Super Soft Gluten-free Brioche Bread

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This gluten-free brioche bread has the perfect golden crust with a super soft and fluffy crumb that is pure gluten-free bread perfection!

When it comes to gluten-free bread, let's be honest; they are either delicious or a total fail. This gluten-free brioche recipe has been tested so many times to make it as close to perfection as it could be. Because I get it, you want the good stuff. It even gets extra bonus points for staying soft for days, so you can use the leftovers to make an extra special batch of gluten-free french toast. That is if you don't eat it all in one sitting, haha.

Jump to:

• Ingredients.
• Dairy-free brioche.
• Steps.
• Tips and tricks.
• Storing.
• Serving suggestions.
• More gluten-free bread.
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients.

• Gluten-free bread flour - Make sure that you are using gluten-free flour that is made for use with yeast. For this gluten-free brioche recipe, I highly suggest using a dedicated gluten-free bread flour mix. I like using Pamela's gluten-free bread mix blend.
• Sugar - Sugar adds sweetness and tenderness as well as helps to get a nice golden crust during baking. I do NOT suggest omitting or substituting the sugar.
• Psyllium Husk Powder - The psyllium husk powder helps to add additional structure to the brioche. For this recipe, we are using the powdered version. If you cannot handle psyllium husk powder, I suggest adding an additional egg and reducing the milk by 1 tablespoon.
• Baking Powder - Baking powder helps to give our brioche a little bit of extra help rising, making it soft and fluffy.
• Salt
• Yeast - I find for gluten-free bread, an instant yeast, also known as a rapid-rise yeast, works best. Not all yeast is gluten-free, so always double-check and make sure that the brand you are using is. I tend to buy Fleischmann's brand of active dry yeast that is gluten-free, and I can find it at my local store.
• Eggs - The eggs play an important role in this gluten-free brioche; I do NOT recommend trying to substitute and make this an egg-free bread. If you need egg-free bread, I suggest finding a recipe that is egg-free instead.
• Milk - I find this recipe works better with whole milk, which has a higher fat content.
• Butter - Butter adds to the dough and enriches the flavor as well as contributes to the overall soft texture. See below for substitutions to make this a dairy-free bread.

Dairy-free brioche.

Unlike the eggs that can't be substituted, the dairy in this gluten-free brioche can be. While the texture isn't quite the same, the results are still delicious, subbing the milk and butter for dairy-free alternatives like almond or coconut milk and something like the Earth Balance sticks.

Steps.

Step one. - Make the dough.

1. In a small bowl, bloom the yeast and warm milk together.
2. Combine the remaining dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together.
3. Slowly add the eggs and milk mixture to the dry ingredients.
4. Finally, add in the room temperature butter and mix until a smooth dough is formed.

Note that the final dough will look like a smooth but thick and sticky cake batter.

Step 2. Place the dough into the loaf pan.

Pro tip: Gluten-free bread dough is softer than traditional bread dough, so it's not as easy to shape into traditional brioche shapes. I have found that using an ice cream scooper to scoop the dough into the loaf pan helps to make the soft pillows on top of the finished loaf. You can also use a silicone challah pan that molds the bread as it bakes. (To get a golden crust, remove the bread from the silicone pan and place it on a baking sheet. Brush it with the egg wash and place it back in the oven for the last 5-10 minutes of baking time.)

Step 3. Let the dough rise.

Step 4. Bake the brioche.

1. Brush the top of the risen brioche with an egg wash and bake.

Step 5. Let it cool slightly before slicing.

Tips and tricks.

• Use the right kind of gluten-free flour. - This brioche recipe calls for a gluten-free bread flour mix, NOT a normal 1:1 that works better for gluten-free cakes and cookies.
• Measure the dry ingredients correctly. - I find gluten-free flours can settle a lot, and the most accurate results on a regular basis come from measuring those ingredients by weight. You can also use the spoon and level method, but do NOT just scoop the flour directly into the measuring cup.
• Watch your temperatures. - For this brioche, the butter and eggs should be at room temperature before starting. The milk should be warm, not hot, at about 110 degrees. This will help the yeast not be shocked, which can affect the overall rise.
• Bloom the yeast. - Even though we are using an instant yeast that usually does not need to be bloomed, I find that blooming it with the warm milk gives the gluten-free bread a bit more rise giving it a light overall texture without over-proofing it.
• Use a stand mixer. - While you can mix this gluten-free bread dough by hand, I find the best results come from using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
• The dough is SOFT. - You will not be able to manipulate this dough like a traditional brioche dough.
• Rise in a warm place. - Make sure that you rise the brioche in a warm place to help the bread rise to almost twice the original size.
• Do NOT overproof. - Gluten-free bread only needs one rise and not two like other bread, so you want to watch it. If your bread starts to look uneven on the surface, it is overproofed.
• Changing the crust. - If you like a slightly thicker outer crust, bake uncovered the whole time. For a softer outer crust, tent the brioche as directed in the recipe card.

Storing.

This gluten-free brioche is best fresh and warm out of the oven, but it will stay nice and soft when stored in a Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Serving suggestions.

Eat this gluten-free brioche bread on its own, turn it into a delicious sandwich or do as my kids request and make the absolute best gluten-free french toast!

More gluten-free bread.

📖 Recipe

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I'd love to see what you come up with!