A wholemeal Gluten Free Vegan Bread recipe that is like ‘normal’ bread. Soft, fresh for days, rich with goodness and delicious. No gums, rice, corn, or buckwheat. With a choice of two recipes – one with and one without oats. Easy to make.
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Gluten Free Vegan Bread – A Labour of Love
My gluten free vegan bread is finally here. This long-awaited addition to the Gluten Free Alchemist bread family has been a serious labour of love. A work in progress since I published my non-vegan wholemeal best gluten free bread recipe, it has been months in the making.
So first of all, thank you for your patience. I had not anticipated so many months to pass. Creating the perfect gluten free vegan loaf recipe was more difficult than I anticipated. But I am a perfectionist and proud. I was simply not prepared to release any recipe that is not up to my exacting standards.
In Search of Perfection
By way of explanation, it may be helpful to know what I was trying to achieve.
Put simply… this gluten free vegan bread needed to be as close as possible to the experience and texture of eating ‘normal’ (or ‘muggle’ to us gluten-avoiders) wholemeal bread. I appreciate that for many of us, ‘real’ bread familiarity is a distant memory. But it is a physical memory that for me, remains strong. And I also have the benefit of a non-gluten free non-vegan husband who is my worst (and best) critic.
This home-baked bread needed to be soft, moist and rich with goodness as well as flavour. It needed to stay fresh for way more than an hour and preferably for days (without being gummy). It was essential that it should rise well, and should look like a normal loaf of home-baked bread. Plus it should slice well, make great sandwiches and perfect toast.
But let’s not stop there. The dough needed to be flexible enough to make rolls and to mould into a boule if required, but without impacting the texture.
Further, because feed-back and requests from posting my non-vegan wholemeal bread recipe had also told me clearly that many of you can’t or won’t eat oats, corn, buckwheat, rice, xanthan gum and many other things, the ingredients needed to be limited to the things most of you can eat.
No compromises!
Developing My Gluten Free Vegan Bread… Challenges Along the Way
Egg Replacement
When making gluten free bread, eggs can be a godsend. Why? Because they provide both moisture and structure to the bake, which helps it to hold its shape and stay fresh. My original (non-vegan) recipe contained 3 large ones.
Taking the eggs out of the original recipe completely changed the structure of the loaf, leaving it crumbly, dry and difficult to eat. No surprise there. But egg replacement became critical to making this bread work and was also the biggest challenge. Ultimately, this gluten free vegan bread needed to be as good as the original, with no trade-off on texture.
The Usual Suspects… Chia Eggs, Flax Eggs and Chickpea Eggs
I didn’t want to use commercial egg-replacers as these are variable both by manufacturer and country. So chia and flax ‘eggs’ were the obvious starting point… Both were reasonably successful in providing structure, but for me failed miserably on the texture test… resulting in bread which was either dense and heavy or stodgily sticky.
Next, came chickpea eggs (made with gram flour)… To be honest, I didn’t even know that was a thing, until one of my readers contacted me and said she was making a successful vegan variation using them. Again, the results were good, but still too heavy for my intentions.
Maybe ‘replacing’ the eggs was the wrong approach?
Other Variables affecting My Gluten Free Vegan Bread
Time to play with other variables… flours, oil and moisture levels, acid levels, the amount of sugar and bicarbonate of soda, the quantity of yeast used… all have come under scrutiny in my kitchen.
The gluten free flours being used, as well as the ‘gluten-replacers’ (psyllium husk and flax) were an important consideration, not just for texture, but also to ensure this bread recipe was accessible to as many people as possible. It was also important to limit the number of flours used, to make it more straight forward.
I have a real passion for flour blending. Getting it right can be the difference between a bake which is a triumph or a failure. And I have yet to find any single gluten free flour blend that I can rely on for all my gluten free baking. If you want to try flour blending yourself, check out my Guide to Gluten Free Flours Page.
Little by little, the gluten free vegan loaf you see here today became a reality. There were no major ‘breakthroughs’. Just a steady up and down learning process with each and every bake.
What About The Fails?
I have eaten dozens of variations of gluten free vegan bread in the last few months. And that means there have been many ‘fails’.
I use the term loosely. None of my ‘experiments’ got thrown away and all were entirely edible. I could actually probably have posted any of the recipes here and the bread would have made many of you happy. But I am very very pedantic. And when I say no compromise, I mean no compromise. Integrity is something I truly strive for.
Oats or No Oats? A Gluten Free Vegan Bread Recipe For Everyone
This bread recipe has no xanthan gum, no corn, no rice and no buckwheat. That should make many of you happy.
