The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (2024)

The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (1)

4.94 from 177 votes

Prep Time : 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time : 45 minutes minutes

This gluten free challah bread recipe is also dairy free, so it's perfect for any holiday table. It also makes amazing gf French toast, sandwiches, or bread pudding.

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The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (2)

Learn how to make delicious gluten free challah bread that everyone will love. Serve this delicious enriched, braided bread at the holiday table, or any day!

The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (3)

What makes this gluten free challah recipe special?

This recipe is unlike many other gluten free challah bread recipes you'll find. It can hold its shape as a true, braided bread without being stiff and dry. It has the most beautiful, moist, and tender open crumb.

Most gluten free challah recipes you'll find are made in a molded loaf pan that mimics the shape of braided bread. If you search the web for “gluten free challah bread,” you'll often find recipes that ask you to expect that your bread will be “heavier” or more “dense.”

The texture, flavor, aroma, and crumb of your gluten free bread should be no different from whatever conventional bread you've come to expect. And this gluten fee bread hits all the right notes, so keep those expectations high, where they should be!

What is the taste and texture of good challah?

Challah bread is a highly enriched bread, made with plenty of oil, egg yolks, and some sugar, too. That's how you get that thin, tender, dark brown crust and the rich aroma of deeply browned bread.

Challah is not a high-rising, fluffy bread. Instead, it's meant to hold its shape after being braided, and to have a more closed, chewy crumb. It tastes slightly, but not overly, sweet and tastes pleasantly eggy, like a cross between Hawaiian rolls and brioche.

The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (4)

Handling the dough without too much flour

Challah dough must be handled quite a lot, since it's separated into 3 parts, each part is rolled into a long strand, and then all 3 strands are braided together. This isn't a very wet dough, since wet batter-style gluten free bread dough can't be shaped, so it's very important not to add much more of any type of flour when you shape the dough.

The dough is prepared properly by being chilled well in a tightly sealed container, and then dusted very very lightly with tapioca starch. Both of these steps are designed to make the dough easier to handle without kneading in more flour.

When you're preparing bread dough and you add more flour, the more you add, the lower the hydration ratio of the bread is. If the bread dough is not properly hydrated, it won't rise well.

If this dough were too wet, you couldn't possibly handle it enough to braid it. Plus, the dough would never hold its shape during rising and baking. We need to find that sweet spot, where you can handle and shape the bread with a light touch aided only by a little bit of extra starch.

If the dough seems too hard to handle and you're tempted to add even more starch, place it back in the container and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least another hour. The dough will absorb more of the moisture, but it will still be locked inside. Plus, cold dough is less sticky by nature.

The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (5)

Braiding gluten free challah bread strands into a loaf

You can braid gluten free challah bread in a 3-strand, 4-strand, or even a 6-strand loaf. The braiding technique begins the same way as any braided bread recipe—but the handling of the dough requires some special care.

I've used a 3-strand braid here because it's the simplest (if you can braid a ponytail, you can braid a 3-strand challah!). If the three strands side by side (by side) are in places 1, 2, and 3, the braiding process is:

  • 1 over 2, and return old 2 to 1 spot;
  • 3 over 2, and return old 2 to 3 spot;
  • Repeat until you reach the end of the braid.

Do not ever pull on the strands, though. They must not fray. Place them where you want them, overlapping them carefully and with intention.

Of course, if you'd prefer, you can use a challah mold pan and place the unshaped dough into the pan to rise and then bake.

The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (6)

Tips for making the best gluten free challah

Start with room-temperature ingredients

Unlike many gluten free yeast bread recipes that call for warm ingredients to activate the yeast quickly, this recipe calls for ingredients at room temperature. We then let the bread rest in the refrigerator so that the liquids are absorbed into the flour.

Use the right amount of sugar

Sugar in baking isn't just for sweetness. In fact, it's most valuable here in this recipe, and in many others, for tenderizing the bread, and keeping it fresh for longer.

The sugar here feeds the yeast so that it can grow. It also helps aid the browning and results in that deep brown challah crust.

The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (7)

Refrigerate your gf challah bread dough for easier handling

Refrigerating the raw dough in a tightly sealed container makes handling the dough easier.

First, it allows the flours time to absorb the liquid. You don't sacrifice any liquid, which the bread needs for rising and for texture, but the dough is less sticky. Second, refrigerating the dough makes it colder, making it easier to handle.

If you don't have time to refrigerate the dough, you can still work with it. It will just be a bit harder to handle and more fragile.

Give your gluten free challah bread dough time to rise

Yeast bread dough rises faster in warm (not hot) temperatures closer to 80°F that aren't drafty. It rises more slowly in colder temperatures.

