Sandwiches are a staple of our diet. When John first started a gluten free diet we searched through grocery store after grocery store hunting the elusive frozen rice bread that our internet searches indicated should be there. We finally found some and, upon trying it, promptly spit it out. It was horrible! John kept eating it though, because what else is one to do when you don’t know how to cook and your girlfriend is away at grad school.
By the time we married the following year, we had a bread machine and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix. Thus started the four year saga of baking gluten-free bread that was either dense, wet, full of air holes, or incredibly misshapen. At last count we’ve been through three different recipes plus innumerable variations of each when I just couldn’t keep my hands off the recipe (which would be at least 95% of the time). But do not be disheartened – Finally, after four years, I have worked out a recipe that consistently turns out really good sandwich bread. The loaves are definitely of a gluten-free stature (i.e., not that tall), but it’s Good Bread.
Really Good Sandwich Bread
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ c. water (105 degrees or a little less than hot)
2 ½ cups "Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix Recipe"
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1tsp. salt
2 eggs (or 6 Tbsp. water and 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed)
1 ½ Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1. Start by combining the yeast and sugar in a small bowl (I use the smallest in my set of three nested mixing bowls). Add the water while gently stirring the yeast and sugar. Let this mixture sit while you mix the rest of the ingredients – bubbles and foam should form if the yeast is happy.
2. Combine the flour mix, xanthan gum and salt in the largest mixing bowl and stir well.
3. In a third bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and vinegar until the eggs are a bit frothy.
4. By this point the yeast mixture should be foamy, so you can pour the two liquid mixtures into the flour mixture. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed and then dump into your bread machine. Cook on the 80 minute setting – the stirring paddle is not necessary.
Extremely frustrated. Made the perfect loaf of bread a couple of weeks ago. Every loaf from then on, has had something happen to it. Today is rose fine, and then in the oven over rose, and when I pulled it out it deflated. HELP!!!!
Lesley,
I had a similar problem with over rising, so decided to check my oven temperature with a separate oven thermometer. Lo and behold, it was not maintaining a constant temp…as a matter of fact, it varied by as much as 75 degrees from start to finish. I tried baking my product (muffins that day) in a neighbor’s oven and voila… worked perfectly…confirming the problem with my oven. I hope this works for you, too.
So I found this website to aid my son, who loves toast & sandwiches but is on a new gluten- & dairy-free diet. I only read as far as the oven instructions in the comments and have made several loaves with mixed results. I’ve had the last couple collapse on me after they come out of the oven, but are still better than anything we can buy in the store. After reading all you Food Scientists experiments results, I’m going to switch the soy for sorghum and not let my bread proof as high as I have been. Thank you all so much for helping me bake yummy gluten- & dairy-free bread!
About a month ago my daughter and i found out she has Celiac desease and i have been trying to bake gf bread,using various recipies,and no matter what i try ,it will not raise.I am using a bread machine.I was wondering if anyone could help
Amy,
Masa harina is not dried hominy, GRITS are dried hominy and the results would be different.
I wanted to tell you that I made your all-purpose flour mix and sandwich bread Sunday. My husband said, “That bread was good.” That is the first time I have heard those words come out of his mouth since he was diagnosed. I have tried many recipes and most were not edible! I am looking forward to trying biscuits and pizza with your mix. Thank you so much!!!
I am very new to the gluten free life style. I just found out that my daughter and I have this and many other allergies. I have tried to make a few different breads and I really need help. My daughter is happy even though everything I have tried turns out doughy. I tried this sandwich bread and it rose well in the oven and then fell and is doughy. If anyone can help that would be great.
Thanks
I just wanted to thank you for providing simple, reliable, delicious recipes My boyfriend was recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance, and I’d gone gluten-free a couple times in the past to try to fix my stomach, but quit because pre-made gluten free food is DISGUSTING. I concluded I’d rather feel kinda bad than spend my life eating frozen tapioca bread. However, I am officially joining the MaryFrances Fan Club. Your recipes have saved food, and our stomachs. I can’t thank you enough!