Oats are however more complex. I love using gluten free oats in bread, because the avenin they contain has a similar structure to gluten and this supports a strong structure. But although many of us are lucky enough to tolerate them, I know that a number of Coeliacs are not.
For that reason, you will find two gluten free vegan bread recipes below… One which uses oat flour and one which does not. My personal absolute favourite is the oat version.
If you can eat oats and are also Coeliac, it is essential that you make sure your oat flour is gluten free. You can find out more about oats and oat cross contamination in my Guide : Coeliac Disease + Food. Although you can buy oat flour ready ground, I always grind my own using a high-powered blender/grinder. It’s cheaper and really no trouble and can be ground in bulk, to be stored in an airtight container ready for use. Find out how on my Gluten Free Flours page.
Can I substitute other flours in the recipe?
The Oat Version of my gluten free vegan bread uses a combination of 4 key flours (wholegrain oat and sorghum, with tapioca and potato starches), whilst the non-oat version uses sorghum and teff flours alongside tapioca and potato starch.
Substituting the wholegrain flours
The wholegrain element of the recipe seems to be reasonably interchangeable. I have tried making it with many combinations of wholegrain options, including buckwheat and at varying ratios. Whilst the texture may vary slightly from loaf to loaf, it is more a case of flavour preference that might influence flour choice. Whole grain gluten free flours each have their own distinct flavours and some are stronger in taste and aroma than others.
The non-oat recipe I have offered gives (for me) the best flavour-texture combination. It is not too strong in flavour and pairs well with most fillings and toppings… both savoury and sweet. But if you can’t eat or find the two flours stated, feel free to experiment. You can find a list of wholegrain gluten free flours on my ‘What is Gluten Free Flour?‘ page.
The oat flour recipe is well balanced. Actually, it is by far my favourite Gluten Free Alchemist gluten free loaf. The oats shine and give an incredible texture and flavour. But again, if you don’t have sorghum flour, experiment with an alternative wholegrain to find your ‘happy’.
Substituting the Starch Flours
My advice on this one is don”t unless you absolutely have to. After months of experimentation, I think the balance on these two flours is as good as it can be. Obviously, if you are unable to eat either of the starches for dietary reasons, then you may need to play around with the recipe. Again, you can find a list of gluten free starches on my ‘What is Gluten Free Flour?‘ page.
Equipment Needed for Making Gluten Free Vegan Bread & Tips for getting it Right
This Gluten Free Vegan Bread is actually really easy to make. Just like my non-vegan gluten free Wholemeal Bread recipe, I can have a mix made and ready to prove in under half an hour.
You do not require any fancy equipment and because this is gluten free bread, no kneading by hand is required. However, there are some things that will help you reach bread-baking success and if you are planning on baking regularly, I would recommend you consider buying.
- A good set of kitchen scales is worth every penny. When baking gluten free bread, consistency and accuracy is important. I use a set of Heston Blumenthal Dual Platform Precision Scales, because I have found them to be reliable and because they have a micro-scale which ensures the correct measurement of yeast when I am making smaller loaves. I also always weigh my liquids for complete accuracy. Measuring jugs are too variable.
- Equally, a good set of measuring spoons, which has a full range of measurement options is a must. To measure accurately, fill the spoon to the very top so that liquids are right at the brim and scrape off any powders with the flat side of a butter knife to level. I love these Tala spoons (not least because they are sturdy and include a ½ tablespoon measure).
- I always weigh my dry ingredients into an airtight container and then shake vigorously to blend. For this gluten free vegan bread, mix all the dry ingredients EXCEPT the yeast, ready in advance for baking. If the yeast interacts with the salt before you are ready to bake, it may kill it, resulting in an un-risen loaf. Weigh the yeast when ready to use, or keep in a tiny, separate airtight container next to the flour blend, so that you don’t forget to add it!
- To get the best texture, ‘oven-spring’ and longevity to your bread, it needs to be mixed for a good 5 minutes and with plenty of effort. Your dough should ultimately be very thick, to the point that it holds its shape if moulded with a mixing spoon into a ball. Whilst this can be done by hand with a strong, firm wooden/silicone spoon, the effort required is tough on the arm muscles. I have given up exhausting myself. If you are planning to make gluten free bread by hand on a regular basis, invest in a mixer (it can be hand-held) with a dough hook. I can absolutely recommend the Kenwood K-Mix Hand Blender. The dough hooks are brilliant for gluten free bread and haven’t let me down yet.
