the sweetest! Thank you so much, Mandy, xo
… Greetings Cara, i have tapioca pearls, can i grind those to make the tapioca starch ? Or do i have to buy the tapioca starch ready made ? Thank you for this recipe & for the hard labor to create it, love & peace to all, God Bless …
My little man is allergic to oats. What is a good oat flour substitute that is gluten, soy and nut free?
You will need the starch, definitely.there is a guide to gluten free flours (search in the bar, sorry, I’m away from my computer) and it will help you greatly with substitutes, xo
Mmmm, this bread looks amazing! I love finding gluten free breads that ACTUALLY taste good and rise š
xoxo Sarah Grace, Fresh Fit N Healthy.
The rise is a must, isn’t it???
I bought the Decadent GF Baking book but I cannot find it in my e-reader
It is a great recipe. I used different flour mix, it works too. We all love the texture of the bread. The whole bread is light and full of air holes. Thanks for sharing. š
Gotta love those air holes š So happy you like it, Joyce!
Can you give directions on how to make in a bread maker ? I don’t have a gluten free setting on my machine. Thank you.
That I cannot do since I do not have a bread maker and don’t have experience doing so with this recipe, sorry! Give it a try though and let me know what happens š
Sharon, did you have any luck with the bread machine? I would love to try it!
Just made this bread for my Fiancee for the 2nd time. She absolutely loves it and can’t keep her hands off it. It surely is better than the store bought crap. I altered it a bit since I couldn’t get all the ingredients here in the Virgin Islands. I used brown rice flour instead of buckwheat, coconut oil and flax seed. I also used a bread machine and It turned out perfect. Thank you for this awesome recipe. I will be trying your gluten free waffle next!! š
Help! I have this bread in my oven at the required temp. and in a 8 x 4 loaf pan and it is pouring out over the top all over the oven. What did I do wrong??? I shall let it continue to bake and clean up the mess afterward, but certainly would like to know where I went wrong. The bread looks delicious and I am having a hard time finding a bread that is vegan, gluten free and delicious.I followed the recipe as written, I did used home made hemp milk, could that make a difference? It rose very quickly and was ready for the oven in about 15 min. Please help……
I have made this recipe 3 times and each time mine over flowed like Tricia’s . It rose very fast. I did try a larger pan once by pouring the rising and overflowing dough into a larger pan, and that bread sunk in the middle. The bread tastes great, and I need to get this resolved as we are now GF Vegans. I did try to let the chia seeds soak more, and added a few T more flour, it still overflowed. The dough is way too wet. Please help…
The bread looks great! Everyone’s comments are so helpful. Its inspiring to see people helping each other and supporting one another with challenging food intolerances. Can this flour mix be used in a waffle recipe? I like it because its so healthy and full of fiber and nutrients. Thank you!!
You got it! I love the community too…it’s a big help for me when other people chime in as I’m not always available to answer every question š you can always try to use it in a waffle but maybe add more liquid?
Hello Cara,
I love this recipe. It contains no weird stuff. One question: Can the bread be made using a wholegrain flour blend without starches? I was thinking, perhaps, a blend of brown rice, oat and quinoa flour? I think I’m going to have a go at making a wholegrain version just to see what happens. Great breadcrumbs if it goes wrong.
d
Hello Cara!
I am new to vegan baking and extremely new to gluten free. I have been trying many different bread recipes all ending in epic failure. It is just very frustrating because I’ve made bread professionally in many different restaurants. I tried this recipe as well. I really liked the texture and how it wasn’t too dense.
Can the buckwheat flour be replaces with another kind of flour because I realized I don’t care for the flavor. Also it seemed like it was a little starchy. I followed the recipe is there any reason why it would be that way?
Hi Julianna. Unfortunately everything that you once knew about baking tends to go right out of the door when you have to take out gluten, eggs, and dairy. It’s a whole new set of rules to follow so I totally understand the frustration! The thing about gluten-free flours is that they all have different weights and capacity to absorb liquid so when you replace flours you always run the risk of changing your outcome. Having said that, I always encourage experimentation! Go to the search button on the top of my site and look up guide to gluten-free flours and you will find a great resource for you. The starchy flavor just might be a personal preference. That guide will help you create a blend that best fits your needs. Hope that helps!
Julianna – I also don’t care for buckwheat – did you have any success with a substitute? Would love to hear!
I made this for the first time last night. I used quinoa flour instead of buckwheat flour because that’s what I had on hand. It turned out great! Mine didn’t rise quite right, but I think that’s because I overheated the milk (i.e. I don’t think it had anything to do with the flour substitution). I hope that helps!
Thank you Cara! We are new to gluten free and I needed a bread that I could use in my grandmother’s southern cornbread dressing for our Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. None of the grocery or bakery gf breads available around here (Saskatoon) would work. I made this last night and am very pleased with the results. I think it will mix beautifully with the cornbread and sage! I sure do appreciate all of your experimenting and sharing. It’s people you who are making this transition to wheat free successful and enjoyable! Now lets hope I can pull of a gf pie crust for my dairy free pumpkin pie :).
Alisha, GF pie crust is REALLY hard to make! I have tried so many recipes! As a backup, just in case, I would suggest ordering the Katz GF All-Purpose Dough from Katz GF Bakery in Monroe. They ship. It’s the best GF pie crust I have ever had. I keep some on-hand in my freezer. It rolls out easily and is the best to work with that I have found. It always ends up flaky and delicious! The only drawback is the fluted edges of the crust end up browning more quickly than the rest…So I have to put foil around them to protect them, partway through cooking.
Good luck!
You can do it! š Can’t wait to hear of your updates! And thank you for your super kind words. So glad to be of help, xo
HI!
Wondering if there is a substitute for the the oat flour in the Cara’s special blend. We just had oats eliminated too:( Newbie to all this sourcing of recipes and playing with recipes that will work.
Thanks!
Ahhhh, what a bummer! Check out this post Tinille:
http://www.forkandbeans.com/2013/12/30/guide-gluten-free-flours/
It should be of great help to you. You can choose a flour from there (any medium flour but please note that because the weights of gf flours vary, the recipe might be a little off). I say give it a try though! Maybe brown rice flour if you tolerate it? š
I make this bread every week and tweek it a little here and there. This is what I have found makes the best bread for my 11 year old daughter.
Increased the sugar to 1 tablespoon.
Increased the baking soda to a full teaspoon.
Added 1 tsp of xanthum gum.
The rest of it I do exactly as the recipe states.
I do bake it in a bread maker on a gluten free setting. i just mix it all in a bowl and pour it into the bread maker.
Hope this helps!
Cheryl
Help! After a few days storing at room temp in plastic wrap, my bread “melted” and turned to goo in the middle. How should I store this? Was it cooked long enough? It was great the first day.