A couple words of advice to gluten free newbies like me:
1. TRY THIS BREAD!!! It’s delicious, and it actually works, even if you don’t know how to bake. Read all the comments for suggestions and confidence boosts!
2. If you have an electric mixer, definitely beat the dough for at least 4 minutes. This makes it lighter and more gluten-y (allergen free, of course!)
3. I bought 6 small Pyrex tupperware bowls which I use as baking dishes to make rolls/hamburger buns. I can get 6 hamburger size buns to a recipe, or 3 really tall/large dinner rolls. They make breakfast sandwiches a breeze! (Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, covering with foil after about 10 min)
4. Clear glass (Pyrex) is WONDERFUL for making this bread, because you can see when it’s browned all the way around and done.
5. Rising. I preheat my oven on 200, then put it on Warm and place my covered baking dishes inside to rise. They double in half an hour or less!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank all of you so much. I am 75 and was just diagnosed with wheat intolerance, and the one thing I have missed is “BREAD”.I have always loved it and used to make it with all the rising, kneading and so on; but have been disappointed with purchased slices of pre-made concrete so am delighted to find this site. Will try this recipe very soon. THANKS!!!!!
OK, so I’ve tried a number of flour mixes and not letting it rise so much, and still the loaves fall to a certain extent when baked in the oven. Thinking of investing in a bread machine – can’t really afford/rationalize spending $150 on a Breadman. Kohl’s has the Oster ExpressBake 5838 as advertised on this page on sale in the $50-60 range. Can anyone advise on what settings/timing, etc. if I were to buy this machine and use this recipe in it? I am on a mission to find my son a good loaf of GF bread, dang it!!!
Hi Kimberly
I make a really great sandwich bread (in the oven) and it seems to be “no fail” for me. It’s gluten, dairy, soy, and egg free. I’d love to share the recipe with you so please send me a note with your email address if you would like it. I’ve also had great success with a bread machine; I made some modifications to the original recipe above. I use the “quick bread” setting on my older machine. It goes for 90 minutes. It makes a small loaf but it is excellent. I cut one slice in half to fit into my toaster!
Don’t give up yet!
Bonnie
Bonnie,
I would love your recipe, even though my name isn’t Kimberly.
schuble32@msn.com
I am 77 years old and just trying to live with celiac.
Schuble
Thanks Bonnie – I’m reluctant to give my email out on a public site. . . any chance you can publish it here on GF Cooking School for myself, Schuble and the countless others who crave GF bread and have no breadmaker? I’m also on FaceBook – Kimberly Roberts Cooper in Chicago. Thanks!
Hi Kimberly….
Certainly, I’m happy to share my recipe with you, Schuble, and others. Keep in mind that it is gluten, dairy, egg free like all my cookbook recipes. However, I have put “standard” alternatives in the directions below…i.e., if you want to include eggs, for example.
Let me know how it turns out! Send any questions my way. Formatting here isn’t the greatest,sorry!
Sandwich Bread
Ingredients: Dry
2 1/3 C Bob’s GLUTEN FREE All Purpose Flour mix (or your own mix)
1/3 C Coconut Flour
1/4 C Organic Sugar
1 T Xanthan gum
1 t Salt
3 t Baking powder
2 T Rice protein powder (or dry milk powder if you can tolerate)
2 packages Active dry yeast
Ingredients: Wet
1/2 C + 1 T Organic unsweetened applesauce
2/3 C Water
1 C Coconut water (or rice milk or nut milk)
1 t Apple cider vinegar
1/4 C Coconut oil
4 1/2 t EnerG egg replacement product
6 T Warm water
Directions:
1. Lightly grease a loaf pan with oil. Line the greased pan with enough parchment paper to hang over the long sides of the pan by about 4 inches on each side. This will enable you to lift the loaf out easily after it is baked.
