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The Essential Guide to Gluten Free Living

“Tired of the guesswork? Discover what gluten-free really means and how to eat well—grab your free guide and start living better today!”

Recipes, Tips and Other Info

  • Writer: Moy's Gluten Free Kitchen
    Moy's Gluten Free Kitchen
  • Aug 1, 2021
  • 7 min read

Updated: Jan 17, 2023

You’ve followed the recipe exactly as it is written and yet your bread is a flop. Edible or not it’s not what the recipe promised. What went wrong, why does this happen?


The easiest conclusion to reach is that the recipe was at fault and that is entirely possible. However gluten free bread making is challenging, there are many variables to consider all at the same time. The truth is some of those variables are out of your control. Here are some examples:

  • Products vary from batch to batch (within the same brand) or from brand to brand many times, enough to change the result of a recipe. Perhaps one brand's flour is more finely ground than the other. Maybe there is less fiber or protein or something from one batch of flour to the next. Whatever the reason, you have no direct control of this.

  • The environment in your kitchen, temperature, humidity and so on is never constant. The change in seasons or weather can affect your bread dough. When it’s hot, dough rises quickly but a hot kitchen also encourages bacterial fermentation, lactic acid builds up and the dough can sour. Desirable perhaps for a sourdough loaf, if that was your end goal. Another environmental factor is altitude. At higher altitudes dough behaves very differently, most recipes will need tweaking to work.

  • Ingredients like milk, eggs, oil even yeast can change in chemical composition from recipe to recipe. If you use non dairy milk like coconut milk, no one can guarantee that each batch of coconut is exactly the same. Where the crop was grown in what type of soil and how it was harvested are not decisions that most of us get to make.

Does that mean there is nothing we can do if a recipe fails? You could dump the recipe altogether and start over, which is not an entirely bad idea. Real progress though, can be made when you learn to troubleshoot the recipe. Here are some common issues and what you can do about it.

Gluten Free and Vegan Bread Slices
Gluten Free and Vegan Sandwich Loaf

Troubleshooting Tips for Baking Gluten Free Bread


Dense loaf- you may need to use more liquid, gluten free dough is usually wetter than regular wheat flour dough resembling a thick brownie batter. How much liquid is enough in a recipe ultimately depends not on formulas but in observation. You may need more or less liquid than the recipe specifies. It’s always a good idea to start kneading or mixing your dough with less liquid than the recipe suggests (roughly 20%- 25% less). If you need more liquid add a little at a time until you achieve the desired consistency. Remember regular gluten free bread dough is more moist than regular bread dough (see this post).

Adding baking powder to your bread recipe in addition to the yeast can also help with oven spring making your loaf lighter. Of course make sure that your yeast and baking powder is still active and fresh. Your bread will not rise if your yeast or baking powder has expired.

A dense loaf could also be the result of not measuring your ingredients accurately. Weight measurements are best (I have to update my recipes). Otherwise scoop the flour into your measuring cup and level without shaking or packing the flour down. Be consistent, as far as possible, use the same measuring cup or spoon set. Even if you cannot weigh your ingredients after a while you will out of habit and practice know what works.


Dry, crumbly loaf- you may need more liquid (see above), fat or binder. Gluten free bread dough needs more fat than wheat bread dough whether it’s oil, butter or something else. So if your bread is dry, simply add more fat to get a better crumb.

Gluten is what holds regular dough together, allowing the dough to be manipulated and creating structure for the dough to rise. Without gluten you need to add a binder as a substitute. The most popular binders are xanthan gum, guar gum and psyllium husk powder. There are recipes that use flaxmeal, chia seeds or sweet rice flour (aka Mochiko, a type of glutinous rice flour) to assist with binding. In my opinion, these ingredients are less successful as primary binders for gluten free bread dough. So, if your dough is excessively crumbly you may need to add more binder. Psyllium husk powder is my preference for making bread. But...I like using flaxmeal and chia seeds in a supporting role. These binders are hydrophilic, they hold on to water and as such can give you a soft crumb. And importantly, they are also good for you!


