With this simple gluten free bread with psyllium husk powder recipe you will always have the best gluten free bread for any sandwich! The soft, chewy crumb is going to make you love gluten free bread more than the regular one. Packed with flavor, this gluten free sandwich bread doesn’t fall apart as you slice into it but keeps its shape, thanks to psyllium husk!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Texture. This soft gluten free bread is moist and chewy and stays together unlike other gluten free breads that quickly fall apart as you cut into them.
- Flavor. This gluten free recipe calls for white and brown rice flours along with corn flour and starch. Since the base of the bread consists of various ingredients and not just wheat flour it has a deeper flavor profile than regular bread. Enjoy this gluten free bread with some grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly, hummus spread, or avocado and egg.
- Easy to make. This recipe is extremely easy to make, the rising stage takes only 10-15 minutes. This gluten free bread with psyllium husk powder is faster to make than a regular loaf of bread!
- Simple ingredients. This simple gluten-free bread recipe calls for super affordable ingredients that you can find almost in any grocery store. I tried finding the best budget-friendly gluten-free flour blend and I feel like I cracked the code of gluten free flour blend for bread with this recipe!
What is the Difference Between Gluten and Gluten Free Breads?
Gluten free bread doesn’t have any wheat in it. Since gluten provides the structure to regular bread it becomes trickier to bake gluten free as you need to create structure without using gluten. Gluten free bread is often made with such flours as rice, corn, tapioca, sorghum, buckwheat, and others. Since gluten free bread can be made out of multiple different grain flours it oftentimes has a better flavor profile than regular wheat bread! Check out the nutritional comparison here.
Substitutes and Swaps
Gluten Free Flour – I make my own simple gluten free flour mix as it is the most affordable way of baking gluten free bread. Of course, using premade blends will most likely yield good results, too, but I find it more satisfying mixing my own blend and saving a whole bunch of money on buying premade packages. More details below!
Fresh yeast – in most gluten free bread recipes you will see that the authors use instant yeast. I get the best results using fresh yeast. However, not all fresh yeast will yield the same results, for that reason, you will be better off finding the best quality fresh yeast while making this simple gluten free bread recipe.
Milk – you can use plant-based milk for gluten free dairy free bread recipe, however, I used 2.8% dairy milk in my simple gluten free bread recipe.
Eggs – gluten free bread needs as much binding help as it can get. Eggs provide that help along with psyllium husk as well as adding some nutrition and flavor to the loaf. If you want to make gluten free vegan bread, then try using chia egg or an egg substitute that some of the gluten free product manufacturers carry.
Oil – oil adds to the moisture and flavor of the bread. You can use any oil you like! I used sunflower oil in my simple gluten free bread recipe.
Apple Cider Vinegar – vinegar helps create a better environment for the yeast to thrive and to raise your gluten free bread well.
Sugar – sugar also helps the yeast in raising your gluten free bread.
Salt – don’t forget to add a good amount of salt to your simple gluten free bread as it will definitely add to the flavor profile.
Psyllium husk powder – really, this binding agent is the best you can use. Don’t substitute it for xanthan or guar gum unless you are okay with getting different (potentially worse) results.
Ingredients
Flour Blend:
Other Ingredients:
How to Make Gluten Free Bread with Psyllium Husk Powder
Step 1
First, pour the milk into a small size saucepan, add the sugar and bring it to room temperature or 110F/43C. Then add the fresh yeast (you will need to break it apart with your hands). Set aside.
Step 2
While the yeast is activating, prepare your gluten free flour blend. Just combine all the flours, starches, and psyllium husk in a large bowl. Add salt and set the bowl aside.
Step 3
Whisk the eggs, then as the yeast is starting to activate slowly (not bubbling very much yet), add the eggs, the oil, and the apple cider vinegar to the saucepan. Whisk to combine.
Step 4
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until incorporated. You can use a hand mixer with dough hooks as well.
Step 5
Grease a bread loaf pan (I used 9×5 inches or 23×12.7cm size pan) and pour the bread dough into it. The dough will be wet, but that is ok!
Don’t worry if your batter doesn’t look like mine in the picture. If you let psyllium sit and form into a gel then your dough will be the same consistency as in the picture, but I intentionally erased the step where you let psyllium sit. First, it is really messy to try and moisturize psyllium husk, second, my bread turns out great (even better) if I add it straight to the flour mix.
Spread the dough evenly in the bread pan with a rubber spatula. Place the bread into a draft-free area for rising (I used a turned-off oven for the rise). As soon as you leave the bread to rise, turn on the oven and heat it to 350F/175C. Only let the bread rise to about 30% (it shouldn’t come up all the way to the top of the bread pan). The bread will continue rising as the oven is heating up and once the oven reached 320F/160C let the bread bake for 45-55 minutes.
Once finished, separate the bread from the pan sides with a spatula, then the bread over onto the counter. Place the bread onto a cooling rack or onto the bread pan in such a way that allows for steam to escape from both top and bottom of the loaf. If you leave the loaf in the pan for too long after baking the bottom will become saggy and simply wet. Let the bread cool completely before cutting into it as the crumb is still setting during the cooling time. If you cut into it too early you will get gooey and wet crumb!
Tips for Success
– Don’t make substitutions other than the ones provided above in the Substitutions and Swaps section;
– Make sure to use good quality fresh yeast as gluten free bread needs more yeast in order to rise than regular wheat bread;
– Don’t let your yeast mixture sit for too long or your bread will not rise properly and will have a dent in the middle after it is baked;
– Don’t substitute psyllium husk with xanthan or guar gum as it will change the end result significantly! I baked tons of bread with gums before and can testify that psyllium husk is the secret ingredient to great gluten free bread.