May I be signed up for notification of further posts please.
Thanks
Hi Cara, I just love your blog and recipes. I plan on making this bread tomorrow and was wondering if your special flour mix that you use in this recipe can be interchangeable with other recipes on your blog that call for your special blend gf flour mix? Thanks for all you do and maintaining such a fantastic blog! Adena
Hi Adena! I always support experimentation, so yes give it a try! Having said that, different gluten-free flours have a variety in liquid absorption, etc. so there might be slight variations. Having said THAT, I have tried using the special blend with other recipes and had success so…Good Luck! xo
Well, the bread turned out delicious! I’m guessing it was way denser than yours from the description, but super good nonetheless. After reviewing all the comments I did add psyllium, and I needed to add a bit more liquid because it was very dry. I also baked it 10 minutes longer which appeared to be needed. Not sure of that’s because of my oven or the fact that I’m in Colorado, at 5600 feet. Would love to hear from you or anyone else about adjustments needed for GF baking, at altitude.
Thanks so much for your reply. Can’t wait to try this bread again.
Great bread, Cara! Thanks for a great recipe. I’m new to the allergen-free cooking world. How do you recommend storing this bread? Thanks!
Hi, Cara, and thanks SO MUCH for creating this recipe, which I just found through a Google search for GF, egg-free recipes. Do you think that one could successfully add cinnamon and raisins to this? If so, when/how would you recommend adding the raisins? My daughter really misses her cinnamon-raisin bread. Thanks! It looks stupendous!
I’m dying to try this recipe but I can’t get chia seeds. I do have flaxseeds and psyllium husks. Any suggestions as to how I can use these instead please? I also can not tolerate oats, do have a suggestion of a replacement flour? I have millet, sorghum and buckwheat.
Look forward to your reply!
Had to adjust for what I had on hand, but this turned out great! I couldn’t find millet flour (but I’ll keep hunting) so I used sorghum instead. And my loaf pan made a run for it, so I portioned out the dough and made mini loaves instead. I baked them for about 35-40 minutes and they’re the perfect sized serving for soup or breakfast. Can’t wait to get a new loaf pan to make actual loaf of sliced bread out of this!
I just wanted to say thank you so much for this recipe Cara! I just made a loaf and had some with my sister- it is so delicious! I also used applesauce instead of the oil and it turned out perfectly š
Hi Cara, Thank you for this non-bread machine recipe! I will try it with equal parts oat and brown rice flour, unless you think I can do it substituting all rice flour instead of the oat flour in your special blend. Do you think a glass loaf pan would work for this loaf?
That will do just fine Karen. Good luck! xo
I made this bread today for the first time and it came out perfect! I didn’t have high expectations as I tried a gluten free vegan bread recipe last week which was horrible, but this is really lovely. I used a mixture of psyllium husk and powdered flax seed instead of the powdered chia seed and cooked for 45 mins instead of an hour as it seemed ready, and it was. Thanks!
I can’t get chia seeds but I do have flaxseed and psyllium husks. What was the measurements you used for each and did you just do a straight swap with the chia?
My son is allergic to buckwheat. Can I leave out the buckwheat flour? Substitute something else? Thanks! This blog is a lifesaver!
Made this bread in CO, where adjustments for altitude are usually necessary. I added the psyllium husk as someone suggested and the bread turned out great! The flavor is good. Also, I didn’t have tapioca on hand so doubled the Arrowroot and it worked out fine. Thanks for the great recipe
Hey everyone,
I’ve made this several times now and I think I cracked the code…made as is I got a sunken middle and crumbly texture (but great taste!). My last couple have been *perfect*, so here’s what I did:
1. I added 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk powder to the batter–I think this helps give it a little more “hold” that you lose by not using eggs. It’s a lot thicker as a result but does not fall and the end state texture is really flexible.
2. Used ground flax instead of chia. I don’t think this would make much difference but it’s what I have on hand and has been consistently successful.
3. I only let it rise for 30 mins and not a second longer.
4. I cooled the loaf upside down.
Hope this helps!!
So you used 5 tbsp ground flax plus 1 tbsp psyllium husk? And did you add the psyllium along with the flax to the liquid ingredients as stated in the recipe instructions?
I mixed the psyllium into the dry mix but added the flax to the wet in place of the chia.
As one other commenter suggested, at least part of the answer to sinking loaves is to very gently mix the wet ingredients with the dry just till combined. This has made all the difference to my current attempts.
A total disaster.
I think that maybe some of the bread sinking could be a mixture of problems. If your bread rises to fast it will sink in the middle. If it is too humid or hot in your house this could also cause it. Sometimes elevation is the issue. gf bread has no structure until it is cooked, so if it rises to high above the pan you will end up with half of your loaf burning in the bottom of the oven :(. Gf bread cannot be left unattended while rising or baking.
Love this Jackie, thank you so much for the thorough suggestions!
I made this at my daughter’s house and here at my house today and both times it fell while baking in the oven and I measured very carefully both times and was careful to just get ingredients mixed. In spite of this, it tastes very good (Loved the French toast) and it is a godsend for my grandson’s severely restricted diet. This is the first recipe I’ve used and I hope to try more.
hey Cara, firstly thank you for this recipe! I have finally found an amazing gluten free bread!
secondly, can you give me the height of your loaf pan? because the issue is that my loaf pan is too short and as a consequence the dough of my bread always comes out from the loaf pan.
thank you!
Clarissa
Hi Cara,
Having done a ton of baking myself, I think the reason at least *some* of the loaves are sinking is that they’re being over mixed. For quick breads, at least, over mixing is a kiss of death–although when using gluten free flours you can never be 100% sure.
I just made a loaf, subbing a mixture of white rice flour and quinoa flour for the millet flour and golden flax meal for the chia. It’s cooling on the counter right now and looks fantastic…beautiful golden brown and rest rise. **Fingers Crossed** I’m hoping everything turned out on the inside!
Thanks so much!
Camilla, you are the best for this comment–thank you for your insight and suggestion! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you as well that the bread innards are perfect š xo!
Turned out great! Another suggestion–I let it cool upside down. Just in case anything did start sinking after I took it out of the oven. Awesome recipe, thank you!
it’s really disappointing to see so many gluten free recipes using gluten free oats. it’s not about the gluten content but the avenin content. I myself am sensitive to oats, they trigger refulx and respiratory bothers. I feel like replacing the oats in this recipe would just be tempting fate therefore not even worth trying.
Using oats is making this recipe limited for your target audience.