2. Using a hand mixer, blend all DRY ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Have all WET ingredients at room temperature.
4. In a separate medium size mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients except EnerG and 6 T warm water. Beat for 2 – 3 minutes to blend thoroughly.
5. Set the bowl with wet ingredients into a larger bowl that has been 3/4 filled with boiling water. Be careful water doesn’t rise too high or go into the ingredients. Warm the wet ingredients to 100° (use a thermometer). Remove from water bath. ** OK to omit this step and use a microwave instead if you so desire or need to save time. Just be sure the ingredients get to about 100-105 degrees.
6. Combine EnerG and 6 T water in a small bowl; beat with fork until totally blended and no lumps remain. Add to wet ingredients and mix well. **ok to omit this step and substitute 2 eggs if you can tolerate them.
7. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Beat for 5 minutes at medium high speed. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
8. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Coat the back of a large spoon with a scant amount of oil and smooth top of batter.
9. Place pan into oven that has been pre-heated to the “warm” setting of your oven. If you don’t have that setting, heat oven to 200°, then turn oven off after 5 minutes.
10. Let rise (at or above top of loaf pan is ok) in warm oven for 45 – 50 minutes; don’t open oven during the rising.
11. Turn oven temperature up to 375°. Loosely place foil over the loaf to prevent over browning on top. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes.
12. Remove pan from oven; cool for 5 minutes, then remove bread using the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Cool on wire rack.
Good morning! What a great website and blog. I’ve been resisting gluten intollerance for quite some time now, in part because the gf bread is horrible! I am now gathering the ingredients for Mary Frances’ sandwich bread and have read the blogs to see many variations. One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is oat flour. Is there a reason or might it work if I can’t find one of the others? Also, if I like the bread (and it sounds like I will) I will probably invest in a breadmaker. I’ve gathered that Zojirushi is considered the best, but the price reflects that. Any other brand recommendations or brands to steer clear of? Thanks!
Thanks Bonnie – I’ll try it.
I picked up the Oster breadmaker on sale at Kohl’s today. Followed the ‘Finally Really Good Sandwich Bread’ recipe to the letter. Brought a beautiful loaf out of the machine, to have it fall on the cooling rack. I find it suspect that the picture attached to this recipe is of an end – does everyone’s loaves fall when they try this recipe or am I the only one? Gonna clean up the breadmaker and return it for my money back. So disappointed! The money I’ve wasted in ingredients is sick!
Kimberly,
I have very good results with the really good sandwich bread. Have to bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes after taking it out of the bread machine. The bread machine I use is a 1981 Japanese machine with only Japanese writing and readouts. It bakes a vertical loaf and I cut it vertical. I use a cycle that bakes for 40 minutes after a 60 minute rise cycle. I can’t change the cycles on the machine. By the way, I am 77 years old, male, and was recently told I have Celiac. Don’t give up. You just have to try and keep trying. Good luck
Okay, I’m new to all of this too, thanks for your website here, it’s very helpful. I do have 1 question though, it appears I should be making the bread for 80 minutes in the bread machine, and I just was handed down a bread machine from my father-in-law, and it looks like it’s only got 3 different settings, 1.) Basic/Specialty bread = 3hrs. and 10min., 2.)Whole Wheat = 3hrs. and 40 mins. & 3.) Dough = 1hr. and 20 min’s. So, the only setting for 80 minutes is for Dough, and it says that setting does not bake the bread.?. I’m confused, any suggestions? Should I just set it for the Dough setting, or for the bread setting and then just stop it at 80 minutes?
Thanks for any input anyone can give.
Has anyone come up with a good substitute for eggs in any of the bread recipes that need to rise?
I have tried flax seed and gelatin and the breads don’t rise well.