– Don’t be afraid to add a lot of salt to the dough. Bread needs plenty of salt to taste great!
– Make sure your bread doesn’t rise for too long. It might be tempting to let your gluten free bread rise much longer than 10 minutes but trust me, it will lose its shape and create a dent in the middle if you leave it to rise for too long. After 10-15 minutes of rising time place it into the preheating oven and you will get a good shape for your gluten free loaf!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Freeze this Bread?
Yes, absolutely! It is best to freeze gluten free bread in slices as you can take out as much as you need without having to thaw the whole loaf. If you know you won’t eat your gluten free bread within 3-5 days, then it is best to freeze it for later.
How Long Will this Bread Last?
After baking the gluten free bread, place it into the fridge and eat within 3-5 days. If you know you won’t use it that quickly, then you might benefit from freezing your bread for later.
Can I Make this Recipe in a Bread Machine?
I have never made gluten free bread in a bread machine, but if you would like to, you can try it out. I think that it should work for the bread machine, but if you do try it, please let me know how it turned out for you in the comment section below!
What is the Trick to Making Good Gluten Free Bread?
For me, psyllium husk powder was a game changer. Other than that, I tried hard to find a perfect gluten-free flour blend balance using simple and affordable flours and I feel that I finally found what works great for me (find the flour blend ingredients earlier in the post). Another secret to great gluten free bread is using more yeast than usual. You really need a lot of yeast to raise the heavy dough of the gluten-free bread.
What is the Main Ingredient in Gluten Free Bread?
If I had to pick one, I would say it is the binding agent you are using, which is psyllium husk in my gluten free bread recipe. However, I think that the flour blend and the yeast are also crucial to making good gluten-free bread.
What Size of a Pan Should I Use?
You can use any size of a pan. Some people will say the size is important, but I made bread in all kinds of pans (including a round cake pan) and it turned out just fine. For this simple gluten-free bread recipe I used 9×5 inches (23×12.7cm) baking pan.
How Should I Store Freshly Baked Bread?
It is okay to store your bread covered at room temperature for the first day, but after that, it is best to place your bread into the fridge. I cut my bread into halves and place them into small plastic bags, then place them into the refrigerator.
Why is My Bread Dense?
You might have used weak yeast or too little yeast. Another reason could be that you put too much flour into the dough. That might happen if you are using cups instead of a scale as it is easy to get more flour using cups vs. the scale. Make sure you spoon and level your flour if you are using measuring cups. Finally, if you are storing your gluten free flours in the refrigerator or a freezer it will lose moisture and thus absorb more liquids during the baking process creating a denser loaf of bread.
How to Make Gluten Free Bread Rise?
Gluten-free bread will rise just fine without gluten, all you need to do is make sure you are using yeast that is not expired, is good quality, and that you are using a lot of it! Gluten-free bread is much heavier than wheat bread which makes it necessary to use more yeast than you would for a regular loaf of bread.
Gluten Free Bread with Psyllium Husk Powder (No Gum!)
Equipment
- 1 baking bread pan (don't get hung up on specific sizes, any medium loaf pan is good!)
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 wisk
- 1 rubber spatula
Ingredients
Flour Blend
- 1 cup (120 grams) corn flour
- ⅔ cup (100 grams) white rice flour
- ⅓ cup (55 grams) brown rice flour
- ⅓ cup (40 grams) tapioca flour/starch
- ⅖ cup (112 grams) corn/potato starch
- 4 tsp psyllium husk powder note that powder is different from whole psyllium husk
Other Ingredients
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1⅓ cups milk (I used 2.8%) use plant based for dairy free bread
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 50 grams fresh yeast note that fresh yeast is different from instant yeast
- 4 tsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- First, pour the milk into a small size saucepan, add the sugar and bring it to room temperature or 110F/43C. Then add the fresh yeast (you will need to break it apart with your hands). Set aside.
- While the yeast is activating, prepare your gluten free flour blend. Just combine all the flours, starches, and psyllium husk in a large bowl. Add salt and set the bowl aside.
- Whisk the eggs, then as the yeast is starting to activate slowly (not bubbling very much yet), add the eggs, the oil, and the apple cider vinegar to the saucepan. Whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until incorporated. You can use a hand mixer with dough hooks as well.
- Grease a bread loaf pan (I used a 9×5 inches or 23×12.7cm size pan) and pour the bread dough into it. The dough will be wet, but that is ok!
- Spread the dough evenly in the bread pan with a rubber spatula. Place the bread into a draft-free area for rising (I used a turned-off oven for the rise). As soon as you leave the bread to rise, turn on the oven and heat it to 350F/175C. Only let the bread rise to about 30% (it shouldn't come up all the way to the top of the bread pan). The bread will continue rising as the oven is heating up and once the oven reached 320F/160C let the bread bake for 45-55 minutes.
- Once finished, separate the bread from the pan sides with a spatula, then the bread over onto the counter. Place the bread onto a cooling rack or onto the bread pan in such a way that allows for steam to escape from both top and bottom of the loaf. If you leave the loaf in the pan for too long after baking the bottom will become saggy and simply wet. Let the bread cool completely before cutting into it as the crumb is still setting during the cooling time. If you cut into it too early you will get gooey and wet crumb!
Notes
What’s Next?
Have you made this gluten free bread with psyllium husk powder? Share your experience and insights in the comments below! If you have any questions, ask in the comment section and I will get back to you.
