Often when people are first diagnosed with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, they envision a bread-free life. They build sandwiches with lettuce wraps, corn or brown rice tortillas, or they choose to go without….opting instead for a life of soup and salad. Although I adore homemade soups and salad, every now and then a girl wants something to sink her teeth into. I’m easily seduced by a delicious sandwich dripping with pesto mayo, roasted red peppers, olives and peperoncinis. I’ve been known to pass up a slice of cake for one of these.
But every good sandwich needs a good foundation.
Bread.
I frequently hear discussions about the shortcomings of gluten-free bread, and most of you are probably all too familiar with what they are. So when I decided to develop a gluten-free sandwich bread recipe that would be my pantry staple, I made a list of all my favorite characteristics of a traditional, wheat-based loaf. Even though it has been many years since I’ve tasted wheat bread, I’ll never forget it.
These are the things I loved about a loaf of sandwich bread from my gluten eating days:
- soft
- flexible
- springy
- open crumb
- hint of caramel flavor
- slight nutty flavor
- not dry
- substantial texture that doesn’t fall apart
These eight characteristics were a must have in my gluten-free loaf and I didn’t plan on compromising.
With this list in hand, I headed to the kitchen, and I baked. A lot. I made hundreds of loaves over the past 5 years and the successes and failures have taught me volumes about gluten-free baking. The final reward for my efforts is this bread…..and seeing my son’s face when he has a slice of it with butter and cinnamon sugar. He tells me it’s “the best” and for now, that’s all the encouragement I need.
*I know this isn’t an exciting holiday recipe, but I’ve been wanting to share this for awhile, so here you go! Next up, my favorite Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cinnamon Roll recipe. Stay tuned later this week. 
Gluten-free sandwich bread worth eating. A bit of molasses and brown sugar give it that malty, wheat flavor you may remember.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (235 grams) brown rice flour
- 3/4 cup (100 grams) tapioca starch
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) potato starch
- 3 tablespoons ground flax (I use golden flax)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum (I use Authentic Foods' corn-free xanthan)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (most packets are 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses (the molasses and brown sugar are vital to developing a nice "wheaty," "malty" flavor)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup olive or canola oil
- 1 cup warm milk or milk substitute
Instructions
- Place the dry ingredients (brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, ground flax, xanthan gum, sea salt, active dry yeast and brown sugar) into the bowl of your standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.
- Add the remaining ingredients (molasses, eggs, oil, and milk) to the bowl and starting out on slow speed, gradually increase to medium-high speed and mix for 2 1/2 minutes on medium-high. The dough will look like a very thick waffle batter and should not even come close to forming a ball. Please see the picture below for an idea of how it should look.
- Remove bowl from the mixer and scrape the dough from the paddle attachment. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl (don't be too fussy about this part) and cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour in a sufficiently warm, 80 degree place (this is crucial, so try to make the extra effort to find a good spot. I use the top of my toaster oven set on warm. I have to put an upside down, metal cake pan on top of it, and then place the bowl of dough on that, so that the bottom doesn't get too hot).
- After one hour, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Deflate the risen dough gently with a spatula and scrape it into a well-greased loaf pan (I use pan spray). Use your spatula to level off the dough the best you can.
- Cover lightly with the oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise for 20-30 minutes more in a warm place. When the bread is ready to bake, It will be level with the top of the pan (for an 8.5 by 4.5 inch pan) or almost level with the top if you are using a (9 by 5 inch pan).
- Gently remove the plastic wrap without deflating your loaf and set it on the center rack of your preheated oven.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes. The loaf will be a deep, dark color and should register 205-210 degrees if you stick an instant read thermometer in the center. If you are using a dark colored pan, you may need to reduce the time by 5 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven and cool for 5-6 minutes before carefully turning the loaf out to finish cooling on a wire rack. It will easily tumble out of the pan.