It also must be covered properly as it rises, so the moisture in the dough doesn't evaporate. If the moisture evaporates, the dough will be too stiff and the yeast will not grow properly.

Add an egg wash before baking

An egg wash is just a beaten egg with either water or milk. Here, we're using water to keep it dairy-free easily.

After the braided raw dough has risen, we brush the egg wash on top of the braids and all along the perimeter. The egg wash helps the braids brown beautifully and keeps the dough from breaking through the surface during its oven rise.

Avoid letting the egg wash pool in the space between the braids. We want that portion to rise freely.

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How to serve this challah bread substitute

This challah bread is amazing in the center of your Jewish holiday meal. But you don't have to celebrate Jewish holidays to enjoy this gluten free challah!

Sliced thickly, this challah makes rich, eggy, lightly sweet gluten free French toast. You'll find yourself snatching some slices from the loaf to ensure there are leftovers for gluten free bread pudding, too.

Try toasting a generous slice and topping it with light and fluffy scrambled eggs. Or just a big schmear of cream cheese and a light sprinkling of chives.

How to store and freeze your gluten free braided bread

If you're not planning to serve your bread right away, you can keep it fresh for about 8 hours at room temperature. Just wrap it tightly in plastic and eliminate as much air as possible.

For any leftover bread, be sure to slice it how you'd like to serve it, wrap it tightly in the same manner, and freeze it. Defrost it one slice at a time in the microwave or at room temperature, and refresh it in the toaster oven.

I don't recommend freezing raw yeast bread, only baked yeast bread. If the temperature drops too low, you may kill the yeast and waste all that hard work and delicious bread!

Gluten free challah bread ingredient substitution suggestions

This challah is already dairy-free. Let's talk about suggestions for making other substitutions.

Can you make this gluten free challah bread without eggs?

It isn't as easy to replace egg yolks as it is to replace whole eggs. You can try using three tablespoons of vegan butter in place of the three egg yolks to replace the fat of the yolks.

Can you make vegan gluten free challah?

If you replace the egg yolks with vegan butter successfully, you'll need to replace the honey to have a recipe for gluten free vegan challah bread. In place of honey, try using light corn syrup.

Does it matter which gluten free flour blend you use in this gf challah recipe?

Yes! It matters a lot which gf flour blend you use. And it matters that you add the additional 75 grams of tapioca starch/flour.

I highly recommend using Better Batter (or our DIY mock Better Batter style blend) as the all purpose gluten free flour blend. It took me years to develop a reliable gluten free challah bread recipe without using our gluten free bread flour to make it easy and dairy free.

Don't use Cup4Cup gluten free flour here, even though it is one of my favorite blends. It's simply too high in starch to produce proper bread that holds its shape as intended (it would make a paler, fluffier, and more out-of-shape loaf)—and browns properly here.

This recipe relies even more than usual on true precision in ingredient selection, and in measurement accuracy. For reliable results like the photos that taste amazing, you must use the flours specified, and you must measure by weight.

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FAQs for this challah recipe

Is challah bread gluten free?

No. Traditionally, challah bread is made with wheat flour, along with lots of dairy-free enrichments like egg yolks, oil, and honey or other sugars.
This bread is what you might think of as a challah bread substitute, since it's made wheat-free. But it's a substitute that tastes just as it should—and no one will know that it's made with an all purpose gluten free flour blend.

Is challah the same as brioche?

No. Both brioche and challah are enriched breads, but they're not at all the same.
Brioche is a richer, heartier bread than challah, and challah is best made without butter, so it's pareve (neither milk nor meat, which can't be mixed in kosher meal) and can be served with any holiday meal.

How do I handle dough that is too wet to shape?

Resist the urge to add much more flour or starch! Try returning the dough to its sealed container and placing it in the refrigerator to chill for at least another hour.

Why won't my bread rise?

There are many reasons that you might have trouble getting a yeast bread to rise. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Did you use one of my recommended flour blends, measured by weight?
Did you add more than a light dusting of extra flour on your dough during shaping?
Is your yeast fresh?
Did you wait long enough? Overproofing is not a matter of too long a rise, but too much of a rise. Sometimes a rise takes much longer than anticipated depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen.

Is this gluten free challah bread dairy-free?

Yes, this gluten free challah bread is already dairy-free. It's made with olive oil instead of butter, and water instead of milk. If you want to replace the olive oil, I recommend using vegan butter. Do not use a flavorless oil like canola or vegetable oil, or the flavor will suffer.

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The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe

This gluten free challah bread recipe is also dairy free, so it's perfect for any holiday table. It also makes amazing gf French toast, sandwiches, or bread pudding.

