Gluten-Free Bread (xanthan-free, vegan)
Today I have a very unique recipe to share. A gluten-free bread recipe that needs to be kneaded! It is made of whole grain flours and is also free of xanthan gum, starches, nuts, eggs, and dairy. Last August I began creating kneadable dinner rolls and braided bread free of the above mentioned ingredients. But something was missing. You see, I grew up making whole wheat bread from scratch with my mother. When I was two years old I was at the counter kneading bread. In high school I would bake my own bread for sandwiches. I have missed the feel of bread dough.
A few months ago I decided to try adding psyllium husk to my bread to see what would happen....and wow....gluten-free bread that really kneads! I was already using ground chia seeds, which help to hold moisture and bind everything together. But the combination of psyllium husk and ground chia works wonders! Psyllium is a fiber that is used in colon cleansing. It also works wonders on lowering cholesterol levels. It can be found on amazon.com or at your local health food store. Be sure to look for "whole psyllium husk." Whole chia seeds can be found at your local health food store and online. See the tip at the bottom of the recipe for grinding them.
If you try this bread, I would love your feedback in a comment below. Or, share your photos on Instagram and tag me @nourishingmeals! I have many more kneadable gluten-free, xanthan-free, vegan bread recipes in my book, Nourishing Meals. Some examples include Buckwheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Everyday Sandwich Bread, and Sourdough Teff Bread! Enjoy!
Interested in more gluten-free yeast bread recipes? Nourishing Meals® members get access to over 1700 recipes and our easy meal planning tools. Learn more about our membership options here.
Farmhouse Seed Bread
I worked for many years to create a gluten-free, vegan, xanthan gum-free yeast bread recipe. Finally, I tried using ground chia and psyllium together early this year (2011) and the results were incredible! Previously, I had only been using ground chia seeds in my vegan and gluten-free bread recipes, and then one day it dawned on me to try adding in psyllium husk! Psyllium forms a strong gel when mixed with water. It worked beautifully! There are so many variations to this bread. I've made it into an Olive-Rosemary bread using 1 cup pitted kalamata olives (thinly sliced) and 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary. You could also try a Garlic-Seed bread by adding in chopped fresh garlic and seeds. I am sure there are many more variations. If you have a corn allergy, try replacing the cornmeal with almond meal. I have made this bread with many different flour combinations so feel free to experiment, but this one is my favorite for flavor and texture. The bread gets its crusty crust from being baked on a stone pan with a pan of water on the lower oven rack. The steam from the water helps to form the crust. The bread will be a little gummy hot out of the oven so be sure to let it cool a bit before cutting into it. Slice it and serve with a good quality olive oil for dipping. It is also delicious spread with either almond butter or hummus!
Be sure to buy whole chia seeds and then grind them very finely in a coffee grinder or the dry container of your Vitamix. If using a Vitamix, it is best to grind at least one cup at a time so they grind properly. Store them in a glass jar in your fridge for no longer than a week.
Wet Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
Topping
Prep:
- Place the warm water in a bowl or 4-cup liquid glass measure. Add the yeast and teaspoon of maple syrup, whisk together. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes to activate the yeast. The mixture should get foamy or bubbly. If not, dump it out and start over.
- While the yeast is activating, mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- After the yeast is activated whisk in the olive oil, maple syrup, ground chia seeds, and psyllium husks into the water-yeast mixture. Let stand for 1 to 2 minutes (not any longer) to let the chia and psyllium release their gelatinous substances. Whisk again.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together with a large wooden spoon until thick.
- Then knead the dough on a floured wooden board to incorporate the flour. Add more teff and sorghum flours, a little at a time, until the dough holds together and isn’t too sticky (about ¼ to ½ cup total). Don’t add too much flour, otherwise the dough will become very dense; it should still be slightly sticky.
- Form dough into a ball, place back into the large bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Place in a warm spot to rise. I like to place the bowl over a pot of warm water.
- Let dough rise for an hour or until doubled in size. Rising time will depend on the temperature of the environment around the dough.