Loaf sinks in the middle while baking- dough was proofed for too long, it does not get better the more you let it rise in the tin. Your bread is ready when the dough has risen just to the top of your baking tin and not over the top in a dome (assuming you use the correct sized tin in the first place, see below). Using a double proof method as you would for regular bread dough is also not advisable especially with gluten free and vegan bread. This can also cause the bread to collapse in the oven or have a poor rise overall. I have noticed that this problem is more common with xanthan gum as the binder in comparison to pysllium husk powder. Punching down the dough after it has risen and re-kneading seems to weaken the fiber network built by xanthan gum. Psyllium husk powder performs a lot better here. It has the additional benefit of making my dough more pliable, I am able to knead and shape it a lot easier.

The size of the baking tin also matters. If the tin is too big the bread will spread out not up and the result may be a dense flat loaf. If the tin is too small, the loaf will also be dense because the bread cannot rise over the tin without support. A tin with tall sides work best. See this option here

Results of baking bread in the wrong baking tin
The only difference in these two loaves is the baking tin!

Gummy on the inside- bake for a longer time. Gluten free bread takes much longer than a regular loaf to bake and therefore a sticky crumb is generally the result of under baking. It is easy to see why this can happen, gluten free bread dough needs more moisture and is often difficult to knead with conventional methods. After 45 minutes of baking at 350F a regular size loaf will look great, have a nice crust, a decent rise, and a nice hollow sound when tapped on the underside of the loaf. But in many cases it will not be properly baked all the way through.


So, what should gluten free bread dough look like? The dough is not meant to be soupy (for more and an exception, see here). Even though it looks somewhat loose (pic below), you should be able to knead the dough by hand (1st video). More importantly, that same sticky dough can be manipulated with relative ease although it lacks the tensile strength and elasticity of regular dough (2nd video). In the end the dough should be scoopable not pourable.

Kneading Gluten Free Bread Dough by hand
Gluten Free Bread Dough is more moist and sticky

Gluten Free Bread Dough is kneadable and not soupy


You should be able to handle Gluten Free Bread dough even if it's sticky to the touch. Working with oiled hands help


Because GF bread dough is so moist, I've found it easier to bake the bread for 75 minutes at an oven temperature of 275F. After 75 minutes take the bread out of the tin and bake for an additional 15 minutes. That's 1 1/2 hours of baking time! Yet, this ensures that the bread is cooked all the way through and at the lower temperature your crust should be set but not over cooked. If your bread is already browned to your liking after the 75 minute mark, you can wrap it in foil for the remaining time. Additionally, your bread is best when cut after it has fully cooled and yes that may take several hours (the bread continues to cook while cooling). I have to acknowledge that your oven may have a different "temperament" to mine. However this suggestion still applies, if your bread is sticky to the touch and there is a dense line at the bottom of the loaf, it is under baked. Find a technique/temperature that works for you and bake it for a longer time. Use an oven thermometer to verify if your oven’s temperature is calibrated correctly

Generally unappealing after baking- use the right flour blend for the best results. I have written a 2 part blog post on how to make your own gluten free bread flour blend, take a look here. Baking gluten free bread needs a multi step approach. You have to make deliberate efforts to achieve the look, taste and texture that you want. As an example, the maillard reaction, responsible for browning, giving your crust a “healthy” appearance, needs protein and sugar. Make sure that your bread recipe has both in a viable form. Stevia for example is a sweetener but cannot chemically facilitate the maillard reaction. Additionally, the right type of sugar will caramelize improving the taste of your bread. Sugar also contributes to a better crust and can retard staling. Your protein could be liquid (milk or aquafaba) or in powder form (protein powders or a high protein flour). Overall spare a thought for what you want and if you can, ensure that you use the right ingredients. My blog post on making your own flour blend can help, start here.


I hope this is useful. If you feel like giving up, keep at it, you will always have challenges but they lessen the more you persist. With all the ups and downs it's like receiving a gift each time you score a baking victory and that is very satisfying!