- And lastly, a good, high-sided bread tin is worth its weight. I usually make basic gluten free vegan bread using one-pound loaf tins, because that’s a good size for us. But the recipe can be made as a larger loaf. The best tins I have found for making gluten free bread and which provide good support while it rises and bakes, are these Masterclass box sided carbon-steel tins. They are also available in two-pound size for a larger loaf. Alternatively, there is a similar tin from a different manufacturer which is slightly longer, or a slightly smaller version from the same supplier.
Non-Flour Substitutions
Although it covers non-vegan ingredients as well, for further advice on substitution, get my FREE wholemeal gluten free bread recipe Substitution Guide. Just use the subscription link below. Not only will it give you the best alternatives for non-flour ingredients, but it also includes a list of Frequently Asked Questions and timing-advice for making different-sized loaves and rolls.
I’d LOVE Some Feedback
So there you have it. My Gluten Free Vegan Bread recipe. If you make it, please let me know. I’d love some feedback. Good gluten free recipe development is not either easy or straight forward and I often wonder whether readers truly realise the love that has gone into each and every one behind the scenes. Leave a comment, contact me direct, or find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Thank you so much x
Gluten Free Vegan Bread (Wholemeal) – with Oat Flour
Key equipment
- Kitchen scales
- airtight container (to mix dry ingredients)
- loaf tin(s)
- baking paper
- large mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- measuring jug
- whisk (hand or electric)
- dough hook for whisk (optional)
- kettle/microwave
- cooking thermometer (optional)
- silicone/wooden spoon or spatula
- Oven
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 60 g oat flour (120g) To make at home : grind GF oats in a blender
- 50 g sorghum flour (100g)
- 40 g tapioca starch flour (80g)
- 20 g potato starch flour (40g)
- 12 g milled flax seed (24g)
- 18 g ground psyllium husk (36g) grind into a powder in a blender
- ½ tsp fine sea salt (1 tsp)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (2 tsp)
- 3½ g active dried easy bake yeast (7g) I use Allinsons Easy Bake
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil (2 tbsp) or alternative
- ½ tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar (1 tbsp) or alternative syrup
- ½ tsp lemon juice (1 tsp)
- 110 ml/g boiling water (220 ml/g)
- 155 ml/g cold dairy free milk (310 ml/g) almond/coconut/rice/other I use KoKo unsweetened
- A little extra oil/butter and brown rice flour/sorghum or buckwheat flour to coat the inside of the bread tins
Instructions
- Mix together all the dry ingredients EXCEPT the YEAST (flours, oat, flax, psyllium husk, salt and bicarbonate of soda) in an airtight container and shake vigorously to blend.
- Weigh the yeast into a separate small container (airtight if not making the bread immediately) and set to one side. Keep near the flour blend so that you don't forget to use it.
- Very lightly grease the inside of a 1 pound non-stick bread tin using either a little dairy-free spread or oil, base line the tin with a piece of baking paper (cut to size) and then gently coat the sides of the tin with a light dusting of brown rice flour/buckwheat flour/sorghum flour (put a teaspoon of flour in the tin and gently turn from side to side until coated. Tip out any excess).
- In a large bowl, lightly beat together the oil, maple/agave syrup and lemon juice to combine.
- Weigh and mix the milk with the boiling water in a jug. It should be hand hot (if you are unsure about temperature, use a cooking thermometer which should read about 40 C).
- Add the milk liquid to the bowl with the other wet ingredients and briefly whisk through to combine.
- Add the yeast to the flour blend and mix.
- Whilst the liquid is still warm, add the dry ingredients to the bowl and using either a mixer with a dough hook, or by hand with a silicone/wooden spoon, beat until well blended, thick and the dough holds its shape if moulded into a ball (this will require about 5 minutes of solid beating).
- Transfer the batter to the baking tin and push down so that it is evenly distributed.
- Use the back of a spoon (dipped in cold water) to smooth the top.
- Place the dough in a warm place to rise for about 40 to 60 minutes (or until about doubled in size) – I place the tin on a folded tea towel in the oven at 65 to 70C for a perfect prove (the bread should rise about 2 to 3 cm above the tin with a gently rounded top).
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4. Place a small pyrex bowl or tray with hot water (a couple of centimetres deep) at the bottom of the oven to create steam during the baking process. (This is more important when baking rolls or a moulded 'boule' shaped loaf). For 'boule' or loaf not baked in a tin, see NOTES below
- When the dough has risen, bake for about 20 to 25 minutes (1 pound loaf) until nicely browned (this will be increased to approx 35 to 40 mins for a 2 pound loaf).
