Until this past summer, I was on somewhat of a bread hiatus. I’d gone from years of frenzied gluten-free bread-baking to practically forgetting its existence. I was done with dense bricks of off-tasting sponges, especially after one of my “small” loaves clocked in at (over) five pounds. There is nothing light and airy about a five pound loaf of bread. Nothing.
Everything changed when a reader, Laurel, made some very lofty praises about a vegan, gluten-free bread recipe she’d been using. I was hesitant, but moved forward, wanting to provide her feedback, and secretly hoping for some kind of success.
And now, I believe in bread, once again. Is it perfect? No(t quite). In my world, it’s very close. Crusty outside, soft inside (with a bit of spring), totally slice-able, edible for three days on the counter (without crumbling into oblivion), whole-grain, VEGAN, and, well, good.
I’d serve this to guests without thinking twice, apologizing, or offering up lengthy explanations.
Sandwiches are a real entity again. It’s a work in progress, for sure, but I’m finally enjoying the work again.
I’d never thought of an item’s vegan status as an inherent strength, but in this case, it is key. This bread is light, without burden, thanks to the simplicity of ingredients; eggs, butter, and milk can really weigh a loaf down. So I’ve learned.
The ten loaves I’ve made thus far have all turned out reasonably well, though always slightly nuanced depending on the weather and my demeanor (impatience is not a virtue in bread making).
Gluten-Free, Vegan, Buckwheat Bread
Adapted by: CinnamonQuill
Supplied by: Laurel
Originally sourced by: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Yield: One 8×4 inch loaf (If doubled: two 8×4 inch loaves, or one 9×5 inch loaf)
*Recipe may be doubled; if doubling, do not double yeast! Use only 1 Tablespoon.
1 Tablespoon yeast (EDIT: I strongly recommend using active dry, because of mixed results with rapid rise.)
1/4 cup sugar (may use less/may instead use honey/brown sugar/agave)
1 1/2 cups + 2 Tablespoons warm water
3/4 cup millet flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Extra oil for pan(s)Preheat oven to lowest setting, or prepare alternate warm area for bread rising. Generously oil an 8×4 bread pan. Or, for a double recipe: two 8×4 bread pans or one 9×5 inch bread pan.
I don’t follow much of a procedure here, so feel free to deviate from my method. In large mixing bowl, combine yeast, water, and sugar; let proof for ten minutes, or until foamy. Add remaining ingredients. Mix with paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape sides; mix for a minute more, until well combined and elastic-y. It will be like really sticky cake batter.
Spoon into chosen pan(s). Smooth top with fingers or spatula. Cover lightly with damp bread cloth or oiled plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 35ish minutes, until bread has reached an inch above the bread pan edge, or a little more (should increase in size by at least a third, of course, this is a bit relative).
For crispy, brown crust: preheat oven to 450F, bake bread for 10-15 minutes, then lower heat to 375F. If you like a less crusty outside, initially preheat oven to 400F, bake bread for 10-15 minutes, then lower to 375F for the remainder of the baking time. If you feel that the bread is getting too brown, cover with aluminum foil. I don’t do this, but I am enthralled by crust.
Bake for 45-55 minutes total (This will vary, depending on your oven!). Bread should sound hollow, pull slightly away from edges, and a knife inserted into middle should be nearly clean.
Cool in pan for ten minutes, then remove, using a knife to cut around edge of pan before un-molding. If bread seems soft, set it back into the loaf pan to finish cooling. If it seems surprisingly undercooked, place it back in the pan, and let it cool in the warm oven (turned off).
It really is worth waiting (though almost impossible) for the bread to cool before hacking into it. If you must, at least oil a bread knife before trying to serrate your way through the steaming mass; it will lessen the damage.
Bread keeps 2-3 days on counter; after that, slice and freeze. Reheating in oven, microwave, or toaster will do wonders for dry or frozen bread. Trust, and believe.
-As stated above, this bread is a glorious work in progress. It is a bit too soft to bake free-form, but I think it would work well in a small casserole or large ramekin/souffle dish.
-The original recipe called for teff flour, but I was out at the time, so I used buckwheat. I would think this amount could easily be swapped with amaranth, oat, almond, rice, or other heavy gluten-free flours.
-In this recipe, I’ve found that active dry yeast works slightly better than rapid rise yeast. Either will deliver decent results, but the texture seems slightly better with active dry. The rise time seems to be the same.
-As seen from these photos, my bread probably over-rose a bit, so the air bubbles were slightly out of control. Nothing major, obviously, and the texture was not displeasing in the least; working with yeast always seems a little unpredictable (or is it just me…), but with this recipe, it’s safe to embrace the uncertainty.
Wow. Could it really be good bread – no gluten, no eggs, no dairy? Be still my beating heart! I haven’t ventured into bread yet because my experiments with pizza dough have been so unforgivable that bread seemed totally out of the question! I might have to play with the flours a bit but I will try this–maybe over the holidays when the house is warm and quiet. Thanks for sharing!
Hi. I can’t believe you’ve made 10 loaves of bread already. You are SUCH an over- achiever. Do you know I recently came across this recipe on Aprovechar although it’s not where I found it. It’s referred to as Mark Engelman’s (I think, sorry my real computer is down) bread. I don’t know if it was developed for him or if he came up with it himself but it is pure genius to me. I love, love, love having sandwiches. Not only that I’m planning on stuffing for Thanksgiving. You know where you cube up stale bread and throw in spices and stuff and serve it as a side dish. I bet’ll be good. Maybe I’ll saute some spices in olive oil, toss and bake. Well, we’ll see.
