Easy Gluten-free French Bread
This easy gluten-free french bread recipe makes a loaf that is soft and tender on the inside with the perfect crispy, crusty outside that is perfect no matter how you eat it.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Gluten-free Bread Flour I use the Pamela's gluten-free bread flour mix.
- ¼ Cup Tapioca Starch
- 2 ¼ Teaspoons Yeast
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Psyllium Husk Powder
- 1 TBS Sugar You can also use honey.
Instructions
Make the dough.
- In a bowl combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast.2 ¼ Teaspoons Yeast, 1 Cup Warm Water, 1 TBS Sugar
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add the remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine with a paddle attachment.2 Cups Gluten-free Bread Flour, ¼ Cup Tapioca Starch, ½ Teaspoon Salt, 1 ½ Teaspoons Psyllium Husk Powder, 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- Once the yeast is bloomed at it along with the remaining wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients.1 Large Egg, 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Mix on medium until all of the dry ingredients are combined.
- Once no dry ingredients are visible, increase the speed on the mixer to high, and whip still using the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes. At this point, the dough should look smoother, and start making pulling from the sides of the bowl.
Hydrate the dough.
- After you've whipped the dough, scrape the bowl and let the dough form a loose ball in the bottom of the bowl.
- Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes to let the gluten-free flour fully hydrate. You are not looking for the dough to start rising at this point, but it might look a little fluffier after 30 minutes.
Shape the baguettes.
- Dust a few tablespoons more of the gluten-free flour onto some parchment paper.
- Scoop half of the dough along a line in the flour.
- Lightly dust the top of the dough with a bit more flour.
- Using your hands gently move and shape the gluten-free bread dough into the shape of a baguette with a thicker middle and tapered ends. Do not worry about it being completely smooth and perfect; you just want the general shape.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough to make the second baguette.
- Carefully transfer the parchment paper to a loaf pan, or baking sheet if you don't have one. (Note. If you are using a flat baking pan, your baguette will have a flatter final shape but will still be delicious.)
Let the bread rise.
- Place the baguettes in a warm place, uncovered for 2 hours to rise.
Bake the gluten-free french bread.
- Preheat your oven to 375 °Fdegrees.
- Once the baguettes have risen, carefully score the top with a knife. I like to do three lines across at about ⅛ inch deep.
- Place the bread in the oven on the middle rack.
- Before you close the oven, toss 6-7 ice cubes into the oven and then shut the door. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.
- Let the bread bake for 20 minutes with the door shut.
- At 20 minutes, rotate the bread over and continue to bake the bread for an additional 5 minutes.
Rest the bread.
- Once your bread is baked remove it from the oven.
- If you like a crispier outer crust, let it rest for 10 minutes uncovered.
- If you like a slightly softer outer crust, cover the hot bread with a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Slice and serve.
- Use a bread knife and slice your freshly baked gluten-free french bread and enjoy!
Notes
Tips and tricks.
- Measuring gluten-free bread flour. - I find the best results come from measuring gluten-free bread flour with the spoon and level method.
- 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.
- Don't skip whipping the dough. - This is not your typical bread dough; it is softer and whipping the dough actually brings the dough together more to help with the final overall texture.
- Let the dough hydrate. - This just means to let the dough sit. We are not looking for it to start rising at this point yet, but instead, we want the gluten-free flour to absorb the liquids, so you don't end up with gritty bread.
- The dough is soft. - Unlike my gluten-free brioche recipe, this dough is moldable. It is still soft though, so you can't roll it out like traditional bread dough. Instead, I like to scoop the dough into a line and gently shape it into the baguette shape with the tapered ends.
- 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 over-proofed.
- Changing the crust. - French bread is known for its outer crust, and this gluten-free french bread has it. To ensure you get that beautiful outer crust, toss 5-6 ice cubes into the oven before you close the bread into it. It will create steam and help to seal the bread. If you love it crispy, just let it rest for about 10 minutes when it comes out of the oven before slicing. If you want your outer crust crispy but still soft, cover your baked baguettes with a dish towel while it cools. It will slightly soften the outer crust but leave it with the nice chew that you want.
Nutrition
Calories: 78kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!