Gluten free brown bread and rolls made with Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour.
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A bread recipe using Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour
This recipe for bread uses Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour (also known as Freee). Yes… really! I know. It’s a bit of a rarity on Gluten Free Alchemist to find a recipe which has been specifically designed around a commercial flour blend. But after being asked by a fellow blogger for an easy gluten free bread recipe to entertain a guest, I decided to try and oblige.
While there are lots of gluten free bread recipes on the blog, most use a combination of flours that simply don’t come in a single bag. I make no apology for flour blending… There’s nothing worse than eating a sandwich so dry it requires a glass of water with every bite. But while making carefully developed recipes means we get to eat bread that actually tastes like bread (check out my Gluten Free Wholemeal), I’m very aware that this also makes them more complex… Especially for people who need a single batch for visitors or who don’t bake regularly.
So, this… along with a ‘whiter’ recipe for Easy Gluten Free Store Cupboard Bread, are simpler recipe offerings. This particular recipe uses a UK brand for Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour (also known by the name Freee), which can be sourced in many supermarkets.
Why I mostly don’t use commercial gluten free flour
I’ll be honest… I’m not a huge fan of Doves or any other commercial flour. While it does make bakes that look like they should be okay, eating them is a constant disappointment. Often gritty, crumbly, dry and without great structure… They taste… well… gluten free! And although we are a Coeliac family… we don’t actually want food that tastes gluten free. And I don’t want to be told (as recently happened in a Facebook Group) that I’ll ‘get used to it eventually’. Heck will I! I’m stubborn as an ox… And I like great food.
Let’s be honest though… Gluten free bakes have (justifiably) gained a reputation for being a bit sub-standard… The sort of food that ‘normal’ people don’t eat (or want to eat). And I get it. But it also begs the question why? So, at Gluten Free Alchemist, recipes no longer pass ‘go’ unless they are genuinely impossible to identify as gluten free.
But that also means blending flours to fit the bake. And while I frequently berate myself for not being the go-to blogger who made a fortune out of making easy bakes with Doves flour… I also know (not least because I have made some of those bakes) that they are undeniably ‘gluten free’ whatever the sales pitch says…
How to make a good loaf with Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour
And therein lies the challenge. How to make a passable loaf and rolls using Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour. No, not passable… A GOOD loaf. Because even using a commercial blend, bread happiness HAS to be achievable before it gets shared from my kitchen.
Less fortunately… the only way I found to achieve this was ultimately to add a little more protein flour. Bread needs good structure both to hold it up and to get a texture that comes anywhere close to bread. And the texture is an absolute. No compromise allowed.
So, for this recipe, the Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour is supported by a little extra Oat and Teff (or buckwheat) flour… All of which can be sourced in the supermarket. (Just grind gluten free oats into flour at home). These additions not only improve structure, but also improve the flavour and nutritional content too.
Even with the extra flour however, the recipe is still really easy to make. I promise. And after a couple of bakes, it will be as easy as pie. Mix the dry ingredients ahead to save time… Then, when you want a speedy loaf, the dough will only take 10 to 15 minutes to mix ready for proving. (And that includes the time it takes to boil the kettle for the warm water)… More than worth the effort for a decent lunch.
Is this a standard ‘packet’ recipe for using Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour
No. The recipe used to make this bread is unique to Gluten Free Alchemist. Recipes on flour bags (in my humble opinion) rarely produce bread that tastes anything like real bread. And while this bread is nowhere near as amazing as my Wholemeal Bread (I even have a bread-machine version, a Vegan bread-machine version and a Vegan hand-baked version), it’s actually still better than many other Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour recipes.
Actually, this recipe is basically a tweaked version of the dough used for my delicious GBBO-inspired Bread Bouquet. It’s a tried and tested recipe, which seemed perfect for the cause. And amazingly, it worked really well subbing in part, with the Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour. In fact… I’ll go so far as to admit that for this loaf and rolls, I was actually quite impressed. Mixed with the oat and Teff flours, the flour made a wholesome-textured loaf. The colour and flavour were really good, as were the structure and crumb.
So… Here’s the recipe
Having tested the recipe with the Doves Flour, I am fairly sure it will work with other commercial bread flour blends too… If anyone gives it a go, let me know how you got on.
For lots of other gluten free bread recipes, head over to our dedicated Gluten Free Bread Index. For everything else use the Main Recipe Book Index to navigate to what you need.
Brown Bread with Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour
Key equipment
- loaf tins (2x 1 pound) or a large baking tray
- cling film
- Oven
Ingredients
- 230 g Doves Gluten Free Brown Bread Flour Freee Brand
- 100 g Oat Flour
- 90 g Teff Flour or use buckwheat or millet flour
- 1 tbsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 7 g gelatine or 4g vegegel
- 3 tbsp milk powder/dairy free milk powder
- 11 g Instant yeast I used Allinson's Easy Bake
- 3 large eggs UK Large – at room temperature
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 370 g warm water hand-warm
- 1½ tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- milk or egg to glaze
Instructions
- For loaves – Base-line two 1 pound non-stick loaf tins with baking paper and lightly oil the sides by rubbing with a little butter or dairy free spread. For rolls – Base line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
- Weigh and mix together all the dry ingredients (TIP: weigh into an airtight container and shake vigorously). Set aside. (NOTE – If pre-weighing the dry ingredients ahead of time, set the yeast aside and add just before mixing the dough).
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the honey and hand-warm water.
- Beat with a whisk until well-blended and airy.
