Incredible Gluten Free French Bread


Incredible Gluten Free French Bread


If there is one gluten free bread recipe you are ever going to make, make this one. This Incredible Gluten Free French Bread tastes almost identical to traditional french bread recipes, and is every bit as fluffy and light as the original too. It is so buttery and delicious, it’s hard to believe that this bread is almost completely allergen free. No eggs, no dairy and no gluten. Another plus? This recipe is a breeze to throw together.

For best results, make this bread several hours before you plan on eating it. This will take some serious self restraint, but I can’t help you on that, as I can barely help myself. Also note that this gluten free dough is supposed to be wet and sticky. It is very, very different from traditional dough, so just let it be what it is; different.

Incredible Gluten Free French Bread
 
Recipe Type: Bread
Author: The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 15
The only gluten free french bread recipe you will ever need. Recipe makes 2 loaves
Ingredients
  • 1 packet dry active yeast + 1/4 tsp. sugar and 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1.5 cups rice flour (I used brown rice flour but you can use white also)
  • 1.5 cups tapioca flour
  • 3 tsp. xanthan gum
  • 1.5 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. stevia in the raw granulated baking sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 Tbsp. Earth Balance butter substitute, melted
  • 3 egg whites replaced with ener-g egg replacer (3.5 tsp. dry ener-g mix + 6 Tbsp. water whisked together)
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar
  • Melted Earth Balance butter substitute for brushing (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Prepare your ener-g egg replacement in a small dish and set aside until ready to use.
  3. In a small mixing dish, dissolve your 1/4 tsp of sugar in 1/4 cup warm water. Stir in yeast packet and set aside. Mixture should begin to foam at around 5 minutes.
  4. In a large mixing bowl (you can use a hand mixer) or the mixing bowl of your food processor, combine your rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, salt and stevia.
  5. With mixer running, add in your yeast and 1 1/4 cups of lukewarm water.
  6. When thoroughly mixed, add in your melted butter, ener-g eggs and white vinegar.
  7. Mix together on high for 3 minutes.
  8. When finished, lightly grease a non-stick baking sheet, loaf pan or french bread pan.
  9. Wet your hands and separate dough into even halves. Dough will be very wet and sticky. This is normal.
  10. With wet hands, shape your mixture into two loaves on your prepared pan or baking sheet. If dough starts to stick to hands, just re-wet hands and continue.
  11. When finished, slash each loaf diagonally every few inches.
  12. Cover the dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 20 to 25 minutes.
  13. When ready, uncover loaves and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, brushing melted Earth Balance butter substitute on top of loaves at the 20 minute mark.
  14. Carefully remove loaves from pans to a wire rack to cool.
  15. Cool completely before serving, otherwise dough will not set up properly. It is best if you can leave the loaves overnight to settle.
  16. Store cooled bread in saran wrap on your counter.
 

 

 

16 comments on Incredible Gluten Free French Bread

    • Danielle
      January 23, 2014 at 6:58 am (10 years ago)

      Thanks Shari! I was really happy with how good this recipe came out!

      Reply
  1. Lydia
    February 4, 2014 at 3:14 pm (10 years ago)

    This bread is delicious! However, when I make it, the loaf splits strangely at the top. Am I not allowing it to rise enough before baking, not slicing it deep enough, or something else?

    Thanks for the recipe- we love it!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      February 4, 2014 at 3:22 pm (10 years ago)

      I am so glad that you enjoy it, Lydia! As far as the loaf splitting, it could be from a combination of how deep you’re slicing it and when you’re slicing it. Maybe instead of slicing the loaf before letting it rise, try slicing it after it has risen, right before you are ready to pop it in the oven. If that doesn’t work, you don’t have to slice it at all. The diagonal slicing is meant more for appearance purposes than it is anything else, so it’s not a necessary step if you want to just leave it out completely. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Yvonne(Bread Fun)
    March 24, 2014 at 11:30 am (10 years ago)