Hi MK! I am sorry to hear that you are disappointed, I truly am. I can see your frustration and how you see that I am limiting my target audience however I also know that when I use rice flour or flaxseed meal or potato starch or sorghum, I am also limiting my target audience. In the food allergy world, it’s very difficult to please everyone. I try my best to offer as many substitute guides as possible but like I said, it’s impossible to create a recipe that EVERYONE can eat. This post clarifies that I tried this recipe several times with various flours and this is what I found to be the best flour combo. Please however do not disregard the hundreds of recipes on this site that do not have oats that people like you (who unfortunately cannot eat oats) can still enjoy. Much love, Cara xo
I made this bread, making some necessary substitutions. It rose well but fell during baking in the oven. Still baking now, so will see what the texture is like when it comes out. I have to be nearly fat-free, so I substituted applesauce for the oil. I also used a little more applesauce and a little stevia in place of the sugar. And I used flax meal instead of the chia seeds because I had flax on hand. I’ll keep experimenting or just go back to my former bread recipe which has xanthan gum in it.
Does anyone else find Millet flour to be incredibly bitter? I’ve tried two different recipes with it (one a skillet flatbread, the other “tortillas”) and both my husband and I found them inedible. Everyone says it tastes “nutty” – am I doing something wrong?
I don’t have that issue Cattie but I cannot stand garbanzo bean flour and there is a multitude that love it š It’s all about personal preference. You might want to make sure that the flour did not go rancid (that could be the problem if both recipes you made came from the same batch of flour?) Just throwing options out there that might be the cause.
I don’t mind garbanzo myself for certain things, but I think you are right about the Millet being rancid. I did use the same bag for both recipes, and even though I had just bought it and kept it in the freezer, who knows how long it had been sitting on the shelf… Will give it another try. Is there a particular brand you prefer?
Millet flour is extremely perishable and will get rancid and bitter tasting if not bought fresh and then stored in the freezer.
Going to try this this weekend for french toast and sandwiches…one question, though.
Are the nutrition facts listed for the whole loaf? Maybe an obvious question but I wanted to make sure š
I had to take the nutritional info down for a moment because it never seemed like it was accurate :/
Cara – do you have WEIGHT measurements for your flour blend? I just bought a scale and I am amazed at how inaccurate my measurements are from cup to cup. I’d like to get this bread right for my children and not waste valuable time or equipment.
I know what you mean Lori! I have avoided using weight measurements just because I really want to make this simple for those new to gluten-free baking and maybe just baking in general. However, I’m beginning to think that I will need to do measurements soon. It really is a crap shoot, isn’t it?
I found Tapioca flour. Are they one and the same.
Yes they are, De! It’s confusing isn’t it? Tapioca flour and starch are the same but potato starch and flour are completely different. Silliness.
What can you substitute instead of Tapioca starch? I could not find it.
Yup! Potato starch and flour are completely different but tapioca flour and starch are the same š Confusing, huh?
Er. Just made the mix and it came out like dough not batter. Let’s see how it proves. š
Cara, would your gluten-free flour mix work for any gluten free recipes? For example, would it work well for scones?
Thanks!
X
Hi Cara,
I’ve made this bread twice now, I have had to use Dove’s organic gluten free flour which has a slightly different blend because that’s all I could get hold of in the UK, but other than that have used the same ingredients. Both times the bread has risen beautifully but once cooked it is as heavy as a rock! the crust on top is particularly hard. Any suggestions of how to make it lighter?
Did you use Fan or Convection Oven mode?
Thank you for your prompt response Cara. I’m going to try it again with a higher temp. and a little less liquid. I think I’ll also bake it in my clay bread pan as I notice, upon closer inspection that your loaf is pictured in a ceramic type pan. I did cut into the one I’ve made and it’s quite tasty, a little reminiscent of Irish Soda Bread.
Okay, I just made this bread. I am a very experienced baker. I read all the posts. I have a brand new gas GE oven with a brand new thermometer. My oven was at exactly 350 degrees F. My bread also sunk in the middle. I will wait patiently for it to completely cool before cutting into it. My guess is that the oven temp. Is not high enough. I will attempt this once more at 375F and see what happens. Has anyone found the solution to this problem?
This bread recipe and the results from others have me scratching my head, Bridget. I have made this particular recipe 3 times and each time, it rose perfectly without a problem. Half of those who have tried it have similar results, the other half have the sunk in the middle results. I just have no idea at this point, that silly bread! I did have one reader use 1/4 c. less of the nondairy milk (with the full 1 c. water) and baked in a bread machine and he said it rose perfectly. Maybe try that? The only thing I can think of that is different than most people’s oven is that I have a Wedgewood oven from the 50s that has been the best oven I have ever baked in. Not sure other than that. Maybe I can pick your brain? š
My best guess is that volume measurements are very inaccurate and the amount of liquid can be off very little and cause problems. It isnhard to measure even I quids accurately without a digital scale which is inexpensive. I got mine at groupon.
The bread is sexy and recipe appears cheaper than the Udi’s brand loaf…I do like it but it tugs on the wallet. How long will the bread keep if properly stored (what are your storage recommendations)? Also will a pre-mixed GF blend Pamela’s work?
Thanks
Definitely give Pamela’s a go–I like that brand and their mix!
Hi Cara!
Just tried this bread, and really, really impressed…i’ve also had a long list of gluten free bread recipe disappointments and I’m happy to say, this, your recipe, has put a big smile on my face…im not celiac, but the family in my house are, so i caught them tucking right in!
However, in comparison to the photos above, mine came out a little bit dense, not so airy with bubbles of air like yours, the top was quite crusty, which was nice, though the bottom was still a bit moist. I chucked it in the oven for a few min to bake up the sides.
Any suggestions to how to make the bread less dense and looking more like yours?
Thanks a bunch!
Regards,
Daniella
P.S. there really is a science behind the gluten free flour mix combination!
I am so happy that you were pleased with the recipe Daniella! It’s a bit of a tricky bread apparently and I am still trying to understand why my results seem to be so different than half of the others who have tried baking it. At this point I honestly don’t know :/ I haven’t given up though. To be continued…
Hi Cara,
I’m very excited to try this recipe, but my son is allergic to chia (and flax) seeds. Since you mentioned that you experimented with psyllium husk, I’m hoping you might be able to give me a recommendation on how I could use psyllium husk powder in place of the seeds. I know it won’t turn out exactly the same as yours and I’ll probably have to do some experimenting of my own. But, if you (or anyone!) can help me find a good starting point, I would be so grateful! Thanks!!!
Sorry for the delayed response Leah! If your son can have flaxseed, try using it in place of the chia. Curious to hear how that will work out! xo
Hi Cara,
Made this last night for my husband that recently have been diagnosed with sensitivity a for. Dairy, wheat, soy and bananas! I’ve tried a couple of bread recipts before this one and they have all been “cakey” instead of feeling like a loaf of bread. My 2 small problem whit this receipt was that the loaf sank in the middle mid through the baking. I’m getting a thermometer to check the temp of the oven. I usually bake all my breads on convection bake, but used the just Bake setting last night.. Second this was that it was really crumbly. Is there anything I can do about that? Did I not use enough liquid? Thankful for your repsond as I really want to find a great bread recipt for my husband. š
I add 1 teaspoon of xanthum gum. Much less crumbly. Good luck!