Preheat:
- After the dough has risen, place a pizza stone in your oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven (the one beneath the pizza stone). I usually use an 8x8-inch glass pan filled ¾ of the way full.
- Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured wooden board. Knead the dough for about a minute. Then form into a round ball. Place on a square of parchment paper and use a sharp knife to score a “tic-tac-toe” pattern on the top (or use your favorite scoring pattern).
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Let rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place while the oven and stone are preheating.
Bake:
- Carefully lift the parchment paper with the risen loaf and place it onto the stone in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool 30 to 60 minutes before cutting into it. The bread will be very gummy hot out of the oven. The texture is perfect once cooled. It reminds me of a hearty whole wheat bread.
Note: If you are adding garlic or olives to this bread, add them in when you are kneading the dough the first time.
Use this recipe in our Meal Planner
About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
Email updates.
Add Comment
Comments
So glad to see you back posting recipes, I am making the farmhouse bread rising, my dough seemed to be i
A bit sticky but wouldn't come together really well. Unsure if more moisture or more flour is needed. After baking I will probably figure it out based on how it bakes.
Just wondering if that is what the dough should be,
Thanks again.
Most of the recipes we have tried are staples in our home,
Made this last week and making another batch today, wow what an amazing bread!!!! so delish, thanks so much for sharing
Marianne
I just made this. The only substitution I made was I used pumpkin seeds instead of chia seeds. It was DELICIOUS! I will definitely be making this regularly. Thank you so much!
I am really impressed with this recipe. I followed exactly and it came out amazing. Wonderful texure, a real artisan loaf with nice crust and spongy inside. Great taste - hearty. Cuts nicely, not crumbly like most GF. You can actually make a sandwich with it. I am so appreciative that you figured this out for us. thank you.
I would like to join a long line of the followers who praise this recipe. I baked “No Knead Bread” according to a recipe from Sulivan Street Bakery http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=0
for a long time. This is a wheat bread. Then I read Wheat Belly book and switched to non-wheat diet and started experiments with non-wheat bread. This recipe shows acceptable results. Bread looks like a bread, tastes like a bread (German style) and this is what I need.
I already baked five prototypes and streamlined taste a bit and cost as well.
Here are changes to original recipe:
- Maple syrup or sugar was eliminated (first spoon supports yeast activation, temperature does the same)
- Chia seeds were replaced with ground flax seeds (cost cutting)
- TEFF was replaced with buckwheat flour and millet flour, seems to me TEFF makes the bread heavier (cost cutting as well)
- Corn meal substituted with almond meal, my personal preference
- Baking time extended to 55 minutes
- A dough was raised in the oven by 110F (43C) for 1 hour
- No steam
My modified recipe looks like this
Wet Ingredients:
2 ½ cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
35g ground flax seeds
30g psyllium husk
Dry Ingredients:
100g buckwheat flour
100g millet flour
140g sorghum flour
80g rice flour
80g almond meal
20-30g ground caraway seeds
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
Topping:
sesame seeds
coarse salt
My kids declared this better than the bread I used to buy at Whole Foods. I consider that a big win! I love it, too - tastes like a good, dense German bread. Thank you!
First time ever making GF bread. Adjusted the recipe for what I had - flax instead of chia seeds and Bob's Red Mill GF all-purpose flour instead of your mix. Worked wonderfully! How lovely to have yummy bread again after so long!
We LOOOOVE this recipe!!! Has anyone had any luck doubling the recipe? Want to know before I try...
Do you use coarse grind Cornmeal or Medium grind? Yhe medium looks more like a flour.
Wow!! After so much searching for a bread recipe that doesn't have a million ingredients in it, and quite resembles wheat bread, this one is a winner!!
Thank you for posting it! You've made my day!!
Kelly
Could this be made in an electric breadmaker machine?
I make this bread and it become so good , This is the BEST bread I made since I become a GF 3 years ago.
I have one question to ask: is this specific psyllium brand is manufacture in gluten free facility???
I purchase psyllium that packet in facility with wheat and I had stomach pain.
