Yeast Bread – Gluten-free

I have always loved baking bread, from the mixing to the fragrant smells coming from the oven, to finally eating it. Now I am discovering the world of bread baking without gluten and the varieties seem infinite. The gluten-free choices of bread mixes are staggering and exciting, with flours from grains and legumes – millet, rice, quinoa, sorghum, teff, chickpea, etc. and starches from corn, potato, tapioca to create the desired taste and texture. Gluten-free quick breads have been easy to make and we have numerous recipes on this website. Try this gluten-free yeast bread. This bread slices perfectly and has a sweetness that makes it taste like Challah or Brioche.

1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 1/2 cups garbanzo flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
salt – up to 1 teaspoon (OPTIONAL – I don’t use any salt)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast (3 packages)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 1/2 cups warm water

Preheat oven to 200^F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, garbanzo flour, corn starch, potato starch, tapioca and xanthan gum, and salt if using.

In a medium size bowl mix the sugar with the yeast and pour in about 1/3 of the water. The water should be lukewarm, not hot, or the yeast won’t work. Beat the mixture with a fork and let sit for about 5 minutes. The top should foam. If it doesn’t the yeast is no good and the dough won’t rise. Pour the yeast mixture over the dry ingredients. Add in the remaining water and olive oil. Whisk everything together. The consistency will be like cake batter.

Pour batter into two greased loaf pans, filling each pan about half-way. Place on the top of the oven and cover with a towel. I have a gas oven with the burners raised above the top surface of the oven so that the pans are not directly touching the heat – they are just in a warm environment. If you have a flat surface cook top you many want to place the pans on a rack so they are not in direct contact with the heat. Allow the batter to rise and double in size – rising above the top of the pans. It took 40 minutes for me, but may take longer.

Increase oven temperature to 400F and bake loaves for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from the oven and cover each with aluminum foil. Bake the covered loaf pans for about 35-45 minutes. To determine if the bread is done, insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. I wanted a moist bread, so I baked it for 35 minutes after covering. The toothpick was free of crumbs but there were some gummy spots. I knew this would cool and firm up into a moist, spongy bread. The results were delicious.