For the estimated one in seventy Australians living with coeliac disease, and many more who experience non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, finding quality bread can be a daily challenge. Commercial gluten-free bread is often expensive, crumbly, and lacks the satisfying texture and taste of wheat bread. Enter the bread maker—a tool that, with the right knowledge, can produce gluten-free loaves that rival their wheaten counterparts. This guide covers everything you need to know about successful gluten-free bread making at home.
Understanding Gluten-Free Baking
Before diving into techniques, understanding why gluten-free baking behaves differently is essential. Gluten is a protein network formed when wheat flour is mixed with water and kneaded. This network provides structure, elasticity, and the ability to trap gas bubbles produced by yeast, allowing bread to rise and maintain its shape.
Gluten-free flours lack these proteins entirely. Without intervention, they produce dense, crumbly baked goods that fall apart when sliced. Successful gluten-free bread making requires substituting other ingredients to replicate gluten's structural functions.
If you're managing coeliac disease, ensure your bread maker hasn't been used for regular wheat bread, or thoroughly clean all components before gluten-free baking. Even trace amounts of gluten can trigger reactions. Some households maintain a dedicated gluten-free machine.
Essential Gluten-Free Ingredients
Gluten-Free Flour Blends
The foundation of any gluten-free loaf is the flour blend. While you can create your own from individual flours, pre-mixed gluten-free bread flour blends offer convenience and consistency. These blends typically combine multiple flours and starches to approximate the properties of wheat flour.
Popular Australian options include Laucke's Gluten Free Bread Mix, Orgran's All Purpose Gluten Free Flour, and White Wings Gluten Free Flour. Each behaves slightly differently, so finding one that works well with your machine and preferences may require experimentation.
If creating your own blend, common components include:
- Rice flour: Provides structure but can be gritty if used alone
- Tapioca starch: Adds chewiness and helps with browning
- Potato starch: Contributes moisture and tenderness
- Sorghum flour: Adds nutritional value and a subtle sweetness
- Buckwheat flour: Despite the name, it's gluten-free and adds hearty flavour
Binders: The Gluten Replacement
Since gluten-free flours can't form the elastic network that traps gas, binders are essential for providing structure. The two most common options are:
Xanthan gum: The most widely used binder in gluten-free baking. It provides elasticity and helps trap air bubbles. Typically used at 1-2 teaspoons per cup of gluten-free flour for bread. Available in the health food section of most Australian supermarkets.
Psyllium husk: A natural fibre that forms a gel when mixed with water, providing structure and improving moisture retention. Some bakers prefer it to xanthan gum for a more bread-like texture. Use approximately 1 tablespoon per cup of flour.
If using a pre-mixed gluten-free bread flour, check whether it already contains xanthan gum before adding more. Over-adding binders produces gummy, unpleasant texture.
Extra Eggs and Liquid
Gluten-free bread recipes typically call for more eggs than wheat bread recipes. Eggs provide structure, moisture, and help with rising. Many recipes use 2-3 eggs where a wheat recipe might use one or none.
Gluten-free flours also often require more liquid than wheat flour to achieve proper consistency. The dough should be wetter than traditional bread dough—more like thick cake batter than elastic dough ball. This seems wrong if you're accustomed to wheat bread, but trust the process.
Choosing the Right Bread Maker
Not all bread makers handle gluten-free bread equally well. Key features to look for include:
Gluten-Free Program: This is the most important feature. Gluten-free programs have modified cycles with shorter kneading times (since there's no gluten to develop) and often just a single rise phase. If your machine lacks this program, you may still succeed, but results will be inconsistent.
Strong Motor: Gluten-free batters can be quite thick and heavy. A bread maker with a powerful motor handles this better than entry-level models.
Horizontal Pan Design: Some bakers find that machines with horizontal (rather than vertical) bread pans produce better gluten-free results, as the batter spreads more evenly.
Step-by-Step Gluten-Free Bread Making
Before You Begin
Read your recipe completely and gather all ingredients. Have everything at room temperature—cold eggs and milk can slow yeast activity. If using the delay timer, note that gluten-free recipes with eggs shouldn't be left sitting for hours before baking due to food safety concerns.
Ingredient Order
Most bread makers call for liquid ingredients first, then dry ingredients, with yeast added last. Follow your machine's specific instructions, but a typical order is:
- Warm water or milk (around 35-40°C)
- Oil or melted butter
- Eggs, beaten
- Vinegar (usually cider vinegar—helps with rising and flavour)
- Gluten-free flour blend
- Sugar
- Salt
- Xanthan gum (if not already in flour blend)
- Yeast (in a small well on top of the flour)
The Baking Process
Select the gluten-free program if available, or the cake or quick bread program as an alternative. Set crust colour to medium for your first attempt. Start the machine.
During the initial mixing, check the consistency. Gluten-free batter should be thick but pourable, similar to thick pancake batter or muffin batter. If it's too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time. If too thin, add a tablespoon of flour. You have about 5-10 minutes to make adjustments.
Once mixing is complete, resist the urge to open the lid during rising and baking. Temperature consistency is crucial for gluten-free bread, which is less forgiving than wheat bread of interruptions.
Gluten-free bread rises less than wheat bread—this is normal. Don't add extra yeast hoping for a taller loaf; you'll just end up with yeasty-tasting bread that may collapse.
Common Gluten-Free Problems and Solutions
Gummy, Undercooked Centre
This indicates insufficient baking time. Try the next darker crust setting, or if your machine allows, add extra baking time. Remove the bread from the pan immediately after baking to prevent steam from making it gummy.
Crumbly Texture
Increase eggs by one, or add an extra egg yolk. Alternatively, add more xanthan gum (1/4 teaspoon at a time) to improve binding.
Dense, Heavy Loaf
Check yeast freshness. Ensure water temperature is correct (too hot kills yeast, too cold slows it). Try adding a bit more sugar to feed the yeast.
Bread Falls After Rising
Over-rising is the likely culprit. Use slightly less yeast, or ensure the batter isn't too wet. Temperature fluctuations from opening the lid can also cause collapse.
Storing Gluten-Free Bread
Gluten-free bread stales faster than wheat bread due to its different starch composition. For best results:
- Allow bread to cool completely before slicing (at least an hour)
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days
- For longer storage, slice and freeze. Frozen gluten-free bread toasts beautifully
- Avoid refrigerating, which accelerates staling
Beyond Basic White Bread
Once you've mastered basic gluten-free white bread, expand your repertoire:
Sandwich bread: Add a tablespoon of honey and an extra egg for softer, more pliable slices perfect for sandwiches.
Multigrain: Replace 1/4 of the flour blend with certified gluten-free oat flour and add seeds like sunflower, pepitas, or linseeds.
Sweet breads: Increase sugar and add cinnamon and raisins for a treat bread that toasts wonderfully.
Gluten-free bread making requires more precision and different expectations than wheat bread, but the results—fresh, homemade bread that's safe for your dietary needs—are absolutely worth the learning curve. Start with a proven recipe and trusted flour blend, master the basics, then experiment with confidence.