Thank you
Yael
Another addendum:
Hopefully I specified in the previous post that avoiding the "punch down" of the bread in a bread machine is only for gluten-free breads.
A trick I recently read about, and tried (successfully) for the first time when making this bread, for keeping from having a hole from the kneading paddle in the bottom of the finished loaf of bread, is to remove the paddle before the last rise (which in this case is the only one).
My pet peeve is finally solved. Now I can feel free to share loaves of bread machine bread with others!
For those wanting to know the weights of ingredients in grams:
1/3 cup ground chia seeds, 32 grams
1/3 cup whole psyllium husks, 27 grams
1 cup teff flour, 200 grams
1 cup sorghum flour, 136 grams
1/2 cup sweet rice flour, 80 grams
1/2 cup cornmeal (whole grain), 70 grams
I am not gluten intolerant but wanted to experiment with a gluten-free diet. I chose to make this bread since it is whole grain and also vegan.
Not having enough chia seeds, I made up for the difference with flax seeds. With my regular 14-speed blender I used the "grind" setting, the next to fastest speed, to grind the seeds.
I made my bread in my bread machine, as I do all yeast breads, so instead of following the directions given in the recipe, I did as is done on all of my bread machine bread recipes:
1. Start with room temperature ingredients.
2. Place the liquid ingredients (except yeast) in the bread pan of the machine.
3. Add the dry ingredients; make an indentation in the top and place the yeast in it.
After setting the bread machine on the whole wheat setting with a medium crust and 1 1/2 pound size loaf [see Note], I started the machine. As the machine started to knead the dough 30 minutes later, I quickly discovered that the dough was much much too wet, so I added more flour until it was the right consistency (no problem with stickiness). I didn't measure how much had to be added but wouldn't be surprised if it was 1/4 cup, as some of the others have mentioned.
Since it is important not to allow a bread machine to punch down the dough, I paused it after the first rise and just before the "punch down", which in my Breadman Ultimate bread machine comes 1 hr. 40 min. after the machine was started; so I paused it 1 hr. 38 min. to 1 hr. 39 min. after starting the machine. Then I pushed the reset button, set the cycle to "bake", and started the machine again.
To cool the bread, I place the bread machine pan on its side on a cooling rack for 2-3 minutes, turned it over to the other side for 2-3 minutes, removed the bread from the bread machine pan, and placed the bread on the cooling rack until completely cool.
The bread holds together very well and slices easily. However, I don't care for the taste. Some of you have mentioned not liking the taste of the teff flour, so I'll try again later with different flours.
[Note: The finished loaf weighs 2 1/2 pounds, so next time I'll probably halve the recipe and use the 1 1/2 pound setting again.
Thanks for creating and sharing this recipe! It's a wonderful recipe for a good, healthy gluten-free bread. So great to use psyllium and ground chia seed and also to be able to knead it. I've tried a few flour combos and I have come to like using sorghum, millet and a little teff, along with almond meal and a little garbanzo bean flour. I like a little teff, but it's a little strong if I use a full cup. I was able to find most of these flours at a local indian store -- they are also less expensive than the typical Bob's Red Mill comparable ones. I have been making it in a loaf pan and a make the recipe a little larger so I can get a more 'normal' size loaf. I also add in some vitamin c/ascorbic acid; I have read that it it a natural preservative and it also feeds the yeast. Thanks again for sharing! Love this this bread recipe. :)
I made this exactly as written and it is excellent. Thank you for such a great recipe!
I have never baked anything before and this was awesome! My wife and kids eat gluten free and vegan when we can so this was great to try. The instructions were excellent and the result was delicious. I baked my second loaf last night and do believe I've stumbled upon a great hobby...Thank you very much Ali, I'm grateful for your effort...Micah
Just made this two days ago, and it was fantastic! So easy and so delicious. I'm really happy to find an egg-free and xanthan-free bread recipe that actually has chewiness and a good crumb. I think I have to make another batch, because it was so good that we already finished it. Thanks for the great recipe.