I will treat this like a document in progress, updating and adding more tips (with photos) that work for me. In the meantime please let me know if you have a question, I’ll be happy to help if I can.


Want to bake some bread? Try this recipe

  • Writer: Moy's Gluten Free Kitchen
    Moy's Gluten Free Kitchen
  • Jul 28, 2021
  • 3 min read

Updated: Aug 1, 2021

This Pumpkin Bake recipe is probably one of my favourites, I love the smell, taste and the texture. Traditionally (in Trinidad and Tobago) if the word "bake" is part of the title, it refers to a "thick" flatbread instead of a loaf.


The flat-ish bread is normally denser than a regular loaf and in times past was done on the stove in an "iron" pot. Since this is oven baked and the batter is somewhat loose this pumpkin bake is less dense than normal and super soft!


The hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves reminds me of pumpkin spice. You could certainly add more sugar and spices to the dough for a sweeter and even more flavorful bake. I've used turmeric to amp up the yellow colour and it also adds just a hint of flavour.


Altogether this Pumpkin Bake is amazing. If you agree, let me know in the comments. Of course I'd also be happy to answer your questions or concerns.


If you are having problems with this recipe or any other bread recipe check out my "Troubleshooting Guide For Baking Gluten Free Bread"

Trini Style Gluten Free and Vegan Pumpkin Bake
Gluten Free and Vegan Pumpkin Bake (Bread)

Gluten Free and Vegan Pumpkin Bake Batter
Soft Pumpkin Bake Batter

Gluten free and vegan pumpkin bake slices
Pumpkin Bake Slices



Gluten Free and Vegan Pumpkin Bake (Bread) Recipe


Ingredients

1½ cup brown rice flour*

½ cup potato starch*

¼ cup tapioca starch*

1 tsp xanthan gum*

2 tsp brown sugar

1¼ tsp instant yeast

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp ground flaxmeal

¼ tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg powder

pinch of clove powder

pinch of turmeric powder (optional for colour)

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 tsp vinegar

75 g of cubed pumpkin**

1½ cup water**


Notes

*You can purchase my cake and muffin mix to make this. You can also use an off the shelf 1 to 1 or all purpose blend, although I cannot guarantee that the bake will be exactly the same. Do not add xanthan gum if your blend already contains it.


**The pumpkin and water is approximately 1¾ cup of pumpkin puree

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 F and prepare a baking tin approximately 7”- 8” in diameter x 1” in depth (you can use a pan that is deeper but not wider)

Add the pumpkin cubes and water to a food processor, blend to make pumpkin puree. The consistency of the puree is up to you, it could be smooth or have a few small pieces of pumpkin. Set aside. You can also use a ready mixed pumpkin puree, see my note above

In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. This bake is not sweet or heavily spiced, you can add more sugar or spices if you prefer


Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Starting with 1½ cup of the pumpkin puree add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, kneading or mixing until thoroughly combined. The dough should be smooth, sticky and looser like muffin batter. Add more of the puree or even extra water if needed, a little at a time, to achieve the right consistency.


Scoop the dough into the baking tin. You can smooth the top of the dough with the back of a wet spoon


Allow the dough to rise up to the rim of the tin. When ready place the pumpkin bake in the oven to bake for 25 mins. The bake is ready when lightly browned on top and it has pulled away from the sides of the tin. The underside should also be brown and if tapped will sound hollow.


Place the bake on a cooling rack. Cut only when completely cooled. Wrap the rest of the loaf tightly to maintain freshness for as long as possible, keep refrigerated. The bake is best sliced, wrapped and stored in the freezer if it will not be used within three days

  • Writer: Moy's Gluten Free Kitchen
    Moy's Gluten Free Kitchen
  • Jul 17, 2021
  • 4 min read

Updated: Feb 21, 2022

In general a good gluten free bread recipe follows this basic formula:

Gluten Free Bread Recipe = Gluten Free Flour Blend + Binder + Fat + Protein + Liquid


Your flour blend should have a mix of higher protein flour and starches. Buckwheat and Oat flour are higher in protein in comparison to the Rice flour and together they give the bread structure. The starches help to keep the bread somewhat light and should account for at least 10% of your flour blend.