Hi Anna! Like Cheryl said, add some xanthan gum if you can. About the sunken middle. Either up the oven temp to 25 degrees or decrease the liquid by 1/4 c. Trying to perfect this darn thing has been a pain! Thank you for your patience though.. xo
Hi Cara,
Thank you for this recipe. I have been searching for a vegan and gluten free bread recipe. I made this last night and everything went smoothly, I had a nice foam with the yeast, the dough rose nicely. It looked beautiful coming out of the oven. I made it late at night, so I let it cool over night. I am not sure why but the top half of the bread is very crumbly and the bottom half is a little more dense. It is very hard to slice and falls apart on me. Any ideas why this could have happened? Also, the flavor was too “dark” for my taste, although delicious. What do you recommend I sub next time I try?
Hey Cara!
I was wondering if you had a good recipe up your sleeve for a vegan and gluten free bread to make in the bread machine?
Hi Moksha Meg! I would think that you could use this recipe for the machine but I’m not 100% sure. Worth giving it a try though š
I make this in my Breadman Ultimate Plus bread machine. I do the mxing in bowls, since the chia seeds have to thicken up etc. Then I pour it in the machine and set it on the gluten free setting. I have learned to take the paddle out, since I don’t need it to mix the bread anyway. When I left it in, the middle of the bread fell in. It has turned out great in the machine. Much easier since you can pour it in and forget it and not have to wait for the rising to be over etc.
I like this bread better with the xanthum gum included. It is less crumbly. Flavor is very good.
My 10 year old loves this bread and takes a sunbutter sandwich to school every day!
Love this Cheryl–thank you so much for your input! xo
How much xanthum gum do you use using the breadman?
HI Cara, your bread(s) look amazing and I would LOVE to be able to make some and enjoy it…but alas, in my myriad of food allergies and intolerances I have and ranking way up there are both types of yeast, along with eggs, grains/gluten, nuts, etc etc… so my question to you is, do you have a bread recipe that is also yeast free and/or any ideas for me to substitute? Thank you for being amazing and creating such wonderful things to enjoy. I –Miss –Bread. š
Hi Heather! Let’s put our heads together and figure this one out. I found this recipe but it has eggs: http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2013/06/sprouted-brown-rice-bread-gluten-free.html BUT because I don’t give up, I want to see if I can convert it maybe to a vegan bread by using psyllium and chia. Can you consume those 2 items? If so, we might be onto something…
Thank you for this recipe! This is the first yeast bread that I made that was not gummy on the inside!!! I have made it twice now and both times my bread was rising great but then it falls in the oven. Do you know why that keeps on happening? I still eat it and it is fine but I would like one that looks like yours.
I would like to know too! Made it twice, same thing happened — falls in the oven — but it is still fantastic and we gobble it up!
Quick question for you ladies, do you have an oven thermometer set to check your oven temperature? At first glance, my guess is that it’s a temperature issue. Let’s further investigate though! xo
I will get a thermometer! Thanks!
Lisa
Try decreasing the liquid by 1/4 c. too. Maybe that will help in the oven? xo
Hi Cara, just came across your blog and found this great gf bread recipe. I am just starting out on a gf diet. Can’t wait to try. Would sprouted millet flour work the same way as the non-sprouted?
Great blog..sure am going to stick around for a looooong time..:) Thanks for sharing.
Hi Cara,
A quick question re your flour mix as I’d like to make this bread. Here in New Zealand arrowroot powder and tapioca starch are seen as the same thing. So in the flour mix above could I use 3 cups of oat flour, 3 cups of millet and 3 cups of tapioca starch? Would that work? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks,
Rebecca
I tried the bread and it didn’t turn out. Ill be trying it again. I used your speciality blend flour mix. Because it makes so much I have a lot left over. I was wondering if you had a pizza crust recipe that uses that blend? Thanks
Bummer Bonnie! Might I ask what happened with the bread? Maybe we can find out a solution for it… About the pizza crust, this is the only recipe I have and I created it 2 years ago: http://www.forkandbeans.com/2012/06/20/gluten-freevegan-pizza-dough/
Hi Cara
Your Gluten Free Vegan Bread recipe uses sugar as on of the ingredients. I want to eliminate as much white sugar out of my diet as possible. What else can I use besides the sugar? Will applesauce work?
Hi David! There is only 2 tsp. of sugar in this recipe and that is really for “feeding” the yeast. If you don’t want to use it, I would suggest maple syrup or omit completely.
Hi Cara,
This recipe looks awesome and I can’t wait to try it. But is there any way I can incorporate LSA (linseed/sunflower/almond) meal into the recipe? Add it somewhere or replace something with it?
Thanks. š
Oh crap, what if yeast mixture isn’t proofing????
Give ten minutes to proof. If nothing has happened it means 1) your yeast is expired or 2) your liquid was too hot or cold. You have to start over with the proofing if no frothing has occurred.
Oh my God! I knew this was a failure as smoke filled my apartment from the burning bits of the loaf that fell onto the bottom of the oven. It’ll take all day to clean off the burnt stuff.
Don’t think I’ll ever try this again.
Oh no, Sheryl! What a total bummer–I’m so sorry to hear that your bread overflowed š It sounds like the temperature was too hot and the yeast began to overproduce. This usually happens if your oven temp is off and more hot than it says.
Hi I wanted to try to back this bread today but I want to make sure I get it right. In your recipe there is no xantham gum listed but in the comments they talk about it and one reader even posts your recipe with it. Just wondering? Thanks.
the recipe is correct Ana, there is no xantham gum in this. The combo of Chia meal and psyllium husk are the perfect replacement for using a gum.
You said the combination of chia meal and psyllium husk replace a gum, but there is no psyllium husk listed in the recipe. Is there supposed to be?
Ha! I did, didn’t I? The mix of psyllium and chia or the right amount of chia is enough to replace xanthan gum. In some other bready recipes i use a mix (which I was confused when i said that above) but chia is enough for this loaf. Hope that makes sense!
What would you recommend subbing in for the granulated sugar? I’m thinking xylitol or raw honey, do you think those would work?
Hi Estella! You can check this post out for sugar subs: http://www.forkandbeans.com/2014/01/06/guide-to-sugar-and-sweeteners/
Hope that helps š
This bread is amazing! Thank you so much for making a blog for a dietarily-restricted people like us.
