Vegan Gluten-Free Sourdough Sandwich Bread

No kneading, no stretching or folding, no gumminess, no eggs, no loaves that are as hard as a rock. This vegan, gluten-free sourdough sandwich bread is the best and the easiest you’ll try! Mix all ingredients until combined, transfer the mix to a parchment-paper-lined bread pan, wait 8 hours for it to rise, and then bake. It’s a very hands-off process that only requires a little patience. With this gluten-free recipe, you will get that delicious sourdough texture and flavor without any trouble.

Making Gluten-Free Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Seriously, do not bother trying to make a gluten-free sourdough boule. It’s a waste of time and a waste of expensive GF flour. There is no gluten to hold GF bread together, so it is impossible to get a good rise and inner texture while creating a boule shape. I tested three recipes that I developed and tried two other people’s GF sourdough boule recipes… Same result each time: a dense loaf with a crust that is as hard as a brick. I literally cut my knuckle open on the crust while trying to slice one of the loaves.

I tried using different flours, different baking temperatures, different baking times. But there was one problem with the boule recipe: the flour to water ratio. Here’s the thing, though. If you increase the water content, the dough is too wet and impossible to shape because there is no gluten to hold it together. The fix is simple: use a loaf pan and make a sandwich loaf.

Can Gluten-Free Flour Rise with Yeast?

Yes, gluten-free flour can rise with packaged yeast or with wild yeast in a sourdough starter. And with the right bread recipe, the rise is beautiful!

Here’s the thing about gluten-free flour rising with yeast, though: you MUST shape the bread before allowing it to rise. This is NOTHING like glutinous bread dough. There is no punch-down, no stretching or folding, no pre-shaping then shaping. There is one rise and one rise only.

This is why I chose the loaf-pan method for our gluten-free sourdough bread recipe. It allows for a higher water content and no need to try and shape something that includes no gluten to hold everything together.

Equipment you need for this recipe

For this recipe you only need a few things:

• a kitchen scale
• a large mixing bowl
• parchment paper
• a 8 1/2″ by 4 1/2″ loaf pan; or a 9″ x 4″ x 4″
• a bowl cover

Ingredients for Making Gluten-Free Sourdough

If you change any of the flours used in this recipe you will get different baking results. If you want your bread to turn out like mine, you must use the flours I used in the ratios I used.

Here’s all the ingredients you need for this easy recipe:

• gluten-free sourdough starter
• water
• salt
• Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour
• brown rice flour
• sorghum flour

IMPORTANT Tips for Cutting this Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

• Immediately remove the loaf from the hot pan after baking.
• Let it cool for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature on a cooling rack after baking.
• After cooling, place the loaf into an air-tight bag and let it sit in there for a few hours or overnight (this helps soften the outside a little before cutting).
• TURN THE LOAF UPSIDE DOWN TO CUT IT INTO SLICES. I cannot stress this enough; it makes cutting so easy. Use a straight, smooth knife to cut it. Do not use a serrated bread knife.

How to Eat Gluten-Free Sourdough

This gluten-free sourdough texture is ever-so-slightly moist on the inside. The slices are 10/10, five stars, delicious when toasted. If you want a quality slice of GF bread, DO NOT skip throwing those slices in the toaster for a couple minutes.

Vegan Gluten-Free Sourdough Sandwich Bread

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No kneading, no stretching or folding, no gumminess, no eggs, no loaves that are as hard as a rock…This gluten-free sourdough is the best and the easiest you’ll try! Mix all ingredients until combined, transfer the mix to a parchment-paper-lined bread pan, wait 8 hours for it to rise, and then bake. It’s a very hands-off process that only requires a little patience. With this gluten-free recipe, you will get that delicious sourdough texture and flavor without any trouble.

• Author: Kaitlynn Fenley
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 15 servings
• Category: Sourdough
• Method: Fermentation
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

• 200 grams gluten-free sourdough starter
• 250 grams Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour
• 150 grams brown rice flour
• 200 grams sorghum flour (or sub more 1:1 flour)
• 15 grams sea salt
• 500 grams water

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Instructions

1. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. It’s best to mix all dry ingredients first, then mix in the water until evenly combined. *see notes on adding yeast*
3. Scoop the mixture into the parchment paper-lined pan, (8 1/2″ by 4 1/2″ loaf pan; or a 9″ x 4″ x 4″) and spread it out evenly with a spatula.
4. Optional: sprinkle any toppings, like sesame seeds and poppy seeds, on the top. 
5. Cover the loaf pan with something to keep moisture in, but allows room to expand. I have a big food storage container I stick the whole loaf pan in to keep it humid. You can also use a bowl cover positioned so that it isn’t flat on the pan.
6. Allow the loaf to rise for 8 hours at room temperature (70-85° F), or for 2-3 hours if you added instant yeast. You should see it puff up quite a bit. You may notice dry spots and cracking on the surface if it’s not covered well; this is normal. 
7. Preheat the oven to 475° F.
8. Bake at 475° F for 30 minutes, rotate the pan, then bake for 20 more minutes.
9. Remove the pan from the oven. Gentle with the bread, grab the corners of the parchment paper, and immediately take the bread out of the pan to place it on a cooling rack. 
10. Allow the bread to rest and cool completely before cutting.
11. This bread is best served freshly toasted. I mean it, cold gluten-free bread is not good. You 100% want to toast this bread before eating it. It is divine when toasted.

Notes

• You can add a teaspoon of instant yeast to speed up the process and ensure a fluffier bread. If you add instant yeast you’ll only need to let the bread rise for 2 to 3 hours.
• I suggest flipping the loaf upside down to cut. This helps keep the slices in one piece, especially if the top of the loaf cracks while baking.
• I also suggest cutting with a smooth knife, not a serrated bread knife. Be careful when cutting bread with a smooth knife.
• If you try to cut this bread while it is still hot, you will ruin it. 

Kaitlynn Fenley Author, Educator, Food Microbiologist

Kaitlynn is a food microbiologist and fermentation expert teaching people how to ferment foods and drinks at home.

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