Say goodbye to bland and dry gluten-free bread. The secret to a delicious slice of bread is psyllium husk, ground flax, and sourdough starter! Even if gluten-free sourdough isn’t typically your thing, this recipe includes an option for a quick sourdough starter that is full of flavor.
What makes this gluten-free bread different?
I’ve been gluten-free since 2009… and I’ve been baking bread for at least that long. Why? Because most store-bought gluten-free bread has the texture and taste of Styrofoam. It’s also low in fiber which is why a gluten-free diet is generally not recommended for people who don’t need to avoid gluten.
This recipe evolved from my very popular gluten-free burger buns. It’s scaled up to the size of a loaf and adjusted for moisture content. I’ve also developed a vegan GF bread and a GF pizza dough based on the same basic bread structure.
In fact, the vegan bread came first… and it took me about 2 years to develop the recipe. I needed all the extra support of psyllium husk and flax to create a good loaf of vegan bread. In the end, the results were so incredibly delicious that I wanted to create a whole bunch of recipes using the same set of ingredients.
Why Ground Flax and Psyllium husk?
Ground flax and psyllium husk are both seeds that are high in fiber and can act as a thickener and a gelling agent. They are important for the structure of this gluten-free sandwich bread. However, they also provide a number of benefits:
- Because they can thicken and gel, they act as a binder (similar to flaxseed crackers).
- They are a great source of fiber and offer a number of health benefits. I love the fact that they help to feed my microbiome.
- Honestly, the biggest reason why I like to bake with flax and psyllium is they add flavor and richness to gluten-free baking.
Why Sourdough starter?
Even if you don’t typically bake with sourdough, I recommend it for this bread (and really, for most GF baking).
- it adds flavor
- helps to break down the carbs, adding lightness wholegrain flour
- doubles the rising action with sourdough yeast and the acidity to react with the baking soda
A Quick Sourdough Starter
I realize this loaf calls for 2 cups of sourdough starter. That’s a LOT of starter if you make it in the traditional way. If you’ve already got a good sourdough starter, then you can use discard in this recipe.
If not, here are two options for a quick sourdough starter. They are designed to make exactly the 2 cups of sourdough needed for this recipe. So feel free to just start your bread this way every time.
- Quick buttermilk option: Mix 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk with 1 1/2 cups of your favorite gluten-free flour. Let the flour hydrate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours before baking.
- Quick sourdough option: Teff and buckwheat naturally contain symbiotic yeast. So as long as you buy a natural brand of teff flour or buckwheat flour (affiliate links) they will sour within 24 hours. Don’t expect huge bubbles, just a sourdough smell will give you a delicious flavor. Mix 1 1/2 cups of water with 1 1/2 cups of flour and let it sit out on the counter for 24 to 48 hours. I recommend stirring at least once during this time to prevent a crust from forming on the top.
- Traditional sourdough option: Feel free to make a traditional gluten-free sourdough starter. Just feed it up so you have the 2 cups needed for this recipe.
Gluten-free sandwich bread
Say goodbye to bland and dry gluten-free bread. The secret to a delicious slice of bread is psyllium husk, ground flax and sourdough starter! Even if gluten-free sourdough isn’t typically your thing, this recipe includes an option for a quick sourdough starter that is full of flavour.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Sourdough
- Cuisine: healthy
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup whole grain gluten-free flour
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup ground psyllium husk powder
Instructions
- If you don’t typically bake with a sourdough starter, see the section above for 2 quick alternatives.
- Mix all the dough ingredients together, adding the psyllium husk last (it tends to clump if not mixed in right away).
- It will start out quite liquidy. Once you’ve mixed everything, leave it for 5 minutes to thicken, then give it another stir to make sure everything is well mixed. It will have the consistency of a thick muffin batter.
- Using a spatula scrape the batter into a greased 4″x8″ loaf pan. The baking soda will act right away to give rise to this loaf, so no need for an extended rise.
- Bake at 450F (230 C) for 40 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf. The bread is ready when the outside is crusty and the inside is cooked.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before moving to a cooling rack.
Notes
- I like to sprinkle a mix of seed on top of my loaf. I use a mix of whatever I happen to have on hand: sunflower, flax, sesame, poppy or millet.
- To slice the top of the bread, bake for 20 minutes, then cut the crusted top of the loaf with a sharp knife. It’s mostly just decorative as the bread will rise without it.
- I recommend eating the bread within 3-4 days or slicing it and freezing it for longer storage.
Keywords: sandwich, toast, gluten-free, high fiber, healthy, microbiome, prebiotic, simple
Hi! Can I use egg replacement?
Hoping to try this recipe. Thank you foe taking the time to post recipes.
I haven’t tested this recipe with egg replacer. It is based on my vegan and GF bread. The main difference is added binders in the vegan version. You can find the vegan version here: https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/gluten-free-and-vegan-sourdough-bread/ Or if you try this loaf with egg replacer, let me know how it goes! Thanks!
This is great! Is simple and whole grain. I have a similar recipe That I use almost exclusively for bread. That one is great too but much heavier. This is a versatile and delicious bread.
★★★★★
Thanks!
What gluten free flour are you using? Does this refer to any gf flour (oat flour?) or do you mean a commercial gluten free flour mix?
This recipe has very little flour. I recommend using whatever flour you are using to feed your starter. So that could be a bread flour mix or a single type of GF flour. I typically use GF oat flour or buckwheat. Cheers! Emillie