Cara,
All my hopes and dreams were pinned on this bread. My daughter is newly gf and you know about all those store bought breads and how tasteless they are… so I found this recipe and thought I’d found my answer.
Well…. it’s still in the oven. I wish I could attach a pic. First, let me say I followed the directions to the tee, with the exception of substituting brown rice flour for the oat flour. Made sure the water and milk were 100 degrees, yeast was fresh (it frothed), other ingredients were fresh, etc. etc. The bread rose too much, spilling over the edge of the pan. And now it’s completely caved in. I actually cried. Still want to cry some more, actually.
Anyway, crying aside, why do you think it failed? I read the comments, the only thing I can think of is oven temp? I don’t have an oven thermometer… but the bread was rising too much anyway, prior to baking.
Your thoughts? Because I want to do try it again…
Thanks in advance. =)
ANGELA! No tears! Oh brother, I totally know this feeling of having your hopes up so high only to find them caving in like a loaf of gf/vegan bread š What it sounds like happened was that it was too hot (there was too much activity in the yeast). First off, where do you live? Let’s figure that out first. Things to try differently:
Cut back on your rising time (if you see that it’s already getting too high, you don’t need to let it sit for the required amount of time. Again, this might have everything to do with where you live).
Get a thermometer to check your oven’s temperature
Try it again š I know it’s frustrating (trust me–I KNOW this too well–ha!) but I promise you that I will help to make sure that your daughter can have a slice of homemade gf bread! xo, Cara
I had the same thing happen to me (exactly!) but with no substitutions. I didn’t stick around in the house while it was rising, but should have, it overflowed then caved in! I might add though that it is still SO GOOD!
My dad is peeved that I am eating gluten-free but he did a quick taste test, said “not bad, can I have a slice!” that my friend is what we call a success!!
Hi, Cara – I stumbled upon your blog at 5 am and had this bread rising by 6 am because I was so excited. When I say rising, I mean RISING… it overflowed when I started baking it. I did make some subs (I used sorghum, millet, potato starch, and tapioca as my flour mixture; I also used flaxseed meal instead of chia). After it overflowed (yes, I had to quickly try to clean the overflowed chunks out of the bottom of my oven before they caught fire…lol), it totally deflated. Boo!! I have about 15 minutes of baking time left and am hopeful that it is at least salvageable. Any thoughts on why I encountered this issue? Was it the subs I used?
Oh no! What a total bummer š PS I love that you went to work immediately though. ha! That’s my kind of gal.
Okay so what I am thinking is that this is a heat issue. You had too much rise activity going on and then too much heat which immediately killed it off (enter deflation). Not sure why it overflowed though but I’m thinking you should get a thermometer to measure your oven’s heat to ensure it’s at the right temp. Try that first and I will do some more research as to why it overflowed so dang much!
xo
Thanks so much for the quick reply! I have been giving it some thought since yesterday and I think you hit the nail on the head. I heated my oven to 200 degrees and turned it off while I was prepping the dough (actually, mine had more the consistency of batter). I then placed the pan in the probably-too-warm oven to rise. I used this method b/c it was recommended for another recipe I once tried, but was not right for this one. Happily, I was able to salvage about 8 nice slices and – most importantly – it was the BEST tasting GF bread I have tried! š
Alleluia! Finally a gluten-free bread that does not look, taste and feel like a brick!
Thank you for the great recipe! I would love for you to develop a baguette or how about crusty dinner rolls!
Baguettes and dinner rolls are on the list, Lili! To be continued… xo
Hi! I was wondering what went wrong and mine didn’t rise much? Shall I change my yeast? Baking powder? Hope to get some advice..
Hey Leanna! I’m so sorry your loaf didn’t rise–what a flippin’ bummer š Here are some of thoughts as to why it didn’t, and it’s exactly the direction you were going. Check your yeast and baking powder to make sure it’s still good–also it could be an oven temperature issue. Did it rise at all when you let it set on the counter?
Actually, it didn’t rise at all while on the counter. I waited about an hour (mind you I live in Asia so it is warmer here). Anyway — my yeast was newly opened from its package and I checked the expiration date. As for my baking powder, I had just opened that last Feb and works fine with my other baked goods! Could it be my water or non dairy milk was to warm? Or that I had not mixed my yeast-dugar-milk enough? I hope you can help me out and let me know what else I could do next time I try your recipe.. Heart sank — it rose a bit in the oven — but it was heavy and not soft at all..
Oven temp was good though —
Stumped.
We are going to figure it out sister, no more sinking hearts and loaves! š It should have risen while it was on the counter so there is our issue. Your water and nondairy milk need to be at least lukewarm but if you have a thermometer, check it at 100*F. Don’t go too hot or it will kill the yeast. Did the yeast puff up while it sat in the water for the first 10 minutes? If not, it’s your yeast. It’s always a bad indicator when it doesn’t “proof”–it says your yeast is no good. Do you have a non-drafty spot in your kitchen that isn’t super hot? I like to place the loaf in my oven that is NOT turned on. Let’s get answers to those questions and move forward š
It may be the yeast after all. I will try again and let you know š thank you so much for time, Cara š
Of course, Leanna! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. I will make sure that you can enjoy a loaf of gf/vegan bread š xo
I’m sure someone already asked and I couldn’t find the comment, but what’s the difference between white chia seeds and the dark ones? Just for bread aesthetics? I haven’t been able to find white ANYWHERE in Vermont, so I’m going to go ahead and use the ones I can find. So stoked to try this loaf. I am SICK of making bread that isn’t awesome š Thanks for the recipe.
Exactly Caitlin, it’s all about aesthetics and nothing do with flavor. Use whatever you got, girl! Hope you like it…xo
Cara, what kind of bread pan do you use or recommend? Size? Brand? Thank you.
I suggest an 8×4 metal bread pan; make sure that is a little on the heavier side just to ensure even baking. I believe the one I bought is from the Martha Stewart brand that I got at Macy’s. Hope that helps, Liz! xo
I don’t use oil, so what do you think would happen if I substituted applesauce instead? I’m really curious to see what would happen if I used both applesauce and milled flax seeds in place of the chia, even though I know you said you tested it out. Maybe it would help if I used light canned coconut milk since it’s still higher fat than say, almond milk from a carton, to help replace some of the fat from the oil. So many ideas! I’ll have to try them out eventually!
Made this today and it was awesome! Moist and soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Unfortunately mine didn’t rise very well and I ended up with bread about half the height of yours. š
Can you make the dough in a food processor? Can’t wait to try this recipe! š
I don’t see why not, Morgan š
What kind of yeast do you use?
Hi friend š I use Fleischmann’s yeast in a jar. Dry Active š
Will this work in a breadmaker w/ gluten free setting?