- Remove from the oven and take out of the tin (you may need to gently release the sides using a spatula or flat knife). Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- As with all bread, this loaf is easiest to cut when left to cool completely. Can be eaten fresh and warm, but texture improves if not steaming hot.
- Wrap in clingfilm or put in a sealable bag to store and keep fresh. Store at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Gluten Free Vegan Bread (Wholemeal) – No Oat Flour
Key equipment
- Kitchen scales
- airtight container (to mix dry ingredients)
- loaf tin(s)
- baking paper
- large mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- measuring jug
- whisk (hand or electric)
- dough hook for whisk (optional)
- kettle/microwave
- cooking thermometer (optional)
- silicone/wooden spoon or spatula
- Oven
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 70 g sorghum flour (140g)
- 40 g teff flour (80g)
- 40 g tapioca starch flour (80g)
- 20 g potato starch flour (40g)
- 12 g milled flax seed (24g)
- 18 g ground psyllium husk (36g) grind into a powder in a blender
- ½ tsp fine sea salt (1 tsp)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (2 tsp)
- 3½ g active dried easy bake yeast (7g) I use Allinsons Easy Bake
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil (2 tbsp) or alternative
- ½ tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar (1 tbsp) or alternative syrup
- ½ tsp lemon juice (1 tsp)
- 110 ml/g boiling water (220 ml/g)
- 155 ml/g cold dairy free milk (310 ml/g) preferably unsweetened – I use KoKo make
- A little extra oil/butter and brown rice flour/sorghum or buckwheat flour to coat the inside of the bread tins
Instructions
- Mix together all the dry ingredients EXCEPT the YEAST (flours, flax, psyllium husk, salt and bicarbonate of soda) in an airtight container and shake vigorously to blend.
- Weigh the yeast into a separate small container (airtight if not making the bread immediately) and set to one side. Keep near the flour blend so that you don't forget to use it.
- Very lightly grease the inside of a 1 pound non-stick bread tin using either a little dairy-free spread or oil, base line the tin with a piece of baking paper (cut to size) and then gently coat the sides of the tin with a light dusting of brown rice flour/buckwheat flour/sorghum flour (put a teaspoon of flour in the tin and gently turn from side to side until coated. Tip out any excess).
- In a large bowl, lightly beat together the oil, maple/agave syrup and lemon juice to combine.
- Weigh and mix the milk with the boiling water in a jug. It should be hand hot (if you are unsure about temperature, use a cooking thermometer which should read about 40 C).
- Add the milk liquid to the bowl with the other wet ingredients and briefly whisk through to combine.
- Add the yeast to the flour blend and mix.
- Whilst the liquid is still warm, add the dry ingredients to the bowl and using either a mixer with a dough hook, or by hand with a silicone/wooden spoon, beat until well blended, thick and the dough holds its shape if moulded into a ball (this will require about 5 minutes of solid beating).
- Transfer the batter to the baking tin and push down so that it is evenly distributed.
- Use the back of a spoon (dipped in cold water) to smooth the top.
- Place the dough in a warm place to rise for about 40 to 60 minutes (or until about doubled in size) – I place the tin on a folded tea towel in the oven at 65 to 70C for a perfect prove (the bread should rise about 2 to 3 cm above the tin with a gently rounded top).
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4. Place a small pyrex bowl or tray with hot water (a couple of centimetres deep) at the bottom of the oven to create steam during the baking process. (This is more important when baking rolls or a moulded 'boule' shaped loaf). For 'boule' or loaf not shaped in a tin, see NOTES below.
- When the dough has risen, bake for about 20 to 25 minutes (1 pound loaf) until nicely browned (this will be increased to approx 35 to 40 mins for a 2 pound loaf).
- Remove from the oven and take out of the tin (you may need to gently release the sides using a spatula or flat knife). Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- As with all bread, this loaf is easiest to cut when left to cool completely. Can be eaten fresh and warm, but texture improves if not steaming hot.
- Wrap in clingfilm or put in a sealable bag to store and keep fresh. Store at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you know, we have over 400 recipes on Gluten Free Alchemist? Why not explore our Gluten Free Recipe Book Index to get you started? We also have a dedicated Gluten Free Bread Index and also a Gluten Free-Vegan Index too.
Gluten Free Vegan Bread shared with :
- Cook Blog Share with Tin and Thyme
- Meatless Monday with Confessions of a Mother Runner and A Whisk and Two Wands
- Over The Moon #222 with Marilyn’s Treats and Eclectic Red Barn
- What’s for Dinner #249 with The Lazy Gastronome
- Fiesta Friday #325 with Angie and Frugal Hausfrau
- Full Plate Thursday #482 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Thank you so much for your excellent recipe. I tried the oat version today and I was so happy that it worked out so well! A real bread, so proud…. The texture is light and delicate, and the taste is good too. Since I didnt have the sorghum I replaced that with a little bit of everything else I had (rice, buckwheat, teff, brown millet, and more oat), and added a little bit more water when it seemed a bit too tough to mix. I expect sorghum might give a milder taste. Your recipe is a boost to my confidence in gf-baking (I only started this week). Thank you for sharing your expertise!
