Gluten-free bread: psyllium in place of gluten
The key job of gluten in bread is to form an elastic network that traps the gas from the yeast. Without it the gas escapes and the dough falls. In home baking the best stand-in is not gums or starches alone but psyllium husk — mixed with water it forms a translucent, elastic gel that takes over part of gluten's role. That is what gives this loaf a normal crumb rather than the crumbly, sandy texture typical of gluten-free baking.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Gel and dough 25 min
- Rising 60 min
- Baking 65 min
- Cooling 180 min
Step by step
0 / 6 doneMake the psyllium gel
In a large jug whisk the psyllium with the lukewarm water and honey, vigorously, for 30 seconds. Leave 10 minutes — it turns into a thick, translucent gel the consistency of custard. This is what replaces the gluten.
Ingredients: 25 g psyllium husk · 450 ml water · 1 tbsp honey
TipPsyllium gels within seconds, so lumps form easily. Add it quickly while whisking hard the whole time — lumps cannot be broken up afterwards.
A thick translucent gel after ten minutesMix the dough
In a bowl combine the gluten-free flour, yeast and salt. Add the gel, oil and vinegar and stir with a spatula 3 minutes, until uniform. It will be sticky and thick, like a very stiff cake batter — it cannot be kneaded and does not need to be.
Ingredients: 400 g gluten-free flour blend · 7 g dried yeast · 2 tsp salt · 3 tbsp olive oil · 1 tbsp cider vinegar
TipThe vinegar is not there for flavour (you will not taste it in the baked loaf): slight acidity improves the crumb and slows mould.
Sticky and thick, stirred with a spatulaScrape into the tin with a wet spatula
Line a 25 cm loaf tin with paper and grease it. Scrape in the dough and smooth the top with a spatula dipped in water. Scatter over the seeds and press them in lightly. A wet tool stops the mixture dragging behind everything.
Ingredients: 3 tbsp mixed seeds · 1 tbsp oil
A wet spatula, or the dough follows everythingRise for one hour only
Cover and leave somewhere warm 60 minutes. The dough should rise by a third, just above the rim. Don't wait longer: with no gluten the structure cannot hold more gas, and over-risen dough collapses in the oven. After 40 minutes heat the oven to 220 °C.
A third, and not a moment moreBake long and check with a thermometer
Bake 20 minutes at 220 °C, then reduce to 190 °C and bake 45 minutes. For the last 10 of those 45 minutes bake the loaf out of the tin, straight on the rack, so the sides dry. It is done at 98 °C inside — hard to judge without a thermometer.
TipUnderbaked gluten-free loaves are gummy and wet inside while looking perfectly normal outside. That is the commonest disappointment and the one reason a thermometer earns its place here.
The last ten minutes out of the tin, on a rackCool three hours before cutting
Cool on a rack at least 3 hours, ideally until completely cold. Gluten-free bread cut warm is gummy and squashes under the knife — its structure only sets as it cools.
Three hours on the rack before the knife
Before you start
Which flour
A ready-made all-purpose blend (rice flour plus starches) gives the most reliable result. Mixing your own: 50 % rice flour, 30 % potato starch, 20 % buckwheat or millet flour. For coeliacs, choose every ingredient, psyllium and seeds included, with the crossed-grain symbol — ordinary buckwheat or millet flour is often contaminated with gluten.
Psyllium: husk or powder
Ground husk (powder) gels more strongly than whole husk. With whole husk, increase to 32 g and extend the gelling time to 15 minutes.
A purple tinge
Psyllium sometimes tints the crumb faintly purple or grey — it depends on the batch and brand of husk. It is harmless and does not affect the taste; if it bothers you, try another brand.
Storing
Three days in a sealed container, but it is best to slice and freeze it as soon as it cools. Gluten-free bread stales faster than wheat; slices from the freezer straight into a toaster are as good as fresh.