THANK YOU!! My 10 year old is allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts and soy. We had a very hard time finding bread that tasted good and had none of her allergens in it. She cried because we couldn’t make her a sunbutter and jelly sandwich. She was tired of corn tortillas. Thank God I found this recipe and made it on Sunday. She LOVED it!! I sent her to school today with a sunbutter and jelly sandwich. She said it was awesome!! She told me it was “the best thing you have ever made!” And I have been baking all kinds of things. She told me to make 20 loaves and keep them in the freezer. THANK YOU so much!! You have made my 10 year old such a happy girl. š
Well Cheryl…you know how to make a really bad day into one that makes all the crap not matter. I cannot express how much this comment means to me. Thank YOU for sharing and I am just over-the-moon happy that there is a 10 year old girl out there who can enjoy her sunbutter and jelly sandwiches again. Makes me tear up, really. Thank you for telling me this… Much love, xo!
I am so thankful to you and your ability to create recipes for the kids with food allergies. It means the world to me. So, please don’t stop! I am actively reading all your recipes and my daughter and I are excited to try them. God bless you.
Looks and sounds wonderful, Cara. I’m getting ready to bake this and like to use weight but I noticed your flour blend is in cups. When you get time, can you also give what the weight would be?
Thanks so much!
I am so excited to have found your site! Can you tell me…does this bread FREEZE well? I can’t wait to try it. Would like to know if I can make extra loaves to stick in the freezer. Thank you!
It freezes wonderfully! I have been enjoying it for several months this way Lisa!
Hi, did you use baking paper, does it come easily outside the loaf pan? Many thanks, Barbara
Hi Barbara,
I didn’t use baking paper and it slipped right out of the pan easily!
the bread was perfect after baking! the best I have tasted so far from other gluten free bread
Eeeeeeeeeee! I love that, Miren–I am SO HAPPY to hear this!! xo
Thanks Cara! I bought chia seeds anyway. Really wanted to try this recipe out to have home made vegan gluten free bread for a change. Will let you know how the bread goes. I am baking it in the oven as I type this. š
what can you use instead of chia seeds if you don’t have any in hand?
Hey Miren! Usually I give a good substitute however chia seeds are imperative for this particular recipe. The amount of chia allows for no xanthan gum and I really strongly suggest waiting to order some seeds before making this. I wish I had a better answer :/ xo!
whag can you use instead of chia seeds if you don’t have any in hand?
Thank you for this! We’ve just discovered that my 13 month old son is allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and a few other foods.. Before we discovered this, bread was one of his favorite foods. I’ve never baked bread before, but I’m definitely going to try this so that my little man can have his toast in the morning again! You’ve got a new follower!
Hi Precious! So happy to have you over here and I REALLY hope that little man loves his toast for breakfast! Let me know if there is anything I can do to help out. xo, Cara
I just made this recipe. I too had to make a substitution with my flours (and have no idea what I’m doing – I’m a newbie) I made a mix with coconut, white rice and sorghum flours to replace the millet flour. I only have regular chia seeds too. Other then that, followed the recipe, it it delicious! Mine didn’t raise like yours, but it looks really pretty with the chia seeds and is really moist. (I may need to let it raise longer) Tastes so much better then the gluten free vegan bread I buy at the store. I will buy millet flour to try it next time.
Thanks so much for sharing.
I’m bummed it didn’t raise as much (I LOVE the raise–hehe) BUT I am super excited to hear that you love the taste of the bread, Glenda! Sounds like you are on your way to experimenting with gf flours and succeeding š Much love, Cara
i made this bread last night and the french toast this morning… both turned out as beautifully as you promised. soooo good… i’m making it again tonight.
Get out, Julie–I love hearing that!! I’m so glad to hear that everything turned out perfectly. xo
After recently learning I have to change aspects of my diet for my health, two big ones being gluten and dairy freeā¦ I was SO thankful to come across your awesome website. I want to be able to bake my own way, knowing what I am putting into my food, and staying away from some of the things that are added in store bought gluten free products. Your page on the different types of flours and how to mix them is so wonderful. Today I baked this bread, using quinoa and brown rice flour (since that is what I had) ā¦and it turned out PERFECTLY! Once again ā¦ Thank you ! Looking forward to future posts!
Eeeeeeee, I love that Kamila! So super happy to hear that Fork & Beans is a good resource for you and that it is helping you understand this crazy gf baking world. Much much love! xo
I baked this bread (admittedly substituting sorghum flour for millet flour in “Cara’s Special Blend”); it turned out to be the first somewhat-successful gluten-free plain bread I have tried (and I have made a LOT). I had an issue with the baking time – I baked it for an hour at 350, then for another hour at 300… it still wasn’t done. Aside from major oven troubles, this was wonderful! Does anyone have an idea about my baking problem? Thank you!
Maria, you and me both with making A LOT of gf bread :/ Question for you: where do you live? This might help me understand about why it didn’t bake.
I don’t have arrowroot but I do have instant and cook type of ClearJel. Do you know it I could use that in place of the arrowroot and if so what quantity? I saw online that when making bread you should use 2 teaspoons of instant ClearJel per 3 cups of flour. That seems like a lot less in total dry ingredients.
Any advise will be appreciated. I don’t live close to a store.
Hi Angela, if you have the child’s seeds it will do the work the jel would. Just use a different starch instead of arrowroot. Hope this helps. Let me know!
I don’t understand your reply to me concerning using ClearJel. You told me I could use child’s seed. What is that. Could have meant chia seeds?
Haha sorry i was on a plane responding and i overlooked the spelling error. Yes i meant chia not child :-\
Beautiful recipe though I admit to having blasphemed upon perfection. Even so, it rises waiting, waiting….
I wish I had the commitment and energy to make my own bread! In the meantime, I will simply ogle yours. Lovely, Cara.
Commitment or insanity?? Haha xo!
I tried this today. it didn’t go as well as I hoped.The batter rose too much and started spilling over so I moved it into a larger pan. I probably should have watched a little more closely . anyway the resulting loaf was not as high as I wanted because the batter was spread out in the larger pan. The crust got too dark. I think my actual oven temp is higher than the setting indicate. Does anyone have advice about what to do next time??
You can get an oven thermometer pretty cheap because all ovens are off. My main one is off 25 to 30 degrees and my toaster oven 50 degrees. This is important to know. Also you should check them once a year.
As to the rise – you just need to keep an eye on it and make sure it gets no higher than one inch above the rim of your baking pan.
The time it takes could have anything to do with the ambient room temperature to the type of yeast used.
Best of luck next time. I’ll bet it was incredibly tasty anyway.
Is it possible to use this recipe (it looks wonderful) in a bread machine?
Hi Susy, I really think it would be A-Okay to make in a bread machine š
This recipe is the answer to my PRAYERS! I just recently went vegan and have not been able to make vegan GF bread that doesn’t get super crumbly. I just made a wicked sandwich with this bread and am very thankful to you for sharing!