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Jewish

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Resting and rising times: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Yield: 8 slices

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment (See Recipe Notes)

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter and recommend it highly here; please click thru for appropriate blends you must choose carefully for results!)
  • ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
  • cup (75 g) tapioca starch/flour plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 ⅔ teaspoons (5 g) instant yeast (See Recipe Notes)
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (6 g) kosher salt
  • ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) lukewarm water plus a teaspoon or so more if necessary
  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 (75 g) egg yolks at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey
  • Egg wash 1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
  • Poppyseeds or sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Make the challah bread dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, tapioca starch/flour, instant yeast, and granulated sugar. Whisk to combine well.

  • Add the salt, and whisk again to combine.

  • Add a bit more than 1/2 cup of the water, olive oil, egg yolks, and honey. Using the paddle attachment, beat vigorously.

  • With the mixer running, add as much of the remaining water as necessary for the dough to smooth out. In a warm, humid environment, it may take a bit less than the full 3/4 cup of water. In a dry, cold environment, it may take less. Watch the texture very carefully.

  • The dough mixture will come together in a clump and then smooth out and stick to the sides of the bowl. Keep beating until it begins to look whipped, and the color lightens a bit (about 6 minutes total).

  • Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled bucket or bowl with a very tight-fitting lid. Place the container in the refrigerator, tightly sealed, for at least an hour and up to 2 days.

Shape the braided gf challah

  • When you’re ready to bake, turn out the chilled dough onto a surface very very lightly dusted with tapioca starch/flour.

  • Sprinkle the top very very lightly with more starch, and divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Do not add much starch, or your bread will not rise properly.

  • If the dough seems too hard to handle and you're tempted to add even more starch, place it back in the container and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least another hour.

  • Working with one piece at a time, knead the dough in your clean, dry hands, without adding any additional flour of any kind, pinching any seams that separate.

  • Begin working the dough into a cylindrical shape, pinching any gaps together, fanning your hands out toward the edges to lengthen the strand.

  • Rolling back and forth, create strands about 15 inches long from end to end that taper slowly from the center to each end, with very tapered ends. Sprinkle each strand lightly with more tapioca flour on the outside of the cylinder to smooth the surface, then set it aside.

  • Place the 3 strands on a lightly floured surface parallel to one another and about 5 inches apart from one another. Gather the tapered ends on one side together, pinch them securely and tuck the very end under the knot.

  • Plait the 3 strands as you would any 3-strand braid. Do not pull the strands, as they’ll fray. Just place them on top of one another as you work toward from one end to the other.

  • Beginning as close as possible to the bound end, place one outside strand across the center strand, exchanging the center for the outside strand you just moved to the center.

  • Repeat with the other outside strand and center strand. Repeat the process, alternating one side and then the other until you reach the end. Tuck the end under as you did the other side.

  • Placing your hands carefully under each side of the braided loaf, carefully lift the braid onto a lined baking sheet. Press the finished braid gently on each ends toward center to shorten the length a bit.

  • Sprinkle the top of the braid lightly with more tapioca starch and brush off excess from the valleys between braids.

Let the bread rise.

  • Cover the braid securely with plastic wrap, and place the loaf in a warm, draft-free location. Allow the loaf to rise until it’s at least 150% its original size (anywhere from 45 minutes to hours).

  • If any of the tops of the strands begin to separate from one another as the dough rises, try to smooth and pinch them closed. When the dough is nearing the end of its rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Bake the bread.

  • Uncover the risen bread and brush the tops and sides of the braids very generously with the egg wash. Avoid letting the egg wash pool in between the braids. Sprinkle the top evenly with the optional seeds.

  • Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, rotate the baking sheet 180° and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

  • Continue to bake for about 15 minutes, or until the bread bounces back when pressed on a center braid and the internal temperature is at least 190°F on an instant read thermometer.

  • Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack too cool completely. Slice and serve.

Notes

For the instant yeast.

If you’d like use active dry yeast in place of instant yeast, you’ll need to hydrate the yeast first in some water in the recipe. You’ll also need 25% more active dry yeast, which is slightly over 6 grams, to replace 5 grams of instant yeast.

For the stand mixer.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, I recommend making the dough in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, but it's not ideal and may easily lead to overprocessing the dough. I don’t recommend a hand mixer, or trying to mix by hand. Only a stand mixer will yield predictable results.

The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (11)

Print Pin Save

The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe

This gluten free challah bread recipe is also dairy free, so it's perfect for any holiday table. It also makes amazing gf French toast, sandwiches, or bread pudding.