- Cool completely before slicing. Once the bread is cool to the touch, you can put it in freezer bags and freeze for a month or two. I remove a slice at a time, as needed. Pop in the toaster or bring to room temperature and it is almost as good as the day it was baked. * If the slices aren't completely cool when you put them in the freezer, they will stick together. A bit of patience seems to pay off later in reducing frustration! I learn everything the hard way. :)
This makes me hungry on a full stomach!
That’s what I aim to do!
I just met someone who can’t eat gluten and I was wishing I had a few more recipes that were gluten-free to try out for when she comes over. She has often complained about bread, so I’ll have to give this a try!
Thanks Jen. That would be so sweet of you to give this a try for her sake!
Looks wonderful! Do you know if I could make this without eggs or by using egg replacer? My son is allergic to eggs and I would like to make him something besides rice and chicken
I would love to hear about it if you try making this with an egg replacer! I haven’t made it with one, but I have used Ener-G in the past with good results in other recipes. Just make sure you substitute with an equal amount of liquid to replace the 3 eggs. Good luck. I know how challenging it can be to come up with new ideas for what to feed kiddos with allergies!
Congratulations on finding such a great bread recipe – quite a challenge in a gluten free world! I’m a HUGE fan of sandwiches, so I understand wanting a good bread – and it looks delicious!
A beautiful loaf! This bread looks so smooth and tasty. a perfect recipe, it seems.
Happy Holidays!
Cheers,
Rosa
The bread looks soooo lovely, delish and soft!
Congratz to find this bread recipe, and now we can make it at home… tq for sharing!
and yes, when our love ones yes tq and smile while having our creation… thats all we need
Happy holiday to u!
You are life savor for all the people who needs gluten-free food! This bread looks very moist and delicious! I know whom to introduce when I find someone who needs gluten free food!
I made this bread yesterday, and had my first slice for breakfast, today. Very tasty, and so much better than plunking down big bucks for supermarket gluten-free loaves. I really appreciate your detailed directions! My crock pot was in use, so I let the dough rise in close proximity to it. Thanks, and happy new year.
Thanks for commenting Margo! I always love to hear about how things work out and I’m really glad to know that all the directions helped. My tendency is to write a small novel, but I try to edit myself a bit so people don’t get overwhelmed by seemingly endless instructions!
Cheers, Terris
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This is probably one of the most beautiful gluten free breads I have ever laid eyes on!!! xo
Thank you Cara!
Could I put this in my bread maker..? My mother in-law got me one for Christmas so I wouldnt have to heat up the house during the summer time with the oven. I should probably get it broken in.
Someone else just asked about this and I’m sorry to report that I just don’t know. I don’t have a breadmaker, so I couldn’t guarantee how it would turn out. Want to give it a try and let us all know?
Cheers, Terris
I have made this recipe in a bread maker every time. It turns out great! With bread makers you just have to remember to put the wet ingredients in first. I also use white or brown rice flour just depending on what I have on hand,always turns out fantastic. My whole family loves it! Thanks for sharing
Do you think that you’d be able to use a breadmaker for this?
Hi there and thanks for stopping by Free Eats! I really wish I had a good answer for you, but I don’t own a breadmaker so this recipe has never been tested in one. I just couldn’t vouch for the results. I would love it if someone would try it and let us all know. Another reader wrote me that she was going to give it a go in her Breadman, but I haven’t heard back. Happy baking! -Terris
Great Ill give it a shot and let you know
Awesome!!
it does look pretty good, I was searching for a simple sandwich bread recipe, I will try yours!
I am So excited to try this…any idea of whether it will work in a bread machine? I have a new one with GF setting….
Hi Lisa! Thanks for stopping by. I’m unsure about how this would work out in a breadmaker. Unfortunately I don’t own one, so I can’t test it out for you! If you do decide to give it a try, please come back and let us all know how it turned out.
Happy Baking!
This bread is AMAZING! I just made it and am SO happy with how quick and easy it is, and how “normal” it tastes! hahaha Thanks SOOOO much!
