Gluten-Free Bread
This is a terrific, no-knead gluten-free bread from Becky Excell, the wonderful English cookbook author, and creator of great gluten-free foods. And while this looks like many steps, it’s very straightforward to make, without too many steps
Print Pin RateServings: servings
Calories: 149kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 ½ tablespoons (445 ml) warm water (around 95°-105°…warm tap water)
- ⅔ oz (20 grams) active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp (25 grams) sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) buckwheat flour (yes, this is gluten-free)
- 1 cup (150 grams) plus 2 tablespoons gluten-free baking powder
- 2 tsp xanthan gum (use only if it's not already in the GF flour)
- ½ cup (70 grams) minus 4 1/2 teaspoons tapioca starch or tapioca flour
- 1 oz (25 grams) psyllium husk powder
- 1 tsp (6 grams) salt
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 6 oz (160 grams) seeds (such as pumpkin seeds, or pumpkin seeds combined with other seeds, including sesame and poppy)
Instructions
- Grease a loaf pan (10” x 5” x 3”) and set it aside
- In a pitcher, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let this sit for 5 minutes, until it becomes frothy
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you’re doing it by hand or with a hand mixer), using the beater and not the bread hook, add the buckwheat and gluten-free flours, the tapioca starch, xanthan gum (if using), psyllium husk, and salt. On the lowest speed, mix to combine the ingredients
- Slowly at first, beat in the egg whites, vinegar, and yeast mixture. Increase the speed to high, and mix for 3-5 minutes, or until it looks like a thick, sticky batter.
- On the slowest speed, mixt in 4 ½ oz (125 grams) of the seeds until they’re well incorporated. Allow this to rest for 10 minutes in the bowl
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula or wet hands. Cover this with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm place (or a proofing temperature in your oven, between 80°-90° degrees). Let this sit for one hour
- While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 480°
- After the dough has rested, brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg (or water instead), and sprinkle on the remaining seeds
- Before you place the bread in the oven, boil at least 2 cups of water, and place a large roasting pan on the rack below the rack for the bread.
- Place the bread in the oven, and pour a large mug of boiling water in the pan below the bread. Bake for 20 minutes
- Reduce the heat to 425°, and bake for another 45 minutes. If the seeds are getting too browned while baking, loosely cover with aluminum foil
- Remove from the oven, remove the bread from the pan. If it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom, it’s done. If you use and instant-read thermometer, it’ll be around 205°. Place it on a rack to cool. NOTE: if you’d like your bread a bit crispier after it’s done baking, turn off the oven. Remove the bread from the pan, and place it back in the oven, with the door open, for 10 minutes
- Cool on a rack, and serve
Notes
- This recipe is easier and faster to prepare if you measure the dry ingredients with a scale, and not with cup and spoon measures
- It’s important for the yeast mixture to become frothy, because this shows that the yeast is good. If nothing happens, you’ll need to try again with fresher yeast
- I like a combination of 5 ½ oz pumpkin seeds, and ½ oz poppy seeds
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Bread
Amount per Serving
Calories
149
% Daily Value*
Fat
1
g
2
%
Saturated Fat
0.3
g
2
%
Trans Fat
0.003
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.5
g
Cholesterol
20
mg
7
%
Sodium
3474
mg
151
%
Potassium
161
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
36
g
12
%
Fiber
6
g
25
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
5
g
10
%
Vitamin A
30
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
0.01
mg
0
%
Calcium
1752
mg
175
%
Iron
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.