This no-knead gluten-free bread with psyllium husk is soft, moist, flexible, flavorful, and remarkably stable. It is also vegan and very easy to make. My gluten-free bread has never been better! You will need a Dutch oven to make this bread the best it can be.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Texture. Psyllium husk makes the bread incredibly soft and moist!
- Flavor. The bread is so tasty I keep snacking on it all day long. For even more flavor try it in grilled cheese!
- Easy to make. Gluten-free bread baking advantage is that it is always no-knead!
Whole Husks vs. Powder
I often get asked what is the difference between the two. It is not obvious whether you have psyllium husk powder or whole husks if you are not familiar with the ingredient. I myself used psyllium powder at first, thinking I am using whole husks and wondered why aren't my recipes turning out! If you have whole husks you can see small particles while with powder it looks like brown flour with no distinct particles.
This recipe calls for whole husks although it is possible to substitute whole husks for the powder. Read my psyllium husk 101 article for more information and illustration.
Ingredients
Gluten-free flour - I use my nightshade-free gluten-free flour blend but this bread will work great with any other all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. Just make sure you are using a blend and not a single type of flour. A gluten-free blend should at least contain one type of flour and one type of starch.
Psyllium husk - use whole husks, not psyllium husk powder. Check out this psyllium husk guide if you are new to it!
Yeast - you can use active dry yeast or fresh yeast. I am using fresh yeast because in my experience it is a champion at raising bread!
Apple cider vinegar - it helps yeast thrive!
Water - I used tap water but depending on the quality of your tap water, you might need to use bottled water. If you can drink your tap water then it is safe to use in bread!
Substitutes
Psyllium husk - there is no good substitute for psyllium husk! Xanthan gum will yield crumbly and dense bread, so it is not a good option to use in this recipe.
You can use psyllium husk powder. In that case, use 17g (9.5 tsp) of psyllium husk powder but don't reduce the water. Psyllium husk powder needs to be added to the dry ingredients, for if you soak it, it will clump!
Sugar - you can use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar. Sugar helps yeast thrive and raise the bread!
Yeast - you can use any type of yeast. If using dry yeast, use 8g (2.5-3 tsp). A fun way to substitute yeast is to use wild yeast (sourdough)! Check out my vegan gluten-free sourdough bread recipe if you are up for a challenge!
Starches - if you can't have starches, you can make my starch-free whole-grain millet bread, almond flour bread, or my 100% rice flour bread instead.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Activate the yeast
Add the yeast, sugar, and 150ml (â…• cup + 2 tbsp) of warm water to a small bowl, give it a stir, and set aside.
Step 2 - Make psyllium gel
Add psyllium husk to the remaining water and whisk to combine. Let psyllium gel form, it should take amount a minute!
Step 3 - Mix the dough
Once psyllium gel has formed, add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and bring the dough together by hand. Mix the dough until it comes together and starts coming off from the sides of the bowl to ensure an even distribution of all the ingredients.
Step 4
Transfer the dough onto the working surface and grease your hands with oil to prevent sticking. First, flatten it, then fold the right side onto itself.
Now, fold the left side, then take the top and fold it onto the dough as well. Finally, fold the bottom side up. Then, turn the dough around and shape it into a ball.
Place the dough into a floured proofing basket or a mixing bowl lined with a kitchen towel. If you are baking the bread in a bread pan, place it into the greased bread pan.
Leave the dough to rise for about 30 minutes. 10-15 minutes into the rising time start preheating the oven to 450F/230C. If you are baking your bread in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet, place the dish into the oven for preheating as well. Your dough should not double in size, otherwise, it might deflate during baking.
Step 5 - Bake
After the rising time is over, turn the dough over onto a piece of parchment paper. Do it carefully to avoid popping the bubbles inside the loaf! Using a razor or a sharp knife score (cut) the surface of the dough (1 inch/2.5 cm) in any pattern you like. By doing that you determine the way through which steam will escape and enlarge the loaf.
Note: if you are baking your bread in a bread pan (not cast iron), don't take the bread out of the pan. You also don't need to score it, either.
Finally, transfer the parchment paper with the bread into the Dutch oven/cast iron skillet. If baking in a skillet, place a large dish with water on the bottom of the oven to create more steam. If baking in a Dutch oven, drop a few ice cubes in between the parchment paper and the Dutch oven walls for more steam (the cast iron will not rust from ice if it is well seasoned). Then, place the lid on.
First, bake for 30 minutes, then take out the water if using a skillet and transfer the bread onto the oven rack (to prevent burning the bottom). If using a Dutch oven, simply remove the bread from it and place it onto the oven rack.