(I was out of ground flax, so I omitted that…turned out perfect!)
I’m SO happy you liked the bread recipe and took the time to let me know! It is a celebration indeed when one finds a gluten-free loaf that tastes normal AND is easy to make.
I crank out two loaves of this every Sunday evening, cool, slice and freeze for the upcoming week. It takes me about 15 minutes of total work now that I’ve made it so many times! (not counting the rise and bake time of course)
This is one of the most tastefull gluten-free bread receipes. I have already made this bread 2 times. I was tired of having to pay large sums of money for gluten-free bread in health stores. (They werent as good as this). I replaced half the brown rice flour with sorghum once and It came out well too. Thanks for the wonderful receipe.
I am watching my first attempt rise in the oven now. It looks beautiful. I substituted arrowroot starch for the tapioca because of corn allergy, ener-g tapioca is all I had, but seems to work great. I cannot wait to taste. Thank you!
Tesa
I can’t wait to make this for my mother-in-law! We are having a get together tomorrow for my daughter’s birthday and were going to have sandwiches! What a wonderful surprise to have bread she can make her sandwich with. I can’t wait to see her face! The only thing I am not sure about is how to store if I make this the night before.
Hi Kim,
I always cool my bread loaf completely (this is important so that the slices don’t stick together when frozen), slice and then freeze in a heavy duty freezer bag. I take out a slice at a time (as needed) and toast lightly when serving. If I’m packing a picnic lunch/school lunch I just make the sandwich on the frozen bread slices, wrap tightly in foil and it is perfectly thawed by the time I want to eat it. Good luck and enjoy!
What a sweet daughter-in-law you are!
Wow! Thank you so much for the quick response! I was hoping I was going to get someone’s expert advice on this! What a relief! I can now go into my kitchen and begin baking away!
P.S. You tell me I am a sweet daughter-in-law (which I appreciate very much). But, for you to respond as quickly as you did tells me you are someone who cares. So, from this day forward, I shall think of you as my, “Angel in the Kitchen”. THANK YOU!
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Hello,
First, I would like to apologize. I thought I sent a reply to you and than realized, after much thought, I probably didn’t. Let me begin by saying this bread is “AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME! When I took it out of the oven, it smelled so good. Of course, when it cooled a little bit I just had to taste it. Wow! Is this wonderful. YUM! YUM! YUM! It was so good, I had to force myself to put it in the freezer. Otherwise, I probably would have eaten the rest of it. When I showed the bread to my mother-in-law she couldn’t believe it. And, when she ate it she was overwhelmed by how good it was. So much so, she had tears in her eyes when she hugged me.. She said it has been years since she had the taste of “real” bread. She could not believe it was homemade from scratch. She loved it so much, she ate Three slices! Even my father-in-law liked it. The next day, my mother-in-law called me and thanked me again. She said her and Dad had already finished it all up! I am making this again today for another get together tomorrow. I can’t wait to see her face! This is definitely the best compliment one could receive. I am going to make this often so my mom can have bread anytime she wants to. I cannot thank you enough for this. If you were here in front of me I would give you the biggest bear hug you have ever had! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Oh, When I made this (remember that it was my first attempt), I think I may have over mixed the batter? Or, when I deflated it I did it too hard or too much with my spatula? Maybe I spread it too much in the bread pan? It did rise the second time. but, I don’t think as much as much as it should have. Plus, while baking I checked it a couple of times and saw it wan’t rising a lot. I knew then I definitely goofed up somewhere. It still came out looking like bread. The slices were just smaller than what shows in your photoI It stiill tasted good (thank goodness).I would really like to make this right so am hoping you can pinpoint what I am doing wrong. I am sure it is probably more than one thing.
Signed,
A desperate baker.
