Sometimes you do things not because you have to—but because the people you care about do. That’s exactly why I started my search for a gluten-free bread recipe that wasn’t just “meh,” but actually… good. You know, the kind you wouldn’t mind eating even if gluten wasn’t an issue for you.
I’m not gluten-free. I don’t have to be. But several of our close friends are, and I’ve watched them try to navigate BBQs, lunches, and simple sandwiches with bread that’s either dry, crumbly, or as heavy as a doorstop. That’s not friendship. That’s suffering. And I decided to do something about it.
The First Attempt: Just Swap the Flour… Right?
Like most overly confident home cooks, I thought, Hey, I’ll just take my favorite bread recipe and sub in gluten-free flour. Done.
Yeah… not done. Not even close. The bread was dense, fell apart when sliced, and had a weird aftertaste. My kids wouldn’t eat it. I barely ate it. It didn’t taste bad, but it also wasn’t good. And if you’re going to make gluten-free bread, it better be good—because there’s enough sadness in the gluten-free bread aisle already.
Enter the People of Instagram
Feeling defeated, I turned to Instagram and asked for help. And wow, did you guys deliver. So many of you pointed me to the Easy Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread recipe from The Loopy Whisk. The name gave me hope. “Easy.” “Sandwich.” “Bread.” These are all the things I wanted. But honestly? The first time I made it, I was confused. It wasn’t hard, just different. Gluten-free baking has its own rhythm, and I was definitely off-beat.
Second Time’s the Charm
The second time around? Magic.
I followed the instructions a little more closely, stopped trying to make it like gluten bread, and let it be what it is. The dough is more like cake batter. It rises differently. It bakes a little slower. But when it’s done—it’s GOOD. Like, “make-an-extra-loaf-because-the-kids-will-steal-it” good.
Again, this isn’t my recipe, but I figured to make finding it easier, I would put it here. Also, here are all the ingredients I used (if you want exactly what I got).
Easy-ish Gluten-Free Bread Recipe
Notes
Storage:
This gluten free sandwich bread keeps very well in a closed container in a cool, dry place (or at room temperature) for 3-4 days. It'll stay beautifully soft for days, and you don't even need to reheat it before serving – although it toasts beautifully as well, either in a toaster or on the stovetop with a bit of butter.
Ingredients
- 20 g (4 tbsp) whole psyllium husk (If using psyllium husk powder, use only 17g.)
- 280 g (1 cup + 2½ tbsp) lukewarm water
- 230 g (2 cups) tapioca starch (You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.)
- 135 g (1 cup) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface (You can use an equal weight of finely milled/ground brown rice flour instead.)
- 60 g (⅓ cup + 2 tbsp) sorghum flour (You can use an equal weight of light buckwheat flour, white teff flour or oat flour instead. Use the latter only if you're not sensitive to oats.)
- 50 g (¼ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
- 8 g (2½ tsp) instant yeast (If using active dry yeast, use 10g.)
- 8 g (2 tsp) baking powder
- 7 g (2¾ tsp) xanthan gum
- 12 g (2 tsp) salt
- 120 g (½ cup) whole milk, lukewarm
- 2 US large/UK medium eggs, room temperature
- 25 g (2 tbsp) sunflower oil, or other neutral-tasting oil of choice
- You'll also need:
- 1 US large/UK medium egg white, whisked, for brushing the bread
Instructions
- I recommend making the dough using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, as it'll be very soft and sticky. I have a Bosch, but you could totally do this recipe with a Kitchenaid and be fine (since it only makes one loaf).
- Make the psyllium gel: In a bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and lukewarm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer (if using), whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, sugar, instant yeast, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.
- Tip: If using active dry yeast instead, you need to activate it first. Mix it together with the lukewarm milk and a tablespoon of the sugar. Set aside for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture starts frothing. Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Add the milk, eggs and oil to the psyllium gel, and mix well to combine.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the psyllium gel-egg mixture.
- Knead the dough until smooth and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated, then knead for a further 4-5 minutes (if using a stand mixer) or 6-8 minutes (if kneading it by hand). Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour.
- Tip: This extra kneading time will make the dough EXTRA smooth, which is the key to beautiful gluten free sandwich bread.
- The final dough will be VERY soft and sticky – that’s okay, you’ll be working on a generously floured surface (and with floured hands) so it shouldn’t be a problem. Resist the temptation to add more flour to the dough, as that can make the final bread too dense and dry.
- Tip: If you find the dough too sticky to easily handle (even on a floured surface and with floured hands), you can chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour before proceeding to the next step. This will make the dough slightly less sticky and therefore easier to handle.
- Shaping the sandwich bread:
- When it comes to shaping this gluten free sandwich bread, it’s important that you work on a quite generously floured surface and with floured hands.
- Turn out the dough onto a generously floured surface, and dust the top of the dough with flour as well. Give it a gentle knead (with floured hands) and shape it into a smooth ball.
- Use the palms of your hands to gently press the dough into a log shape that fits snugly into the loaf pan. (You basically need to carefully squish it into an oval/log shape, see blog post for photos.)
- Carefully transfer the shaped bread into a 9x5-inch (23x13cm) loaf pan. You don’t need to grease or butter the loaf pan.
- Use a bread lame or a sharp knife to score the bread with 3 diagonal slashes. (See blog post for photos.)
- Tip: Scoring the bread before proofing ensures that it rises evenly without any tearing or cracking, and it’ll give you a smooth top crust.
- Proofing:
- Lightly cover the loaf pan with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film (to prevent the bread from drying out) and proof in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Tip: If your kitchen is on the cold side, put a cup of boiling hot water into your (turned-off) oven – that will create the perfect warm, slightly humid proofing environment.
- Baking the sandwich bread:
- After your bread has been proofing for about 45 minutes, start preheating your oven. Place a baking steel, baking stone or heavy-duty baking sheet on the bottom (lowest) oven rack and preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Once the sandwich bread has doubled in size, brush it gently with the whisked egg white.
- Place the loaf pan directly onto the preheated baking steel (or baking stone or heavy-duty baking sheet) and bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until the bread is deep golden brown on top, the bottom and side crust is crisp, and the bread weighs about 960-970g (this shows that it’s lost enough moisture during baking).
- If the top of your loaf starts browning too much, you can cover it with a sheet of aluminium foil (shiny side up) and continue baking until done.
- Optional extra step: If your bread doesn't have a very crisp crust on the bottom and sides when you remove it out of the loaf pan (or if you like an extra crisp crust on your bread), you can place the sandwich bread onto a baking sheet (without the loaf pan) and return it to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes. This will crisp up the crust even further.
- Immediately out of the oven, transfer the sandwich bread onto a wire rack to cool (don't leave it in the loaf pan). Cool it completely to room temperature (or at least until lukewarm) before you slice into it.
So… Why Am I Sharing This?
Because maybe you’re like me. Maybe you’re not gluten-free, but you love someone who is. Or maybe you’re trying to bake something thoughtful for a neighbor, friend, or your kid’s soccer coach. And you don’t want to hand them a loaf that feels like a brick and tastes like cardboard.
This recipe from The Loopy Whisk has become our new go-to. It’s:
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Soft and sliceable
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Actually holds up for sandwiches
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Kid-approved
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Makes your kitchen smell amazing
Give it a try. Even if it’s just to say “I care” to someone who’s been gluten-free for way too long without a good sandwich.
If you try it out, let me know how it goes! Or better yet—send a slice my way.