    Great site!!! This site is great . I love the gluten free french bread. By your pictures your bread looks fabulous buttery and just delicious. I can almost smell it now. I am going to try to make this recipe. Wish me Luck!!!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      March 24, 2014 at 11:39 am (10 years ago)

      Thanks Yvonne! Hope you enjoy it! :)

      Reply
  3. mischa
    May 31, 2014 at 7:05 pm (10 years ago)

    hi my daughter is allergic to eggs and most brands of xanthum gum. i tried using flax seeds ans chia seeds to replace but the batter is very watery. it is more of a batter than a dough and seeps through my french bread pans. any ideas on how to adjust recipe to be egg and xanthum free? thank you

    Reply
    • Danielle
      June 2, 2014 at 2:57 pm (10 years ago)

      Hi Mishca! The batter is supposed to be on the more watery/runny side. The Ener G egg replacer I used in the recipe contains cellulose gum, but no xanthum gum. Are they the same? The reason I use the Ener G egg replacer is because it is light and fluffy in baking recipes like real eggs, where a substitute like chia or flax is rather heavy.

      Reply
    • Morgan
      August 30, 2014 at 9:03 pm (10 years ago)

      I too am allergic to xantham gum, and use an equal amount of ground psyllium husk, and it works great. I buy mine in the digestive part of the grocery store, where the laxatives are. Just dont add it to the wet, because it sucks up to much liquid. It does a better job at making a good crumb, as it adds a stretchy quality, like gluten does.

      Reply
      • Danielle
        August 31, 2014 at 6:52 am (10 years ago)

        Thanks for the tips, Morgan! I always appreciate hearing them :)

        Reply
  4. Maria
    November 17, 2014 at 5:53 pm (9 years ago)

    Looks good!! Can I use 3 cups of the the gluten free king arthur flour instead of the separate tapioca and rice flours? Also can I substitute an equal amount of lemon juice for the white vinegar?

    Reply
    • Danielle
      November 19, 2014 at 11:59 am (9 years ago)

      Hi Maria! As I haven’t personally tried the flour in the recipe, I can’t say for sure. The problem with substituting flours in gluten free recipes is that it can significantly change the outcome. I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you do try it and it works, let me know! As far as the lemon juice in place of the white vinegar, that should work fine.

      Reply
  5. Maria
    December 6, 2014 at 8:55 am (9 years ago)

    I have made this recipe 3 times and love the taste however I believe I must be doing something not quite right. I leave the dough for 25 minutes in warm place and it barely rises at all. Then I put it in the oven and it rises into a beautiful loaf of bread. After it sit awhile it deflates a bit and the inside is a little doughy. Any ideas on what I’m doing wrong. I’ll keep trying till I get it right. This is the closest thing to gluten bread I’ve had since going gluten free!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      December 8, 2014 at 10:27 am (9 years ago)

      Hi Maria! Bread is so tough to get right, especially when its gluten free. A couple things I would suggest would be making sure to proof your yeast. If it doesn’t foam up with 5-10 minutes, try a new pack. Also, bake a little longer and let it fully cool to room temperature before cutting into it. I would almost give it a few hours to be sure it is fully cooled. I know when I was developing the recipe that if I cut into it before it was all the way cool (couldn’t help myself!), It would end up slightly doughy in the middle. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  6. Zoe
    December 16, 2014 at 8:21 am (9 years ago)

    Hi, Thank you for this wonderful recipe, i have succeeded in preparing my first gluten free bread!! It’s very close to yours, so good to eat, i’m so happy! Now I will be able to eat bread often. Your recipe is very easy and I used 2 egg whites instead of the substitute, 2 tbsp agave syrup instead of stevia and used real butter as I did not have substitute. My bread is perfect. I let it rise for about 1 hour and prepared only one bread. Thank you so much for sharing.
    Should I keep it in the freezer or the fridge?

    Reply
    • Danielle
      December 17, 2014 at 9:55 am (9 years ago)

      Glad you enjoyed it, Zoe, and thank you for posting your substitutions! I would keep the bread in the freezer for best results.

      Reply

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