FYI, subbed in 3/4C oat flour, 1/4C brown rice flour, 2C Bob’s Red Mill GF AP flour and still had great results!
Dee, I’m doing the bread dance for you!!! What awesome news š
This looks wonderful and such a great ingredient list! Impressed that it has chia seeds!
Oh dear me…where to begin?First, I love your recipes and this site has been an enormous blessing in my quest for not just edible but delicious g/f food!I have a g/f flour blend I have used but it has brown rice which I am now needing to cut out of my diet. I was wondering about combining millet or oats with sorghum and then your recipe popped up in my email. I went straight to the kitchen at 6 a.m. this morning to bake this bread. Of course its not a perfect world and I had to sub things (White vinegar for cider, 1 tsp. psyllium powder for chia meal, left out 1 Tbsp. flour mix and added in 1 Tbsp coconut flour (I read somewhere it keeps g/f/ baked goods moister for longer!)and only 1 tsp. guar plus 1 tsp. modified tapioca starch. I know it was a lot of changes and I was nervous to say the least. Until the loaf rose, baked up with a nice brown crust and when it cooled (for 1 1/2 hours. THAT was torture.) and I sliced it I almost cried. PERFECTION. G/F perfection. It tastes amazing, it’s soft, chewy (it’s CHEWY!!) and I can slice it thin for a sammich. Thanks is not really enough, I know, but THANK YOU. I hope there are many, many cookbooks in your future. You rock.
You have no idea how much this comment means to me! First of all, I am THRILLED for you and your sandwich endeavors, I truly am. I am so glad that you found success with your variations–amazing! Enjoy your loaf of bread and Happy New Year to you Lisa. xo
OK I HAVE TO TRY THIS! Not only does it look perfect, but I am in love with the ingredients list- which is a tough combination when it comes to vegan gluten-free bread!
Happy New Year Cara š
It truly is a tough combo–it was on my bucket list to accomplish š xo
I love that you’re gettin’ all sweaty over rising bread – ’cause I have been the same lately! After years of failure, I think I have finally found a way for success with yeast and bread, and I am ECSTATIC. I made bread a couple days ago and was just woozy with the gorgeousness of that rising dough… š
I had a feeling you would understand rise sweats š hehe
I can’t wait to try this because I’ve really been missing my peanut butter & jelly sandwiches since discovering a gluten sensitivity. Store-bought GF bread either has eggs or tastes like wallpaper paste. I’m going to try this over the weekend!
Beth, this is THE perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich bread. I hope you like it! xo
Thanks so much for this recipe. The bread looks beautiful! I am so impressed with the fact that you tried this again and again until you got it right–I think I would just give up after one go if it didn’t come out how I wanted! I am not GF but I am trying to reduce my consumption (because it occurred to me that my diet can tend to be disproportionately gluten-heavy), and one thing I want to do in the new year is to learn more about GF baking. I feel like all the tools I need are here on this blog š
Ashley, you are so welcome! I am so glad that you are finding Fork & Beans to be of help–please let me know if you have any questions. I am here to help! xo
Wow Cara!!! You So Rock!!!! It Looks Great!!!
Love and Hugs Viv
Thank you so much for the text last night Viv! You have always been the best cheerleader š
I can’t seem to find the recipe for the gluten free bread.
Wet
2 1/4 tsp. dry active yeast
1 c. (240 ml) warm non-dairy milk
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 c. (240 ml) warm water
5 Tbsp. (35 g) ground white chia seeds
3 Tbsp. (45 ml) vegetable oil
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
Dry
3 c. (387 g) Cara’s Special Blend (see picture below)
1/4 c. (30 g) buckwheat flour
1 Tbsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
In a medium bowl combine the warmed non-dairy milk with the yeast and sugarāallow to proof until frothy (approx.10 minutes). Add the water, oil, vinegar, and chia seeds into the yeast mix and whisk until well-combined. Allow to sit for another 2 minutes so the chia seeds expand.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Spoon the batter into a 8×4 (20×10 cm) loaf pan. Using the back of a spoon smooth out the top and gently press down to ensure there are no gaps in the batter. Allow to rise until the loaf rises past the top of the pan (approx. 30 to 45 minutes) in a warm, non-drafty area of your kitchen.
Preheat oven to 350*F (190*C).
Place the loaf in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 60 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan briefly until you can remove it and transfer to a wire rack until it has completely cooled
Notes
This is perfect bread for toasting and slathering vegan butter and jam all over it.
Cara’s special blend flour is in the photo above :0)
Debbie, you are THE best for writing this out in the comments. Thank you so much for helping out, I love it! xo
Hi Cara,
I made the recipe yesterday and it worked very well. Nice and moist inside and firm enough on the outside to slice even thinly.
Apparently I have had an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients (surprise huh?!) My face his bright pink on the cheeks and warm, my tongue and eyelids feel a little swollen and I am feeling very irritable.
Does anyone have any idea which one of these ingredients might be the culprit? I would love to eat this bread again because it is amazing but definitely not able to without finding out my allergy and adjusting it. Any info on what could be the offender would be appreciated. Also isn’t there a food allergy test I could get? I had an endoscopy and a biopsy and have been diagnosed with Celiac but clearly there is something else going on. I have read that even xanthan gum could be made of wheat as well as corn and called gluten free, is that even possible? It also uses isopropyl alcohol to process and ferment it? Isn’t that poisonous? I am trying so hard to do as the doctors have asked but they are just learning about this and I know you guys have a lot more experience! Any and all info narrowing this down is appreciated, thank you so very much! I love the bread!
If you used the xanthan gum I would start there.I have heard of a lot of people who can’t tolerate it or guar gum.
Good luck figuring this out.
I’ve had a blood panel done by my naturopath, which identified all my sensitivities…maybe try that?
Hi Debbie,
I have a lot of food sensitivities and allergies as well and have been through quite a journey over the years narrowing down the ingredients to which I have a reaction. I wonder if you might be sensitive to oats? For me, besides being gluten-sensitive, I also can’t handle oats very well, even the certified GF ones. If that’s the case, then maybe you can try this recipe but use quinoa flour instead of oat flour and see how it goes.
Another thing to look into, as others pointed out, is xantham gum, as some people can be sensitive to it. Use a different binding agent instead, like psyllium husk or something similar.
The last thing I can think of is the yeast — while most people aren’t allergic to it, when you have digestive issues the gut can be pretty sensitive to yeast. Your symptoms sound very similar to a candida albicans flare-up. Look into that, because if that’s the case it’s a treatable condition that will make a lot of other health issues go away as well.
Good luck with it!