The egg replacer products such as EnerG work well. I usually use double what they say. Good luck. Bonnie
Where do you find Xanthan gum?
hello! could I adapt this recipe for the oven? I dont have a bread machine
Brian,
We are just getting into this gluten free stuff ourselves, but I read where Cuisinart Bread Machines can make gluten free bread. So I don’t know if that means it takes a certain type of bread maker or they are just using that to get us to buy their product. It may make a difference.
Some suggestions to all the questions above:
1. let the bread cool in the bread machine rather than removing it right away; i’ve never had to bake mine in the oven after taking it out of the bread machine
2. xanthan gum can be found at health food stores or online at sites like celiac.com or glutenfreemall.com; Bob’s is a good brand
3. yes, i made the same recipe using my oven
Something I learned recently: when the bread is done baking in your oven, don’t remove it right away. The dramatic change in temperature can cause the bread to shrink down right before your eyes! Instead, I open the oven door part way and leave the bread in there to cool.
Keep in mind, much of this is trial and error and many things affect baking with and without gluten. Temperature, humidity, age of the flour, etc. can all influence your end result. I’ve talked to pastry and bread chefs who bake with “standard” ingredients, and they have failures just like we do!
THE best G\F bread to date. I’ve tried store bought g/f bread but was horribly disappointed with the texture & taste. This bread is moist, doesn’t crumble & tastes wonderful! It was so simple to make & the directions were clear and easy to follow! Keep the recipes coming please! Thank you so much for perfecting this recipe, it’s appreciated.
This bread is fantastic! My 5 year old son and I have been put on a GF/DF diet and it was so hard to pack lunches he would eat. He loves PB &J, and bread in general. Even though we are at 6,000 feet altitude, it comes out every time in the oven (don’t have a breadmachine). It does fall a bit, perhaps I’ll try leaving it in there before pulling it out. Even with falling, it is such a great bread that it is devoured quickly. We’ve been averaging a loaf a day in our family of four. Thanks so much for this entire site, your recipes are better than anything I’ve found at the stores.
Thank you so much for this site! I am awaiting test results and have decided that going gluten free can’t hurt. I had gotten some of the Bob’s gf flour, read through all these posts and tried this recipe. I used a med. pyrex mixing bowl,set it to rise in my crockpot set on warm w/ a wet towel on the bottom, then baked it in the bowl for about an hour & a half. It came out pretty good – a little dense, but I know the flour changes the consistency from what I’m used to. The bowl shape makes round slices but they are still about the same size as regular sandwich bread.
Now for a question: I did goof on the amt. of sugar (I misread & used more) but my batter came out more like the consistency of cake mix than bread dough (which was why I baked it in the bowl). I wound up adding extra flour to try to thicken it a bit. Is it supposed to be so “watery” or did I do something wrong?
PS – the peanut butter chocolate chip flourless cookies are also fabulous!
Two thoughts: yes, gluten free bread dough is much wetter than regular bread dough. Not to the point of being watery, but if you want a shaped loaf you have to use some sort of form. The flours in the bread mix definitely make a difference. The bean flour in my recipe helps add protein which makes the end products more like regular bread which uses a high protein wheat flour. The cornstarch and masa harina mimic the “water-soaking up” characteristics of wheat flour. So, if you used a different mix of flours in this recipe, then it could very well turn out differently than it does for me.
By the way, great idea on baking it in the bowl. That has definite possibilities!
I use three eggs in the recipe (with a lighter mix of flour) which gives it the protein and makes the bread light and fluffy.
i have a gluten free bakery in south africa and make stunning breads, cakes, eclairs, custard slices etc. you may look at our website to see our range.
advice for newcomers to the gluten free life style.
gluten free baking has absolutely nothing to do with “normal wheat” baking. if you remember that our products are mostly batter especially the breads then you wont go wrong. we use ovens not bread machines and very seldom have any failures other than when we have lots of rain to remember to allow for the moisture and put less liquid in the breads. hope this helps
Can you make this without a bread machine? How would you do it?