- Add the lemon juice and sunflower oil and beat again.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix with a dough hook mixer attachment or wooden/silicone spoon until evenly combined.
- Continue to mix for a few minutes to allow the ingredients to amalgamate well and become a gloopy batter.
- Spoon the dough into your base-lined bread tins/moulds (about two-thirds full), or scoop large spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper and smooth with a wet knife/back of a spoon.
- Cover with clingfilm and place the trays somewhere warm for about 40 to 50 minutes to rise to almost double size.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- Before baking, brush the tops of the dough with egg or milk to glaze.
- Bake the bread – 15 minutes for small rolls, 25 to 30 minutes for larger loaves.
- Remove from the oven when baked golden brown and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Can you use milk instead of milk powder and if so would you have to reduce the amount of water or make any other change ?
Hi Caryl
Yes you can. Just sub the warm water for warm milk (or a portion of it if you prefer) and leave out the milk powder. No need to reduce or change the amounts.
Best wishes
Kate
Hello – what kind of mould do you use to make the rolls? I have a 2lb loaf tin but would love to make the smaller, individual ones.
Thanks!
Leila
Hi Leila. No mould needed. Just use an ice cream scoop with a 'sweep-trigger' to push out the dough, or use a large spoon and smooth the tops with the back of a dampened spoon. You can even pipe this mix…. check out my bread bouquet…. similar consistency! https://www.glutenfreealchemist.com/2016/09/beautiful-gluten-free-bread-bouquet.html
Let me know how you get on xx
Hi Kate,
Your method turned out perfectly! Unfortunately my hand slipped when I was adding the gelatine so ended up with 17g instead of 7g, so they didn't rise quite as beautifully as when I made it in the loaf tin – still tasty though.
Thanks for your fab recipe! The bread maker has been banished to the back of the cupboard xx
Oh no! I hope it didn't 'wobble'!
So pleased you have found a recipe that you are happy with x
They look like perfect bread rolls to me. Well done for persisting with your GF bread experimentation and making something that is satisfying to eat and nutritionally sound.
Thanks Choclette. It does seem to have become a bit of an obsession! x
Oooh Kate these buns look so good! I would not be able to resist them x #cookonceeattwice
Thank you Kirsty. They are way better than shop bought GF rolls! x
I always feel very post using Doves flours as they come in those delightful little tubs! Homemade bread is gorgeous and comes with the added bonus of feeling proud that you have made it! Thanks so much for joining in with #BakeoftheWeek – Great to have you on board x
You're welcome Helen…. good to be part of it!
Yum! What fab looking bread. I find it very strange that better GF flour is not available widely by now…surely if GF bloggers can come up with great flour mixes that work then the big manufacturers ought to be able to too! Eb x
Thanks Eb. The flour issue is a tricky one….. The huge problem is the cost…… for big manufacturers to produce flour which is not massively expensive, means a heavy weighting towards rice flour (which is not great for lots of reasons). If they use the flours which have better nutritional content and have a better texture and quality, the cost goes sky high and unfortunately people are either unwilling to spend the money or simply can't afford it! There are a few good blends out there (including Vicki's FFF blend) and it would be good to see them become more available…..
Your bread looks delicious! And homemade one is a totally different thing that the one you buy!
Thank you Alida. It is certainly different from the bought loaves…. Mr GF will only eat the home-made bread!!! x
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have tried it once but was missing a couple of ingredients, but I now have everything that I need and am planning to make some later today! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
You're welcome Kirsty. I hope it went ok for you! How did you find it? xx
what a generous development of a recipe – looks great – we don't have dove's flour in Australia but the GF flours here have got better (I actually prefer Bob Red Mills from America which I find sometimes). Have gone and voted (was relieved that I did not have to register to vote as some awards do which is a turn off – good luck)
Thank you so much Johanna. Really appreciate your support.
Bobs Red Mill has some interesting blends and flours for sure and many of them are certified GF which is reassuring.
I think this recipe is pretty versatile and would probably work with a number of different flours alongside the oats xx
Your bread looks really good! The trouble for us is that not only does Jumpy's bread have to be wheat-free, it also has to be egg-free. I used to experiment with a range of flours but since I've been using Vicki's 'free from' wholegrain blend, I've not bothered with anything else as it's so convenient and perfect every time. I have to be a bit more adventurous, he he! Your bread does look gorgeous, very much like artisan bread. Thanks a lot for the mention and for linking to my first ever #FreeFromFridays eeeek xx
Thanks Mel. Being egg-free must be really tricky. I am always amazed at the wonderful recipes you and other bloggers are producing without them!
Vicki's flour is great isn't it? It has a good texture and it is great to see a blend which has a better nutritional structure. However I am so used to mixing my own blends now and find that some recipes just need something different. X
I have no experience of baking gluten-free bread but the loaves look beautiful and rustic and I do always love freshly baked bread at home. I'll pop over and vote for you now too and thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Thanks Corina. Freshly baked bread is so much better than shop-bought, but when you are gluten free, it is the difference between mediocre and great!
Thank you so much for the vote…… really appreciate your support xx
They look like beautiful loaves – interesting to see that you use gelatin – I don't think I've ever seen it used in bread before! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare
Thanks Mandy. The gelatin does not give the bread any sense of 'jelliness' but merely adds structure to the bake. It is a strange trick that I learnt from Adriana Rabinovich, but it makes an amazing difference….. x
they look beautiful and quite earthy but light too… you're such a hero for ceaselessly trying to get the perfect GF bread!
Thank you Dom. I do seem to be a little obsessed with it! x