Hi Kim, With summer travels this is the first chance I’ve had to check in! Regarding your question, it is so hard to say what the problem might be, but typically with gf bread, undermixing can lead to a bread that doesn’t rise, so it’s doubtful that that you overmixed. In fact, an undermixed bread won’t rise well at all. I have a heavy duty kitchen aid and medium-high speed cranks pretty hard. Also make sure that you mix for the full time. It’s always good to check the date and freshness of your yeast, make sure the area you are rising your bread in is warm enough, etc. Typically when I deflate my batter, I’m somewhat gentle about it, but I don’t think that is too important. Those are the only things that come immediately to mind when thinking about why a bread wouldn’t rise enough. Did you make any changes to the recipe? Even subbing in different flours or starches may make a difference. Good luck!
Thank you so much for replying! I know I mentioned in my last comment that it came out better but now that you are mentioning the undermixing I have a feeling this is where my problem is. I get nervous when I see the batter start to thicken so stop “just to be safe”. The first time I made it, i neglected to start a timer. The second time I made it, I did if for the exact 2-1/2 minutes but am thinking I didn’t have it on a high enough speed. As for substituting – I don’t believe in changing/modifying a person’s recipe. Unless, of course, it is out of necessity. I know I will get this right – I am very determined to do so!
Thanks for your suggestions – I can’t wait to try again!
Ok…I made this for our get together and tried a few different things. It actually came out better! And, once again, Mom appreciated it very much. Both her and Dad said it wasn’t as good as the first day. Was I supposed to thaw the slices in the freezer bag or outside of the bag? I really do feel like I’m the town idiot.
So happy to hear that. It really does get easier with practice!
I agree, fresh baked gf bread is the best and it seems to go downhill from there 
….so that is why I try to capture the freshness by freezing asap. I usually just thaw my slices out in a toaster oven on low if I want soft slices, or just pop in and toast until desired crispness. So, yes, I remove the slices from the bag and thaw. No worries. No judgement, I just want to help you have tasty bread!
Has anyone told you.lately how wonderful you are?
Your bread look so fluffy,I have to try this recipe but I can’t seem to find xantham gum where I stay. is there any substitutions?
I find it at a local health food store. You can also find gluten-free items in a supermarket. I would try calling a few supermarkets first, though, so you don’t make a wasted trip. I hope this helps you. This bread is worth driving 50 miles or more tin order to find the ingredients. You will not be disappointed. I wish you all the good luck I can for a sucsseful journey.
Has anyone had luck without using the paddle mixer? I only have my arm strength and wooden spoon.
I think I have one brave reader who has given that a go and they definitely made bread, but I think that it didn’t rise very well. It is so tough to deal with, but if you had a spare set of arms in the kitchen (good friend or partner?) you may be able to pull it off. I know that the results will be different, but it is at least worth a try! Good luck!
hi i used my bread maker and it came out very good
i just used fast bake for 58 minutes and it was done
i took pictures on my phone
i can send if u want them
Thank you Marcella for sharing your input. Since I don’t own a breadmaker it is always nice to see people helping each other out. Your experience may help someone else make a successful loaf!
This has become my favorite bread recipe – - so hearty and savory! For anyone who’s still wondering, it works great in the bread maker. My bread maker is old, so it doesn’t have the gluten free cycle, so I just use the sweet bread cycle and it comes out perfect. Thanks for such a great recipe.
What size loaf do you program in 1# or 1.5 #. Irene
This recipe is completely AWESOME!!! While I am lucky enough to have a Whole Foods nearby, I agree with the above comments that I would drive 50 miles to find these ingredients! The results are worth it! It’s absolutely worth the trouble to find all the individual flours. It is everything the author promises…soft, doesn’t crumble, moist, springy! I also used a bread maker (put in eggs first, then mixed all wet ingredients together and added these next, then mix all dry ingredients (except yeast) in separate bowl and add these next, make a well for the yeast and add last). I also do not have a gluten free cycle on my bread-maker, and successfully used the basic bread cycle. Next time I would probably take the bread out 5-10 minutes sooner as it did get a little darker than my husband prefers! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Do you have a biscuit recipe????
