If you’re looking for delicious bread that’s a little crusty on the outside but soft on the inside, this artisan bread is for you! You won’t believe it’s not wheat bread! It’s gluten-free and full of whole-grain goodness.
This bread is tasty enough to be eaten all on its own, but it also begs to be sliced and covered with your favorite spread, like hummus, homemade jam, or soft plant-based cheese. But it’s also a great all-around bread for sandwiches, French toast, bread pudding, stuffing, or croutons.
What do you need to make this artisan bread?
- A mixture of four gluten-free flours–brown rice flour, millet flour, sorghum flour, and tapioca flour
- Psyllium husk powder–this is key to making the gluten flours hold together. Many gluten-free breads make a batter, but when you use psyllium husk powder, you can knead the bread (though you don’t have to do it as long as when you’re making wheat bread)!
- Ground chia seed–if you can’t find ground chia seed, you can easily grind it yourself. I use a coffee grinder and it whizzes up in just a few minutes. You could also use ground flax seed if you want a slightly nutty flavor, but chia seeds offer a little more moisture and binding.
- Organic cane sugar
- Instant yeast–Instant yeast can be put in dry and will give a good rise to the bread. If you use active dry yeast, you will need to proof it first by mixing it with warm water and maple syrup from the recipe. Sprinkle in the yeast and let it rest until bubbly and foamy.
- Unsweetened applesauce–this provides extra moisture to help the bread have a wonderfully soft texture.
- Maple Syrup or your favorite sweetener
- Salt and water
How do you bake the artisan bread?
You can do it in one of three ways. When I first made this bread, I used a pizza stone method. While the bread was rising, I preheated the pizza stone in a 400-degree oven. You want to do this for at least 40 minutes.
Another method is to use a Dutch oven. Use a 6-8 quart size with a lid. Place it in a cold oven, then preheat it at 400-450 degrees for 30-40 minutes BEFORE baking the bread. When you are ready to bake, very carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and take off the lid. Gently pick up the sides of the parchment paper and lift the loaf, easing it gently into the bottom of the Dutch oven. The goal here is not to disturb the risen loaf much. Cover with the lid, and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 202 degrees. Dutch ovens can have a limit as to how hot an oven you can place them in; check your specifications and preheat the pan no hotter than its limits.
You can also bake it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. However, you won’t have as much artisan crustiness as you will when using either the pizza stone or Dutch oven.
CHEF’S NOTE: When making gluten-free bread, sorghum flour is a great ingredient to use. Its nutty-like flavor helps your bread to actually taste more like whole-wheat bread.
Sorghum Flour HealthBites
When you think about making bread, you might not think of sorghum. But for those who deal with celiac disease or who are either allergic or sensitive to wheat, sorghum is a great flour to have on hand. It’s actually the fifth most commonly grown grain in the world (after wheat, rice, corn, and barley). And it has numerous health perks just like any whole grain. Did you know that sorghum has a whopping 22 grams of protein in just one cup? That means a single cup of sorghum gives you 43% of your daily protein needs.
Many thanks to Megan from Allergy Free Alaska for inspiring me to make an oil-free version of this delicious bread.
Gluten-Free Artisan Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup millet flour
- 1 cup sorghum flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup powdered psyllium husk
- 1 tbsp ground chia seed
- 3 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or salt substitute
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 2 1/4 cup water (temperature: 100-105 degrees)
Instructions
- Use a mixer with a paddle (I used my Bosch machine). Combine all the dry ingredients in its bowl and stir.
- Add the wet ingredients--water, applesauce, and sweetener. Blend quickly at low speed for 15 seconds to mix them in. Then beat on middle-high speed for 3 minutes. The dough will ball up when done. Set aside for 15 minutes while the oven is heating up to allow the bread to begn to rise.
- Remove from the bowl; add to a lightly floured surface and knead gently. When making wheat bread, this step is essential in helping to develop the gluten. But since this is a gluten-free bread, kneading is only used to shape the loaf. Shape into either a round or oblong shape, depending on which method of baking you will be using. Place on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for an hour.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 40-50 minutes (the inner temperature of the bread should be 202 degrees). PIZZA STONE BAKING--Before baking bread, preheat pizza stone for at least 40 minutes in a 400 degree oven. I do this while the bread is rising. Then use the edges of the parchment paper to move the bread onto the pizza stone (you will want to remove the paper before baking). Then bake for 40-50 minutes or until the inner temperature has reached 202 degrees. DUTCH OVEN BAKING--Place the Dutch oven (with the lid) in a cold oven. Then preheat at 400 or 450 degrees (depending on the specifications of your Dutch oven). When you are ready to bake, very carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and take off the lid (be very careful, as it will be quite hot. Use your thickest oven mitts). Gently pick up the sides of the parchment paper and lift the loaf, easing it gently into the bottom of the Dutch oven. The goal here is not to disturb the risen loaf. Cover with the lid, and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 202 degrees (F).