Re: The gluten free bread
I loved it for a long time but I can't seem to eat it anymore (IBS-Colitis). It seems to be too heavy. I thought it was the yeast but I am not sure. I suspect that it may be the combination of chia seeds/ psyllium. Do you have any ideas about how to use the recipe so it is easier to digest...I think that is the issue. Thanks a lot!
I just made this and it is by far the BEST I have even made in 5 years. THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU!!!
Jillian (Toronto)
Thank you...this is my 1st successful loaf of gluten free bread....after more than 20 failed attempts at different online recipes, I am on cloud nine! Even my husband who gently encouraged me to give up on my quest...that he'd rather never again eat bread than to eat the breads I bake! Lol...well, guess who I had to hide this loaf on after he downed 4 slices before dinner was even served. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I've made this bread a couple of times and we love it! However, it seems to get a little gummy in the middle of the loaf towards the bottom crust.. Am I not adding enough flour to it? I've baked it foro almost an hour and it still turns out that way.
Do you store it in the fridge or just on the counter?
Hi Ali, I work in weight rather than volume with my gluten free baking and have experienced far better results. Do you have a weight conversion for the flours, psylluim and chia??? Thanks
INCREDIBLE! I am new to the glutten free cooking and am so glad to have come across this recipe. This is a great loaf of REAL bread.
Nothing like the store bought kind. It is everything I look for in a loaf.
THANK YOU for sharing!
Is there something I could use instead of corn meal? I can't eat corn. Thanks Jenn
This recipe is very flexible, I love it, it even worked at my high altitude! You were right--adding 1/4 cup more flour the second time I made it got rid of the slight gumminess.
The second time I used all different flours based on a gluten-free flour volume-weight conversion chart (my $10 walmart scale is a lifesaver). I used 120g brown rice, 127 g millet flour, 60 g sweet rice flour, 44 g cornstarch, and 64 g gf oat flour. Then I added in 1/4 cup millet flour while kneading. I also added 1/4 chopped green onion and about 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic. I drizzled the top with butter (couldn't resist) and a lemon herb seasoning mix. It smelled fantastic while baking and the bread tasted heavenly.
Great comments! Has anyone adapted this recipe so it can be made in a bread machine? And which setting do you use?
Just made this today! It came out AMAZING!!! Thank you so, so much!!
This bread mixed together really nice. It rose nice. I had such high hopes. I baked it 40 min.s Very gooey. I can only cut 2 or 3 slices and there's so much goo sticking to my bread knife I can't cut anymore. It has to be toasted. I'm not fond of the taste, assuming it must be the teff.
I just tried this and it was pretty tasty. Mine did end up tasting a bit "yeasty". Not sure that it rose enough. I'll have to try again.
I've made this bread a couple of times and we love it! However, it seems to get a little doughy in the middle.. I've tried cooking it longer than the 40 minutes, but it still doesn't seem quite done...Should I let it bake for a lot longer? Am I not letting it rise long enough?
What's the best way for storing it too?
It's just fantastic!! Great real bread, nothing to envy gluten bread. I'm baking my second at this moment. In the future I'll try sustituying teff and sorghum flours with other gluten-free flours, as it's not easy to find sorghum and teff in italy. I'll give a go to buckwheat and rice and see what happens. For the chia seeds...do you think I could substitute with flax seeds? Chia seeds are quite expensive here and I would like to make this bread my everyday bread! Thanks you! Great recipes!!
Susana
I just tried this bread with a few (unintended) modifications. LOL
I thought I had all the different flours. Didn't. It is very cold outside so I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free flour instead of the two 1 cup flour amounts.
Everything else was as required. I even let it cool for an hour (not easy). It is delicious! Fantastic! I had a sandwich immediately. The texture and taste are amazing.
Thank you very much!!!!
HEY, i have only found this in a few places, but, i was wondering if you guys have ever tried a over-night ferment of the dough, with 1/3 the yeast but like a cup of kefir or yogurt. ??