Has anyone found that their loaf is not completely baked when it comes out of the bread maker? My machine is pre-set to 40 minutes, and it came out completely raw dough in the middle. Last night I cooked it for an additional 25 minutes, and it was better, but still not totally done. Can anyone help me with an exact number that will give me a better result???
I’ve never actually timed my bread; just used the sweet bread cycle and let it do its thing, but it is always done. Does your breadmaker have automatic cycles that you can try using? I would think that they might vary the temperature as well as the time, but I’m not sure.
Hi,
I can’t do rice and flax. there are as bad as gluten. Oats, soy, and hemp are also out for me. I keep searching.
I do want to make and eat bread again. I have made bread without a bread machine before.
Thank you for any help you can give me.
Bev
i haven’t eaten teff maybe u can try that i am assuming u have tried gluten free oats try teff as substitute for rice flour then potato starch and tapicoa to mix your flour
________________________________
That is really tough Bev. I want you to be able to make and eat bread again too! I’m not sure what kind of flours you usually tolerate, but sorghum could be substituted (1:1) for the 1 3/4 cups brown rice flour in this recipe. Another thing that would work is to make a mix of some of your favorite flours. A few ideas are millet, sorghum, ivory teff, quinoa, buckwheat, or any combination. Mix them together to make up 1 3/4 cups and sub that for the brown rice flour. Just be sure to use the starches so that you achieve a pleasing texture. For the 3 tablespoons ground flax you could substitute with almond flour/meal, quinoa flakes, or 3 tablespoons of additional flour. Let me know if you have more questions. Good luck!
This bread really tastes great – however, for those who have made it in a breadmaker – any advice? Mine did not really rise well. The yeast was fresh and I put all the wet ingredients in first. Should I have heated up the milk (I used almond) more or possibly if the flour was cold from the refrigerator – could that affect the rising of it? Thanks. Will definitely try again.
yes u need to warm your milk to 110 degrees and i used 2 teaspoons of xanthum gum it helps bread not to be so crumbly
i also use a little more milk about 1 1/4 cups
So I’ve developed a GF caraway bread recipe using your GF Sandwich Bread as my base. I add, to the dry mix, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 1/2 Tbls. roasted whole caraway seeds, and 1/2 Tbls. roasted ground caraway seeds (I roast them in the skillet for about 5min. on medium high. stirring occasionally).
FYI- To both the sandwich bread & caraway bread recipes I add a splash of lemon juice to the wet ingredients & 1/4 tsp, ground ginger to the dry mix. I use these as a natural dough conditioner.
-Also, I make my bread in a Black & Decker bread maker which has a gluten free setting. I get 8-10 slices per loaf ( I cut my slices in half before freezing)
i seen somebody was going to try with the egg replacement has anyone done that yet? My daughter isn’t supposed to have eggs but the rest looks good! Thanks!
I need to substitute the brown rice flour and the flax. I will use millet for the rice, but what do you suggest for the flax? I would love to try this recipe.
Thank you.
Hi Beverly, If you can do almond flour, that would be an option, ground chia seeds or 2 tablespoons of psyllium husk would also work. If you have (and are able to eat) sorghum flour, a combination of millet and sorghum would work nicely for replacing the rice flour. I’ve found that breads with a high proportion of millet flour tend to be extremely dry…..of course, using a nut flour in place of the flax may help balance that out. Hope this helps you adapt things to your eating requirements! Thanks for stopping by, Terris
I am have recently found out that I am allergic to gluten, corn, and dairy and I am so glad to have found your website. It is fantastic and informative. I was wondering if I could substitute water for the milk in this recipe? I can not have milk and I am trying to stay away from the additives that are in dairy free milk products.
I’m happy you have found my website too! I hope you get a chance to try some of the recipes. This bread will work fine with water. We have also made it with homemade nut-milk. Happy baking, Terris
I ended up making homemade almond milk and using it in the recipe. It turned out delicious. Thank you!