In this recipe psyllium husk powder or xanthan gum does the binding, the oil is the main source of the fat, the non gluten protein is contributed mainly by the flour or milk if used and liquid is the water or milk.


If you want to make your own special bread, start with the recipe below and see what results you get. Once you’ve mastered the recipe as is, you can begin to manipulate the ingredients, preferably one at a time. Substitute ingredients that are similar in composition and similar based on what they do in the recipe. There are also ingredients that cannot be substituted 1:1, so do some research before making a decision. For example, can ground chia seeds be used as a 1 to 1 substitute for flaxmeal? The answer is, not all the time, chia is more gelatinous in water than flax and therefore stronger as a binding agent.


Troubleshoot and tweak the recipe until it works for you. Here are some tips (more in the link below):

  • Dense loaf- may need more liquid (the dough will usually be wetter than regular wheat flour dough)

  • Gummy on the inside- bake for a longer time ( an hour or more is not uncommon)

  • Loaf sinks in the middle while baking- dough was proofed for too long (it does not get better the more you let it rise in the tin)

  • Baking tin is too big- the bread will spread out not up and the result may be a dense loaf

  • Baking tin is too small- the loaf will also be dense because the bread cannot rise over the tin without support

  • Generally unappealing after baking- use an oven thermometer to verify if your oven’s temperature is calibrated correctly

Making good gluten free bread takes practice. In time, you will begin to discover what flour or what brand you like and why. You will also master swapping out ingredients to your preference.


I've shared a few more resources that can help you on your baking journey, take a look at these links:

Gluten Free and Vegan Sandwich Loaf
Beautiful Gluten Free and Vegan Bread

Wholesome Gluten Free and Vegan Bread Recipe


Ingredients

1¼ cup brown rice flour

½ cups buckwheat flour

½ cup oat flour

¼ cup tapioca starch

1 tbsp psyllium husk powder

OR

1¼ tsp xanthan gum

2 tbsp ground flaxmeal

2 tsp brown sugar

½ tbsp baking powder

2½ tsp instant yeast

½ tsp salt

¼ cup vegetable oil (I use coconut)

1¼ - 1½ cup warm water (105-115°F)* ½ tbsp vinegar


*You can use milk e.g. coconut milk instead of water

Making the Bread

In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients including the flaxmeal, use only 1/2 tsp of the yeast and none of the baking powder. Set aside Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients (except the vinegar), kneading or mixing until thoroughly combined. The dough should be slightly sticky but holding together and fairly easy to work with Cover the bowl with cling wrap or other and set aside in a cool place to rest for about an hour. Resting the dough improves the texture of the finished loaf At the end of the rest period add the rest of the yeast (2 tsp), the baking powder and mix or knead well. Add the vinegar and mix or knead again. The dough should be slightly sticky or shaggy but holding together (like a thick brownie batter, scoopable not pourable). Add more water or milk a little at a time if needed Scoop the dough into a baking tin (approx 7 1/2"l x 4"w x 4.5"h internal measurements). You can smooth the top of the dough with the back of a spoon. Wet the spoon, it will be easier to work with Allow the dough to rise to about 3/4 the height of the tin if you're using the size I suggested. If you are using a shallower tin let the dough rise just over the rim of the tin and no more (the bread can collapse if it rises too much) Once the dough is in the tin, preheat oven to 350°F. When it is ready place the dough in the oven and bake for 50 minutes After 50 minutes, lower the heat to 275 and bake for another 15 mins. After the 15 mins, turn your oven off and leave the bread there for another 15 mins, you can take the loaf out of the pan for this (if the bread feels really firm on all sides, especially the bottom of the loaf you can skip this step)

Cut the bread when it's completely cool. Store in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for an extended period of time

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