P.S. Love this recipe, Cara! And can totally relate to all the failed attempts. Judging by the pics of delicious bread, seems like they were totally worth it though š
Thanks you guys for all the wonderful help! I am exploring every avenue! God bless you!
Thank you! I will try it!
I need a substitution for both the xanthan gum and the tapioca starch- do you know of any???
Allyson, I’m about 99.9% positive that you won’t need the xanthan gum with that amount of chia seeds as I routinely toss them into my own recipes as a substitute. Just make sure you let your baked goods cool so they can set properly. You can use 2/3 the amount of arrowroot as a replacement for the tapioca starch. This means you would replace the 1 1/2 Cups Tapioca in the flour mixture with 1 cup Arrowroot.
Laurel is a genius in baking so I 100% trust what she says! Thank you Laurel for helping out š
Thanks, Cara. There is something else I just realized about the starch substitution. You could use cornstarch (I’m allergic, which is why I didn’t think about it). Also, tapioca starch aids in rising so Allyson’s bread may not rise as high as yours has. Just FYI. š
How are white chia seeds different than black? Do you think the black chia seeds would work in this recipe? That’s what I have on hand.
Thank you! Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Cindy, Happy New Year! About the chia seeds, there is no flavor difference between white and black–just the color. The reason I used the white was so it kept the color I wanted to attain, that’s all š Use the black seeds, it will work just as well! xo
Thanks, Cara! I was at the store so I ended up getting some white chia seeds. š
It’s in the oven now!! I’m not an experienced bread baker – in fact, this may be my first try at GF bread! I’m wondering how long I have to let it cool. I don’t know how long I can wait to try it!
Thank you!
I let it cool for two hours and that seemed to be sufficient.
Yet another question: How do you all store this bread?
It’s delicious, by the way! I’m amazed at how well it turned out!!
WOW! Thank you so much for creating & sharing such a delicious, drool-worthy recipe. I’ve been wanting to try baking my own bread for a while, but had no idea where to start. This is it! š
I am BEYOND excited for the french toast follow up post!! That’s something I have failed to veganize waaay too many times. Yum!! Can’t wait!
Girl, I created the French toast in honor of YOU and your request on FB! The entire time I created the recipe and took the photos I kept thinking, Oh I hope Kat likes this… š
AWWW that’s amazing!! I didn’t even realize that until today! hehe š
You even dressed it up with berries, nuts & bananas – my fave! You have totally made my day – thank you!! š
Thank yo SO much! I have celiac and I miss bread and crackers the most! They are either like sponges (1 brand I bought I toasted 2x back to back and it didn’t even brown! That can’t be good!) or they are like bricks!
Thank you for all the trial and error you do and for being so kind to share it with us! I am excited to try this recipe! God bless you and yours in 2014!
Eek! I know exactly what you are talking about Debbie. Gluten-free bread is a difficult one to create and I really hope that this recipe fits your needs and likes, I really do.
Oh and speaking of crackers you HAVE to try these Cheez-Its!! http://www.forkandbeans.com/2011/09/28/gluten-free-vegan-cheez-its/
Happy New Year! Much love, xo
OMGosh Cara! How do you come up with these recipes?! You must have a cooking and science degree! I will have to try the crackers too, sounds sooooo good! Thank you!
I wish I had a degree but thank you for the kind words! You are super sweet… xo
Okay, you’ve convinced me. My VERY NEXT baking project. 5 Tbsp chia seeds spells no xanthan gum and no replacements for me. Hallelujah! Thanks for suggesting the oat replacements as well. I’ll bet with that combination of flours you can’t even taste the difference between this gorgeous loaf and your/my memory of wheat.
Thank you for our New Year’s present and for being such a shining light in the lives of so many, most particularly in mine. I’m honored to know you. xoxo
YES! I was thinking that the xanthan gum could be disregarded but was too tired to do another loaf :/ Thank you for affirming this, Laurel! And the flavor IS just like wheat, it’s delicious. What an incredibly sweet comment to read–one that I know is super sincere and I appreciate so much! Happy New Year, my friend. So happy that I can call you that š
Cara, your posts are exciting and inspiring. This bread recipe looks great ! I am vegan, but always willing to learn more about gf. For the French toast, what do you use to sub for the eggs?
Happy New Year, Cathy! Thank you for the support and love <3 The French Toast recipe is coming out on Friday so keep your eyes peeled š xo
Is there a substitution or similar flour to Millet? I am sensitive to it.
Hi Jessica, check out this post: http://www.forkandbeans.com/2013/12/30/guide-gluten-free-flours/
and pick out a Medium-Based Flour that best suits you! Or you can try brown rice flour paired with oat flour instead š Hope that helps!
xo
Thanks so much Cara, I am a huge fan of your site and all of your recipes! Keep up the great work and Happy New Year!
Absolutely Jessica–it’s my pleasure! And thank you for those very kind words to me–I appreciate your support of Fork & Beans more than you know. Happy New Year! xo
Can this be done without the xanthan gum?
Hi Kathy! I don’t have a problem with xanthan gum so I never tried it without it but you know what? Because of the chia seeds and their superpower properties, I really think it just might work without it. I might try it again in a couple of days and let you know.
Happy New Year! xo
if you do try it without the gum I would love to hear how it turned out.. I’m really excited to try this recipe!! Happy new Year
well this looks EVEN BETTER than regular old gluten filled bread! i cannot wait to make this. dayv will go crazy!
Caitlin, I REALLY hope you like it! I think this is the beginning of more bread recipes to come too…
Happy New Year! xo
Hello! I have been searching near and far for a great bread recipe for my boyfriend. He has recently become gluten, milk, and soy intolerant along with many other food allergies. For the warm milk, could i use hemp milk? For the vegetable oil can i use coconut? or sunflower? or honey? and is there any alternative for the buckwheat flour? that is on his severe list. Please help I’m 20 years old and struggling to cook supper every night.. my boyfriend is so depressed and losing weight like crazy.. its making me stressed out seeing him in pain. thank you..
King Arthur flour is not formulated for baking breads. It is a soft starchy flour best used for muffins, quick breads, and cakes.
Hi Karlee! Trust, I totally understand the stress but deep breath, you are in the right place. To answer your questions: Yes, hemp milk can be used; You can definitely use any oil you have; instead of the buckwheat either use the same amount of the flour mix or even just oat flour. Does that help?
Hi Cara; I so appreciate your website & info. My daughter has been having health trouble & finally found out that she has an intolerance to gluten & eggs, so I am doing alot of research to figure out how to cook healthy & tasty meals for my family. I like to bake, & need to figure this out. We live at 4500 ft elevation…would I need to make any alterations for this recipe or other baking recipes in general?
Thanks for your time- I really appreciate it!
I’m not familiar with baking at an altitude. Try googling it and see what they say. Wish I could be more of a help! xo