Gluten-Free French Bread Recipe

Gluten-free French bread cannot be kneaded and shaped like wheat dough, because there is no gluten to stretch. Instead, this recipe makes a thick, sticky batter-dough that is beaten in a mixer, spooned into two long loaves, smoothed with a wet spatula and given a single rise. It bakes into loaves with a crisp golden crust and a soft, white, sliceable crumb.

Xanthan gum is what holds the gas from the yeast, egg whites add structure and lightness, and a teaspoon of vinegar gives the yeast the slightly acidic conditions it likes. The flour is a gum-free rice-based mix such as this gluten-free all-purpose flour blend; if a store-bought blend already contains a gum, leave the xanthan out.

Steam in the oven and a hot 400°F bake set the crust, and the loaves must cool completely before slicing: a gluten-free crumb stays gummy until the starches have set. A perforated French bread pan gives the roundest shape, but a parchment-lined baking sheet works too.

Gluten-Free French Bread

Two crusty gluten-free French loaves made from a rice flour blend, xanthan gum, yeast and egg whites, with one short rise and a 400°F bake.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Rising time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings: 2 loaves (about 12 inches each)

Course: Bread

Cuisine: French

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups warm water 100 to 110°F
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry or instant yeast
• 3 cups (420 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend without added gum
• 1 tablespoon xanthan gum leave out if the flour blend already contains a gum
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 2 large egg whites at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted, for brushing the loaves

Method

 

1. Stir the 1 tablespoon sugar and the yeast into the 1 1/2 cups warm water. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or in a large bowl, if using a hand mixer with regular beaters), whisk together the 3 cups flour blend, the xanthan gum and the salt until evenly mixed.
3. Add the yeast mixture, the 2 egg whites, the 2 tablespoons melted butter and the vinegar. Mix on low speed until combined, scrape down the bowl, then beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. The dough will be thick, smooth and sticky, more like a stiff batter than a bread dough. Do not add flour to make it kneadable; it is meant to stay sticky.
4. Line a two-loaf French bread pan or a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the dough into two logs about 12 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide, keeping them at least 3 inches apart on a baking sheet.
5. Dip a rubber spatula in water and smooth each log into an even loaf shape with rounded ends, re-wetting the spatula as needed. Brush the loaves with the 1 tablespoon melted butter. With a sharp knife dipped in water, cut 3 or 4 diagonal slashes about 1/4 inch deep in each loaf.
6. Let the loaves rise, uncovered, in a warm draft-free place for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy and about one and a half times their original size. Do not let them double, or they may collapse in the oven.
7. While the loaves rise, heat the oven to 400°F with one rack in the center and an old metal baking pan on the rack below it.
8. Put the loaves in the oven and carefully pour 1 cup of hot water into the metal pan underneath to create steam. Close the door at once.
9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and firm and an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 205 to 210°F.
10. Lift the loaves off the parchment onto a wire rack and cool them completely, at least 1 hour, before slicing with a serrated knife.

Notes

The amounts were worked out for a rice-based blend that weighs about 140 g per cup. Store-bought blends run from about 120 to 160 g per cup, so weigh 420 g if possible. The dough should hold the shape the spatula gives it; if it spreads like pancake batter, beat in more blend 1 tablespoon at a time.

Dairy-free option: use olive oil instead of butter, both in the dough (2 tablespoons) and for brushing the loaves (1 tablespoon).

Egg-free option: leave out the egg whites. Stir 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed into 1/4 cup warm water, let it stand for 5 minutes until gelled, and add it with the yeast mixture. The loaves will be a little denser and paler.

No added sugar: leave out the 1 tablespoon of sugar; no substitute is needed. The yeast will not foam as much in the water, so simply let it dissolve for 5 minutes; allow 10 to 15 minutes more rising time and expect a lighter-colored crust.

Gluten-free bread stales quickly and is at its freshest the day it is baked; after that, slice it, freeze the slices in a freezer bag for up to 2 months, and toast or rewarm them at 350°F for 5 to 8 minutes. Day-old slices make good garlic bread, crostini and croutons.

Do not use glass or ceramic dishes for the steam pan; they can shatter when water is poured into them hot. Stand back when pouring, as the steam rises fast.