Thank you Kristin. You are so welcome and I am so happy to have helped.
Sorghum is definitely milder, but fantastic that you felt confident to experiment and go solo! So pleased for you. xx
Hi Kate, thank you for this recipe. I have a question. I made the bread twice so far, once with 1lb recipe and the second time 2lb one, in both the bread inside is still like wet/moist/tacky texture is that OK? Is how the bread should be? This is my first time making gluten free bread so I don’t know if it’s normal. The bread toasted beautifully and taste really good toasted, I haven’t tried normal yet because the texture. My husband love it and he can’t believe it is gluten free. Thank you again.
Hi Yvanova
That doesn’t sound quite right. I am thinking that maybe the bread hasn’t been proved enough. Try rising for longer and see if that helps. The bread should have an almost wheaten-loaf texture when baked and should be delicious as bread as well as toast. Let me know if you made any changes to the recipe, in case that is significant.
And let me know if you need any other advice.
Best wishes xx
WOW! I made your vegan oat loaf in my Panasonic bread maker and it turned out fabulously! I’m sure it’s *even* better hand-made but regardless, this is the best, lightest gluten-free loaf my bread maker has produced so far! Thank you SO much. I’ll look forward to experimenting with these new ratios of flour:liquid as this recipe is truly magical.
PS For weeks, I’ve had the urge to make vegan, gluten-free olive bread. There’s lots of recipes online for vegan olive bread made with wheat but only dodgy-looking g/f ones. I experimented myself and was fairly happy with the result, but my loaf was still heavier and chewier than I feel a good olive bread should be. Could you add this to your list for new recipes??!
WOW! That’s fantastic. I haven’t tried this one in the bread maker yet… Did you just use the recipe as it was or did you add/change anything? I clearly need to try it!
I can certainly look at Olive bread. It’s not something I am massively familiar with though… Could you send me a link to a genuine looking loaf please and I will then get a sense of what I am aiming for x
I made the non-oat version as you mentioned it was good for free form rolls etc. I have a shallow loaf tin so put 2/3 of the mixture in that and made two rolls. One of which I had for dinner. It’s the best GF free bread I have made. Thankyou for a flavoursome recipe, that really works.
Your detailed instructions were extremely helpful. I used my single oven to prove the bread as suggested, which worked a treat. Can I ask where to put the dough after proving whilst the oven gets up to temperature?
You are more than welcome! So pleased you enjoyed it and that it worked well for you.
As for where I put the bread whilst the oven comes to temperature…. It’s a tricky one. I just leave it on the side on the warm towel and tray it’s been sitting on in the oven. And I keep my fingers crossed that it doesn’t sink (which mostly it doesn’t). The alternative is to prove for much longer out of the oven…. Good in the summer, but tricky in the winter. And I’m too impatient xx
Your Gluten Free Vegan Bread looks delicious! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Thank you. You’re so welcome x
Wow! I don’t have to do g/f thank goodness but I’d eat this in a heartbeat! It’s beautiful!!! And that’s by any standard! Great job!
Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
Mollie
Thank you Mollie. It was definitely a labour of love, but I am so pleased with it x
I had to go gluten free for awhile for a health issue. The biggest obstacle was finding good, gluten free bread. Most of the time is simply crumbled. This one looks firm and moist and beautiful! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party. I hope to see you again at tomorrow’s party.
Yep! Gluten Free Bread can be a hazard! This one is perfect though. Definitely worth making our own… x
Well done Kate, you’re a very determined woman – as well as a witch of course. The bread looks delicious and I’d love to try a slice or two. I had no idea some coeliacs couldn’t eat gluten-free oats. It’s a tough world out there for sure.
Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare.
I certainly am Choclette…. And I won’t let any recipe go until I am really happy with it.
Oats are an interesting one for Coeliacs. What really irritates is that just for cross-contamination issues, we have to buy bags at three times the price! But I do really feel for those who can’t eat them at all x
I love the fact you have acknowledged your witchcraft! K X
He he! My broomstick is all ready for the next full moon and the cauldron is on the boil! x
Amazing! You truly are an alchemist 😉
Thank you Helen. I’ll take that! x