P.S. Your loaves look much better than mine, by the way. I think I may let the next batch over-rise on purpose in a well greased cast iron skillet. I love those holes, they look so artisanal.
that looks like such a winner!
I’ve never attempted gluten-free bread before and I’m impressed on how amazing yours looks! All those different types of flour sound so interesting, I would love to try a slice!
That looks fantastic! I have a -very- small contribution. When I am making bread I find that putting warm water into a cold bowl cools the water too much. I either use a bowl straight from the dishwasher (nice and toasty) or fill it with water and microwave it for a minute to heat it up. Since I have started doing this my yeast seems less moody. I also use the same warm bowl to let the bread rise most of the time.
That bread looks amazing – now I want a sandwich
10 loaves? Aren’t we the over-achiever?
Wow. That sounds and looks good…AND it’s so healthy and nutritious!! I never believed in vegan, gluten-free bread until now!
I just tried the most amazing rye bread today…sandwiching some badass pastrami!
Wow, impressive!! The bread looks awesome. Really love the 2nd photo =)
Wow. It looks gorgeous. No egg, no soy, no gluten. Exactly what I need for my little niece who’s allergic to all 3. I haven’t had the opportunity to thank you for sharing your chocolate mochi. She absolutely loved it. It’s an absolutely pleasure to a 3-year-old little girls finally being able to enjoy some homemade sweets.
I meant… It’s a pleasure to SEE my 3-year-old niece finally being able to enjoy some homemade sweets. [got some pb with the keyboard]
That is a beautiful looking loaf of bread! I might have to try it after Thanksgiving. I have been using gluten free mommies recipes for bread and I like them so well, I’ve not even tried to make my own recipes. This sounds really interesting with buckwheat. I really like buckwheat!
When I don’t bake bread, I buy Whole Foods gluten free bakehouse. It’s very good for pre-made bread. I’m using it for my stuffing this year.
Wow! Seriously- I’d like to make one with Teff and one with buckwheat to see what the difference is. I’m also glad you made this without a bread maker- I have a mini-one which I never use, so I just never make bread machine recipes. I’m going to need to buy some more ingredients – which I don’t think my pantry can handle, guess I need a new organizational system for this bread. Anyway- I also wanted to request your kid friendly food lists you made!! My peanut list is slow-going, but I thought it would be nice to post my peanut list with your lists (and a link to you of course) if that’s okay with you. Maybe in January?
You did a fabulous job on your bread. Fabulous loft and air pockets!
Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
Hi, just nominated your blog for the Honest Scrap Award, details on my blog….
thank you for the inspiration, love your blog, your writing, food and style….
xxx Neeta
WOW! What a gorgeous loaf! I’ve been making a lot of vegan bread myself!! I really love how pretty your loaves have turned out!
Hey, this looks good, but I’m wondering if it’s potato starch or potato flour? Bob’s Red Mill sells both, as separate entities. I’m leaning towards starch, but just checking. Thanks!
Yep, it’s potato starch. I can see how you were confused; I’m going to change the recipe right now to clarify that! Thanks! If you make the bread, I’d love to hear how it works for you.
What a lovely looking loaf! I’ll have to add it to my bread making for next week. Thanks for sharing!
Wow! Your loaf of bread looks beautiful! I can relate to your bread phases. I’ll go months without thinking of bread and then I’ll run into a streak of “MUST. HAVE. BREAD!”
I’m always impressed by people who make their own bread. The smell in your house must have been amazing.
This is gorgeous bread, I’m always impressed by gluten-free bread recipes that use healthy flours. Buckwheat is so tasty. I’m gonna give this a while. Is there a good substitute for arrowroot flour? I haven’t been able to find any.
Hey Jenn! I just did a post on your bread! I adopted you this month for Sea’s Adopt-A-GF Blogger event! Thought you might enjoy reading the post I wrote on your bread:http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2010/03/adopt-gluten-free-blogger-210-part-1.html
We really enjoyed it! I’ll be making it often!
I found this through Carrie (Ginger Lemon Girl)’s blog. I’m excited to try it! I’ve been g.f. baking for 7.5 years, been dairy-free for over three… but my youngest has all sorts of other dietary issues, and can’t do corn, eggs, rice, and other ingredients that have been a staple in even my GFCF bread. I haven’t baked bread in a good 3-6 months because of that. I’m going to bake this bread right now. I have everything except arrowroot. Though it isn’t similarly starchy, I’ll try replacing arrowroot w/ quinoa flour. And… I’m going to try guar instead of xanthan. Hope it works!!
Your pics are so encouraging. I LOVE big air bubbles; don’t apologize for them!
[...] egg-free, corn-free, plus-other-random-stuff-that-Fiala-is-allergic-to-free. I based it off of a recipe I found, but my results, so far, are not nearly as attractive as hers. Still, I have been highly [...]
Your bread looks super pretty and i like your variation- i may have to try it myself!
-Sea
[...] started with this recipe from Cinnamon Quill, but I had to substitute, as her recipe includes millet, and I was unsure of Fiala being able to [...]
That is a stupendous loaf. I’ve been using similar ingredients but when I let it rise so high the loaf simply deflates and sinks as it cooks. The holes in your bread are choice, very artisanal. Many a baker’s dream!
Q
Lately I’ve been experimenting with Psyllium Husks as a dough conditioner, and have been pleased with the more ‘bready’ results I’ve achieved with my GF vegan loaves.
[...] been trying out a bunch of bread recipes since I’m feeling stuck in a bread slump. Again. Kind of like last year. I’ll get through it, I’m [...]