Turn the heat down to 400F/200C and bake for an additional 20 minutes (or more for darker crust). Let the bread cool down completely before cutting into it to prevent gumminess. Enjoy!
How To Store
Store this bread at room temperature in a bread bag or in the refrigerator. The bread should keep for 3-4 days! You can also freeze this gluten-free bread for up to 3 months. You can slice it first, and then freeze it or freeze the loaf whole.
I prefer freezing sliced bread as it allows me to take out a few slices at a time without defrosting the whole loaf! If you freeze the bread sliced, the pieces will stick together but I am always able to break them apart without damaging them. To avoid sticking you can freeze each slice individually on a piece of parchment paper and then transfer them to a bread bag.
To defrost, simply put the slices into the microwave for 30 seconds. If defrosting a whole loaf, let it thaw at room temperature.
Expert Tips
- Don't use cold or hot water. The yeast will do best with warm or room-temperature water.
- For the best results use a digital scale to measure your ingredients.
- If the dough is sticky when shaping, grease your hands with some oil!
- You can bake the bread in a Dutch oven, cast iron skillet, a bread pan, or any other dish you like. The results will be slightly different based on what you bake in but the bread will be just as soft, moist, and delicious!
- Wait until the bread cools down before slicing it as the crumb is still setting as the bread cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
I never tried it but I don't think this recipe is good for a bread machine because of the different steps you need to take to bring the dough together.
Yes.
The general rule of thumb is to add 5% of psyllium husk in relation to the amount of flour used in the recipe. So, I use 400g of flour in this recipe, which translates into 20g of psyllium husk.
This bread goes great with my gluten-free and vegan broccoli cheddar soup (Panera copycat)!
📖 Recipe
No-Knead Gluten-Free Bread With Psyllium Husk
Equipment
- dutch oven (a cast iron skillet or a regular bread pan will work, too!)
- 2 small bowls
- 1 wisk
- 1 digital scale (strongly recommended)
Ingredients
Flour Blend
- 400 grams gluten-free flour I used my homemade blend which for this recipe would be 100g brown rice flour, 100g white rice flour, 100g tapioca/arrowroot starch, and 100g potato starch/cornstarch, but you can experiemtn with other GF flour blends.
- 12 grams (2 tsp) sea salt
- 20 grams (11.5 tsp) psyllium husk whole husks, 15 grams of coarse powder, read this psyllium husk guide for more info!
- 250 grams (1 cup) water for psyllium gel
- 20 grams (5 tsp) fresh yeast or 8g/2.5 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 150 grams (½ cup+1¾ tbsp) warm water for the yeast
- 20 grams (4¾ tsp) sugar
- 12 grams (2½ tsp) apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Add the yeast, sugar, and 150ml (â…• cup + 2 tbsp) of warm water to a small bowl, give it a stir, and set aside.
- Add psyllium husk to the remaining water and whisk to combine. Let psyllium gel form, it should take amount a minute!
- Once psyllium gel has formed, add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and bring the dough together by hand. Mix the dough until it comes together and starts coming off from the sides of the bowl to ensure an even distribution of all of the ingredients.
- Transfer the dough onto the working surface and grease your hands with oil to prevent sticking. First, flatten it, then fold the right side onto the center of the dough. Fold the left side onto the center, then take the top side and fold it onto the center as well. Finally, fold the bottom side onto the center of the dough. Then, turn the dough around and shape it into a ball. Place the dough into a floured proofing basket or a mixing bowl lined with a kitchen towel. If you are baking the bread in a bread pan, place it into the greased bread pan.
- Leave the dough to rise for 30 minutes. 10-15 minutes into the rising time start preheating the oven to 450F/230C. If you are baking your bread in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet, place the dish into the oven for preheating as well. Your dough should not double in size, otherwise it might deflate during baking.
- After the rising time is over, turn the dough over onto a piece of parchment paper. Do it carefully to avoid popping the bubbles inside the loaf! Using a razor or a sharp knife score (cut) the surface of the dough (1 inch/2.5 cm) in any pattern you like. By doing that you determine the way through which steam will escape and enlarge the loaf.Note: if you are baking your bread in a bread pan (not cast iron), don’t take the bread out of the pan. You also don’t need to score it, either.
- Finally, transfer the parchment paper with the bread into the Dutch oven/cast iron skillet. If baking in a skillet, place a large dish with water on the bottom of the oven to create more steam. If baking in a Dutch oven, drop a few ice cubes in between the parchment paper and the Dutch oven walls for more steam (the cast iron will not rust from ice if it is well seasoned). Then, place the lid on.
- First, bake for 40 minutes, then take out the water if using a skillet and transfer the bread onto the oven rack (to prevent burning the bottom). If using a Dutch oven, simply remove the bread from it and place it onto the oven rack.
