To achieve the best baking results for home-made gluten free bread baked in the oven or machine baked gluten free bread use FREEE White or Brown Bread Flours and follow a gluten free bread recipe, without omitting or substituting ingredients.
Baking using a bread machine? Read our guide
You can also bake delicious gluten free sourdough bread. Gluten free bread is mostly made with a batter rather than a dough and, as there is no gluten in the flour, kneading is not necessary. Gluten free bread may have slightly different characteristics when compared to conventional bread because it does not contain gluten. Always make sure gluten free bread is cold before slicing.
Here are a few tips to help you get the best results when making gluten free bread baking.
Mixing Gluten Free Bread
- Gluten free flour cannot be swapped into a conventional bread recipe
- Follow a gluten free bread recipe precisely
- Omitting an ingredient can affect the bread
- Any dairy or plant-based milk can be used
- Any type of vinegar can be used (malt vinegar may contain barley)
- Any type of oil can be used
- Mix your gluten free bread batter until smooth and lump free
- Avoid kneading gluten free batter
- Dough hooks are not necessary
- Avoid adding extra flour to the batter to make a dough
- Our recipes are tested using mixed size organic eggs
- Our recipes are tested in bread tins measuring;
500g/1lb tin; 16cm x 10.5cm/6.25 x 4.13” and 1kg/2lb tin; 23cm x 13cm/9 x 5” - Check the volume of your bread machine pan matches the recipe quantity
Baking Gluten Free Bread
- Pre-heat your oven 20 minutes before you want to bake
- Bake when the batter has risen to 7mm/¼” below the top of the tin
- Allow gluten free bread to cool completely before slicing
- Use the dark crust option on your bread machine for a golden loaf
Storing Gluten Free Bread
- Refresh slightly stale gluten free bread by popping slices in a toaster
- Wrap and freeze slices of gluten free bread then toast to serve
- Make and freeze breadcrumbs using old gluten free bread
Gluten Free Bread Troubleshooting
Even the most experienced cooks can have trouble with their bakes. Our troubleshooting guide below should help you get out of many sticky situations!
Bread batter is stuck to the bowl
Possible Cause
- Gluten free bread batter can be very sticky
Possible solution:
- Drizzle a little oil over the batter and use a spatula to turn the mixture over so it is coated in the oil
Cooked bread had a ‘muffin top’
Possible Cause
- Risen for too long
Possible solution:
- Bake when the batter has risen to 7mm/¼” below the top of the tin
The bread crust is very pale in colour
Possible Cause
- The dark crust option was not selected
Possible solution:
- Select the dark crust option on your machine
- Increase the oven temperature for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking
Bread is crumbly
Possible Cause
- Insufficient liquid in the bread
- An ingredient omitted
- Incorrect order of ingredients in bread machine
- Ingredients not thoroughly mixed
Possible solution:
- Do not omit ingredients
- Add a little more liquid next time
- Follow a gluten free bread recipe
- For bread machines put liquids in first followed by flour and yeast on top
Bread has a hole in the middle
Possible Cause
- Risen for too long
- Ingredients not thoroughly mixed
Possible solution:
- Mix thoroughly
- Reduce proving time
Bread is gooey in the middle
Possible Cause
- Bread sliced before it is cold
Possible solution:
- Allow bread to cool completely before slicing
Bread has gone hard
Possible Cause
- This can be normal when it comes out of the oven
- Bread has dried out quickly
Possible solution:
- Wrap hot bread in a clean tea towel and leave to cool
- Brush hot bread with a little butter
- Gluten free bread is best eaten within 24 hours, you can refresh the bread in the microwave or toaster