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe and the tips are very helpful.
One question though: I don’t have a bread machine, so at what temp and for how long should I bake the bread?
Thanks
I made this bread using Bob’s All Purpose Baking Flour (GLUTEN FREE) since I can’t have corn ingredients like in your mix. I also used BOB’s ground flax meal for the egg, since I can’t eat eggs. Proofed on the back of the stove for about 40 minutes, while the oven preheated below, so it was cozy. Then baked at 350 for 40 min in a glass pan, and it’s HEAVENLY! Only mixed with a wooden spoon, but the loaf is soft, tender, and just right. Toasted very well. Even thin slices hold together nicely. Second day it’s still wonderful. Best gluten free bread I’ve tried, homemade or store bought. I’m a convert! Thank you soooo much!
I make your bread without using the bread machine. I made my own 4 1/2 in x 6 1/2 in by 4 1/2 in high Alm. pan
and make the bread just to your recipe. Let it rise in the oven on warm for 40 min and then preheat oven to 350 and bake for 50 min. It is just great. Also use it to make english muffins and hamburger buns. Makes 10 english muffins or 6 hamburger buns. Made the rings from alm 4 in dia and 1 in high. Bake on a cookie sheet. I have 2 bread machines but this makes the right size slices.
Question about Coconut Flour/Oil and Yeast Alternative
I was wondering why coconut products are used in some recipes and what could be substituted.
Does anyone have a good yeast-free bread recipe that rises at least a little? (egg and soy free)
What is the best type/size of baking pan when baking in the oven?
I tried the recipe using the tips from various posts: ie. using 3 eggs instead of 2 and using 2 tbsp of oil instead of one. I also added toasted millet, quinoa and flax seeds for extra protein and fiber. Baked for 60 minutes at 375 with a loose foil cover to keep it from over-browning. Came out near perfect. Next time I’ll use a slightly larger bread pan as it spilled over a bit when it was rising. Otherwise it was very tasty and my husband and friends liked it a lot. Definitely passed the ’sandwich test’.
Hi Susan
Re.coconut flour, it helps absorb extra moisture in baked goods and is also highly nutritious. Coconut oil is great for cooking because it has a very high burning point (i.e., it doesn’t burn easily as do some other cooking oils). In general, coconut is one of my favorite ingredients. Even though it is a saturated fat, it actually helps to lower the “bad” cholesterol.
I looked around and found this GF, egg free, soy free AND yeast free recipe on celiacchicks.com for you. The note with the recipe stated: “I was sooo happy with how high this loaf rose, considering it is yeast-free. It just so happens to also be corn-free, dairy-free and vegan. You could make this nut-free by substituting your favorite flour for the almond flour. AND…you don’t need a bread machine to make it!”
Let me know how it turns out…I’m curious!
Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups potato starch flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup rice bran
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon salt (My friend Christine suggested more salt – you decide.)
2 tablespoons baking powder (I use this gluten-free/corn-free brand.
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons guar gum (If you can tolerate xanthan gum, Carol Fenster has concluded the perfect combination is equal parts of xanthan and guar gum.)
Wet ingredients:
2 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Extra water as needed
Toppings:
Sesame Seeds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Stir flours, starch, salt, gum, baking soda, and baking powder until well combined.
- Whisk together oil, 2 cups water, molasses, and apple cidar vinegar in a small bowl.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and stir together just until thoroughly mixed, not too much.
- Pour mix into oiled bread pan. Sprinkle top of loaf with seeds, and lightly spray with oil.
- Cover bread pan with foil, and bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes. Remove foil, and bake another 10 minutes, or until top is brown. Test loaf with a skewer or knife to make sure it’s done.
- Cool in pan briefly, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. For best results, store in the refrigerator and slice off pieces as you need it. After two days I like to slice up the bread, slip it into plastic freezer bag, and store in the freezer to use as needed.
Thank you for the recipe Bonnie.