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Jewish

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Resting and rising times: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Yield: 8 slices

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment (See Recipe Notes)

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter and recommend it highly here; please click thru for appropriate blends you must choose carefully for results!)
  • ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
  • cup (75 g) tapioca starch/flour plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 ⅔ teaspoons (5 g) instant yeast (See Recipe Notes)
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (6 g) kosher salt
  • ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) lukewarm water plus a teaspoon or so more if necessary
  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 (75 g) egg yolks at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey
  • Egg wash 1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
  • Poppyseeds or sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Make the challah bread dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, tapioca starch/flour, instant yeast, and granulated sugar. Whisk to combine well.

  • Add the salt, and whisk again to combine.

  • Add a bit more than 1/2 cup of the water, olive oil, egg yolks, and honey. Using the paddle attachment, beat vigorously.

  • With the mixer running, add as much of the remaining water as necessary for the dough to smooth out. In a warm, humid environment, it may take a bit less than the full 3/4 cup of water. In a dry, cold environment, it may take less. Watch the texture very carefully.

  • The dough mixture will come together in a clump and then smooth out and stick to the sides of the bowl. Keep beating until it begins to look whipped, and the color lightens a bit (about 6 minutes total).

  • Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled bucket or bowl with a very tight-fitting lid. Place the container in the refrigerator, tightly sealed, for at least an hour and up to 2 days.

Shape the braided gf challah

  • When you’re ready to bake, turn out the chilled dough onto a surface very very lightly dusted with tapioca starch/flour.

  • Sprinkle the top very very lightly with more starch, and divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Do not add much starch, or your bread will not rise properly.

  • If the dough seems too hard to handle and you're tempted to add even more starch, place it back in the container and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least another hour.

  • Working with one piece at a time, knead the dough in your clean, dry hands, without adding any additional flour of any kind, pinching any seams that separate.

  • Begin working the dough into a cylindrical shape, pinching any gaps together, fanning your hands out toward the edges to lengthen the strand.

  • Rolling back and forth, create strands about 15 inches long from end to end that taper slowly from the center to each end, with very tapered ends. Sprinkle each strand lightly with more tapioca flour on the outside of the cylinder to smooth the surface, then set it aside.

  • Place the 3 strands on a lightly floured surface parallel to one another and about 5 inches apart from one another. Gather the tapered ends on one side together, pinch them securely and tuck the very end under the knot.

  • Plait the 3 strands as you would any 3-strand braid. Do not pull the strands, as they’ll fray. Just place them on top of one another as you work toward from one end to the other.

  • Beginning as close as possible to the bound end, place one outside strand across the center strand, exchanging the center for the outside strand you just moved to the center.

  • Repeat with the other outside strand and center strand. Repeat the process, alternating one side and then the other until you reach the end. Tuck the end under as you did the other side.

  • Placing your hands carefully under each side of the braided loaf, carefully lift the braid onto a lined baking sheet. Press the finished braid gently on each ends toward center to shorten the length a bit.

  • Sprinkle the top of the braid lightly with more tapioca starch and brush off excess from the valleys between braids.

Let the bread rise.

  • Cover the braid securely with plastic wrap, and place the loaf in a warm, draft-free location. Allow the loaf to rise until it’s at least 150% its original size (anywhere from 45 minutes to hours).

  • If any of the tops of the strands begin to separate from one another as the dough rises, try to smooth and pinch them closed. When the dough is nearing the end of its rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Bake the bread.

  • Uncover the risen bread and brush the tops and sides of the braids very generously with the egg wash. Avoid letting the egg wash pool in between the braids. Sprinkle the top evenly with the optional seeds.

  • Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, rotate the baking sheet 180° and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

  • Continue to bake for about 15 minutes, or until the bread bounces back when pressed on a center braid and the internal temperature is at least 190°F on an instant read thermometer.

  • Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack too cool completely. Slice and serve.

Notes

For the instant yeast.

If you’d like use active dry yeast in place of instant yeast, you’ll need to hydrate the yeast first in some water in the recipe. You’ll also need 25% more active dry yeast, which is slightly over 6 grams, to replace 5 grams of instant yeast.

For the stand mixer.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, I recommend making the dough in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, but it's not ideal and may easily lead to overprocessing the dough. I don’t recommend a hand mixer, or trying to mix by hand. Only a stand mixer will yield predictable results.

The Best Gluten Free Challah Bread Recipe | Easy and Delicious! (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making good gluten free bread? ›

Tips and Techniques to make better Gluten Free Bread
  1. Use psyllium husk powder.
  2. Let the dough rest (not exactly the same as a bulk proof)
  3. Mix or knead thoroughly.
  4. Use less yeast.
  5. Bake in a tin with tall sides.
  6. Bake for longer, often at a lower temperature.
  7. Create steam in the oven.
  8. Use the tangzhong or scalded flour method.