- Turn the heat down to 400F/200CÂ and bake for additional 20 minutes (or more for darker crust). Let the bread cool down completely before cutting into it to prevent gumminess. Enjoy!
Natashashome says
Hi Carolyn! Those comments were related to another bread recipe I had on this page before. I removed them to prevent confusion! 🙂 The post itself has the correct information.
Barbara Ernst says
What is your flour combo? I’m allergic to wheat, rice and almond. Thanks
Natashashome says
I use rice flour in my blend but you can use rice-free gluten-free flour. For example, use 140g of millet flour, 140g of sorghum flour, and 120g of any starch of choice (you can use 30g of tapioca starch and 90g of cornstarch, for example).
Natashashome says
Hi Lori! I had a different bread recipe here before and that comment did not get removed when the recipe was updated! No, no eggs in this bread. 🙂
Linda says
My bread didn’t seem cooked. Very doughy. Cooked it an additional 15 minutes and still doughy. Any suggestions?? I was so hoping this was the recipe I was looking for.
Natashashome says
Oh no!! I would love to help you! What flour did you use? Did your bread rise? How long did you leave it out for rising? What temperature did you bake it at?
Amanda says
Hi! If I am to use gluten free sourdough starter, how many grams would I add in for this bread recipe? Do I need to adjust anything else?
Thanks! Your site has been super helpful to me 🙂
Natasha Levai says
Hi Amanda! To make a GF sourdough bread I would recommend following a specifically designed recipe like this one https://www.natashashome.com/gluten-free-sourdough-bread/ !
Emily says
i’ve made this bread twice now and it’s so simple and delicious!!!
Natasha Levai says
Thank you so much for your feedback, Emily!
Sophia says
What brand of psyllium husk do you use? The one I tried in another recipe turned my bread purple. It was a psyllium husk powder so not sure it there is a difference in color between the whole husks and the powder?
Natasha Levai says
Hi Sophia! I buy psyllium husk locally online and I live in Europe so I don't think you can get the same kind but generally, yes, powder might turn your bread purple while whole husks should not. You can also buy "blond" psyllium husk if you find it. Here is a post I have on psyllium husk in gluten free baking with an amazon link to buy it. 🙂
Sidra says
Can I use this recipe in my bread machine (with gluten free setting)?
Natasha Levai says
Hi Sidra! I have never tried it in a bread machine but I think it could work! Let me know if it does! 🙂
Mona says
This bread requires only one proofing right ?
I’m about to make it now and was wondering if a second proof is needed before baking. That’s what I do with my regular breads.
Natasha Levai says
Hi Mona! You are right, this bread only requires one proofing. With gluten-free breads you don't need to do two stages of proofing!
Natasha Levai says
Hi Bon! Before, this recipe used to have 400g of flour and recently I updated it to be 500g because with some blends the dough was too wet to hold its shape. So, at this point you would want to add 50g additional flour and 50g additional starch!
Sarah says
I just baked this recipe using 500g like you stated in the above comment and my dough was very stiff and didn’t rise at all?!
The recipe initially stated 400g, so I’m confused as to what measurements I’m to use.
Natasha Levai says
It is 400g just like the recipe says! The comment above is outdated and I will remove it.
Pat says
I just made this bread . It didn't rise well, but that is always my challenge with every bread. I added some shredded cheddar on top and it was delicious and SO soft inside- the 1st time I have used the psyllium husks. What a great addition. Do you have any other GF bread recipes with it? Anyway.. I just looked at my printed recipe - I think it's a few months old. But it says 500 gms of GF flour, which is what I did. The current recipe on your site says 400 gms. of flour. How did that happen? I assume it should be 400 not 500? Was that my problem? All other ingredients, notes, instructions on my print out are the same. I'm about to make it again, and will do 40 gms. Thanks for the recipe.
Natasha Levai says
Hi Pat! Yes, I changed the recipe to 400 grams. I was tweaking it and realized that depending on what flour you use the results will be different. So, I specified the exact flour types and limited the volume to 400g to ensure stable results!
Pat says
Awesome! Thank you.
Charlie says
Hi hi. I think you have a typo. The first time I made it I made it according to the typo, and hooboy was it purple and springy. Still had really good flavor though. Anyhow, the typo:
In the ingredients section at the bottom, you have this.
20 grams (11.5 tsp) psyllium husk. Since I use tsp/tbsp measurements, I put 11.5 tsp in. Even at the time this seemed excessive, but I did it! It should read (4tsp)
Anyhow, awesome stuff you have here. Excellent!
Natasha Levai says
Thank you!! I actually took the tsp measurements from another source as I myself only use a scale. Thank you for pointing this out! I will go in and fix it.