I would need to substitute something for the sorghum because it’s related to corn and seems to make me achy also.
I would also sub. agave for molasses since I don’t tolerate sugars well either.
Oh bother… as Pooh would say!
Try tapioca flour.
You can also use bean flours, amaranth flour, millet flour, rice flour, etc….. here’s a good flour blend that you can make ahead of time and use as needed
1 ½ C Amaranth or Brown rice flour
1 C Garbanzo or Garfava bean flour
1 C Buckwheat flour
½ C Tapioca starch
½ C Potato starch
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
I do not have celiac disease but am interested in nutrition and finding an alternative and more affordable way to maximize protein in my diet as well as minimizing “white” carbs. The gluten free breads at the local health food stores were eating me out of house and home! Also, they were dense, super duper dry and skimpy in size.
I have now baked this bread recipe 4 times and each time it has come out perfect and as the title of this article states: really good sandwhich bread (moist, a little fluffy and not too dense).
I used my Breadman breadmaker machine and the only change i made is to add all liquids in the pot first and the yeast on top of the dry liquids, as my bread machine recipe calls for.
The results have always been consistent and delicious. and as a tip…i don’t have $150 to go out and buy a Breadman bread machine, either. I scored one used for $35 on craigslist.com in my area and bought one right away!
We are also dairy free and corn free. Our mix of flour is 3 parts white rice flour from the Vietnamese store and 1 part millet flour from the health food store. We use Willow Run butter or safflower oil or a blend of both for oils. And then Rice Dream for milk. I’ll try this recipe today then let you know how it worked out. We have an ancient oven so that might be a problem. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it has given me hope.
[...] there have been months during that past year in which I could not convince myself to bake a loaf of homemade gluten free bread. That’s pretty bad when you consider that the recipe is fairly simple and quick. I’m [...]
I’m using an older bread machine which allows me to set it for dough only, after it finishes kneading the second time I simply turn it off and let it rise for an hour. I then set the machine to bake only for a medium brown crust. I have much better results with rising, baking all the way through & get very little shrinkage. I like the suggestion of letting it cool completely before removing it from the machine. So I’ll give it a try on my next loaf.
I made this a couple of days ago. It had raised to the top of the bread pan and then I put it in the oven where it fell. When it had finished baking and was on the cooling rack it sort of caved in towards the middle. It tasted good and the texture seemed right, but why all the drama?
Does anyone know where I can purchase gluten free soy flour? I e-mailed Bob’s Red Mill and they stated, “Our Soy Flour is not part of our Gluten Free Facility, so there is a possibility of cross-contact with wheat and other allergens.”
Thanks in advance for your help.
This is the 1st and last bread recipe that I need. I mixed all the ings. together (including an extra egg, 1/2 Tbl. oil, and 1 tsp. vinegar) for 5 mins. -very important step. Then I put it in a greased pan and into the oven at 170 to rise for 20 mins. then turned up the heat to 375 for 60 mins. Internal temp. 205-210. For one batch I sauteed a lot of onions and made an onion bread.
JoAnn,
Just to be clear, do you use an extra egg plus extra oil and vinegar, too?
FYI, I use a similar procedure with the rising/baking. I use the “warm” setting on my oven which is about 200 degrees, then turn it up to bake.
I have 2 bread machines a Sunbeam ($3.99) and a Zojirushi ($7.99) at Goodwill. I had one i got for $6.99 at Goodwill but gave it to a friend. They usually have them. Make sure the paddle is in the pan and usually you can get an instruction book on line to print off. My 3 all had the books.
Wolfgang Pucks Bread Machine has a Gluten Free Cycle in the machine just for your info… And here in Northeast Texas we have a “Gluten Free of Northeast Texas” meeting the first Tuesday of every Month. I have learned so much we bring a recipe we have made of anything we want and we all sample we bring the recipe to you to see if your allergic to anything in the recipe….