Might be a little late in the day to ask, as this hasn't been commented on since 2011, but I found this and want to try it. Only question I have is, would it be terrible to buy ground chia seed? I'm waiting on a grinder that I want, that's out of stock at the moment. I noticed they sell bags of ground chia at the health food stores. Any reason it wouldn't be as good as grinding them myself?
This is the most amazing GF bread I have ever tasted. In fact, it's just great bread, GF or not. I have never used teff before and I can't believe how much it tastes like whole wheat. I put some Olivio Coconut Spread on it and felt like was back in my pre-GF days just eating a fabulous slice of bread and butter. I literally did a little dance in my kitchen. Thank you!!!
Oh my goodness, this bread is amazing. I'm pretty new to the GF scene. It's been a little over a year since I stumbled upon your website, desperately searching for answers to my at the time infant sons digestion issues. I skipped the 2 day detox and went straight to phase one of the elimination diet and my son started sleeping through the night, no more endless spit up and he was a much happier baby after that, not to mention my own health improved drastically! I've been battling eczema, acne and IBS for years with no clue that gluten might be the.culprit. Anyway, now that I've written a novel......thank-you so much for these recipes. Even my picky eater loves to try these new recipes with me.....God Bless!!
Tried doubling the recipe, though I need to play with that more as it was very solid on the bottom - did not rise properly the second time. Froze a loaf for a couple of weeks and it comes out great. Moist and does not crumble.
Your gluten-free bread recipe is fantastic! I have made it a couple of times and everyone who has tasted it has been astonished to find out that it is gluten-free.
I wanted to make gluten-free bread because of dissatisfaction with what is available in stores. I have been unable to find anything that meets my standards. Your recipe addressed two of my main objectives: vegan and whole grain. The third objective for me was to have a completely organic bread. I am still working on this as neither organic teff flour nor organic sorghum flour are available locally. I found a source for organic sorghum flour: http://www.dakota-prairie.com/
I haven't found organic teff flour in the US, but I did find organic whole teff and my housemate made it into flour in his Vitamix. Here is the source for the grain in case others are interested:
http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/product/GRT4.php
I just made this last night and it was awesome! I didn't have teff flour, so I substituted millet, and it turned out beautifully. This is my go to recipe from now on!
out of sweet rice flour. What can I substitute for that?
This bread is AWESOME!! Hands down, the best gluten-free (and Vegan! Woot!) bread recipe yet, and we have been gluten free for about 6 or 7 years. It was crusty, which is a miracle, AND it was chewy but not as dry and dense as most gf breads. Thank you!!
i am allergic to psyllium so i was wondering if there is anything i could do with this recipe? i am having lots of challenges right now with multiple food allergies which i hope clear up as i repair my digestive system with the elimination of gluten. But i have been a breadmaker for a long time---but this is all new territory for me and i am missing bread.
:)
Can this dough be made in a bread maker? I know that defeats the purpose of getting your hands dirty, but I've never ever made bread and I wouldn't know how to knead it!!
I started making this bread this week. I too am thrilled with a gluten free bread that you can knead. I have been desperate for a "real" bread that I can make. This completely satisfies me. I also made my own version of this. I mill my own flour as well. My version (and it works beautifully) is for a cinnamon raisin bread.
I used 2 cups Sorghum, 1 cup arrowroot powder and 1 cup millet flour. I knead in the extra millet flour and it varies (it's about 1/8th of a cup). I add 1 cup raisins and 2 T cinnamon. I love the texture of this. My kids love it too. They are 16 months and 6 years old. I don't think I will ever tire of making variations of this bread. Thank you Ali for being so intuitive for this miracle. :-)
Shakti
Can you share how to use my sourdough starter instead of dried yeast?! thank you!
After two years of looking for a favorite GF bread, this is it! And it has been for a while!
Anyone try to freeze this bread? Does it stay soft upon thawing??
Hi, Thought I'd mention the print function cuts off the 1/3c psyllium husk from the wet ingredient listing. I just bought the psyllium husk today and will be trying this shortly! Thanks. Karen
Can this be made in a bread maker?