Why add vinegar to gluten free bread? ›

The addition of vinegar and sour cream helps the dough to be a bit more flexible when rolling out and also to brown slightly more easily when baked in the oven. Rice wine vinegar doesn't have a strong taste so it is useful for this dough, but it can be replaced with other acids.

How do you make gluten free bread rise higher? ›

An easy way to create a good environment for gluten-free bread to rise is to turn your oven to 200 F; when it reaches this temperature, turn off the oven and place a shallow baking pan partially filled with hot water on one of the shelves.

Why won t gluten free bread rise? ›

Of course make sure that your yeast and baking powder is still active and fresh. Your bread will not rise if your yeast or baking powder has expired. A dense loaf could also be the result of not measuring your ingredients accurately. Weight measurements are best (I have to update my recipes).

What is the biggest challenge of making gluten-free bread? ›

Running into problems. Gluten is protein that elasticizes dough, providing structure and enabling it to trap the carbon dioxide generated by yeast. (This is why many gluten-free formulations don't use yeast.) Eliminating it often leaves dough that is runnier than conventional bread dough.

How to make gluten-free taste better? ›

Let's go!
  1. Vanilla Extract. Ahhh, vanilla extract! ...
  2. Citrus Zest. Citrus zest is among the simplest things to add to your gluten-free mix to enhance it. ...
  3. Glaze or Icing. The best way to improve the flavor of your mixture is to add a little icing or glaze. ...
  4. Espresso. ...
  5. A Pinch of Salt.
Sep 13, 2022

What does cream of tartar do in gluten-free bread? ›

A: Yes, cream of tartar can be used in gluten-free bread recipes to improve dough stability and rise.

What does apple cider vinegar do in gluten-free bread? ›

Apple Cider Vinegar – Superpower your Gluten-Free Kitchen! Apple cider vinegar is often used in baking, but why? It is a great leavening agent, but it also has powerful flavour enhancing properties. I find it adds the perfect amount of depth of flavour, and helps activate baking soda creating a lovely airy texture.

What is the best gluten-free flour for yeast? ›

If you want to buy just one gluten-free flour, we highly recommend the Pillsbury all-purpose gluten-free flour. Not only is it our favorite gluten-free flour, and easy to use in gluten-free recipes, but it's also one of the few gluten-free flours currently on the market that is recommended for baking with yeast.

What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

How long should I let my gluten-free bread rise? ›

Leave the batter right in the mixing bowl. Or if you need your bowl for another purpose, scrape the sticky batter into a large measuring cup, or another bowl. Cover the bowl or cup, and let the thick batter rise for 1 hour.

Do you let gluten-free bread rise twice? ›

Should the dough rise once or twice? It is often said that gluten-free yeast dough should only be allowed to rise once. This is what I also believed for a long time, but it is not true. There are enough recipes in which the dough is successfully risen twice.

Why does gluten-free bread not taste good? ›

“Historically, gluten-free flour alternatives come from rice, pea, corn, tapioca, and potato. Even when finely milled, these flours are very gritty and/or rubbery in texture, making products taste substandard.”

Why does my gluten-free bread sink in the middle after baking? ›

If your gluten-free bread collapsed during or after baking, you either had too much liquid in the bread dough or over-proofed the yeast. You can also read my guide to the Best Gluten Free Flour Blends. I discuss the gluten free flour blends and which are best for which types of recipes.

What does oil do in gluten-free bread? ›

Most gluten-free recipes will call for the addition of eggs and oils to enhance moisture. Eggs are also natural leaveners that support the volume, texture, color, and shelf-life of gluten-free bread. Including oil can also result in a richer, more tasty loaf and provide a bit more moisture too.

Is there a trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

Why is my homemade gluten-free bread so dense? ›

Incorrect Flour Ratios: Different gluten-free flours have varying levels of protein and starch, which can affect the texture of your bread. Using the wrong flour ratio can result in a dense and gummy loaf.

Why is my gluten-free bread so dense in the bread machine? ›

If your gluten free bread turned out dense, you didn't have enough liquid in the dough. It is critical to measure your dry ingredients accurately. Measure for weight when you can. If you don't have a digital scale, I recommend using either the spoon or the leveling method to measure your flour.

Can you over knead gluten-free bread? ›

Unlike gluten doughs, gluten-free bread doughs should not be overworked, and doing so can sometimes make them a bit rubbery. Second, if you are baking from scratch and adding your own xanthan or guar gum, you might have added too much.

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