No Knead Gluten Free Bread
on Nov 06, 2022, Updated Oct 24, 2023
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If you can’t have dairy or 🌾 gluten, I have you covered with my easy No Knead Gluten-Free Bread. This bread is fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. This is what all gluten-free bread dreams are made of. Even if you are not gluten-free.
I highly suggest you try this bread because it’s actually softer in texture than my other no knead bread recipes. When I first made this recipe, I didn’t tell anyone that it was gluten-free, and my family couldn’t tell the difference. This is hands down the best gluten-free bread you will ever try.
Why You’ll Love No Knead Gluten Free Bread
Just because your diet may require you to make gluten-free bread (for yourself or your guests) doesn’t mean you should have to suffer! This gluten-free bread is not only easy to make because of simple ingredients and steps, but also incredibly tasty.
If you need another reason to love this 🍞 bread, look no further than its flaky and crispy crust with its soft inside.
Even more, you don’t have to be worried about a ⏲️ long rise time with this bread, because it only requires 5 hours of resting, so the dough can be prepared in the morning and then baked and ready before dinner in the evening! So easy!
How To Prepare
✨ First, activate the yeast by combining the warm 💦 water, sugar, and active dry yeast in a bowl. Stir and wait for 5 minutes to ensure activation; make sure the water is lukewarm.
🥣 In a separate large bowl, mix the gluten-free flour and 🧂 salt.
🥄 Slowly incorporate the activated yeast mixture, stirring until you achieve a thick, sticky dough.
😴 Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 5 hours.
👩🍳 After the dough rises, transfer it to a floured surface, shape it into an oval, and place it in a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Cover the dish with a lid or doubled-up aluminum foil.
🥶 Put the dish in a 🧊 cold oven, set the temperature to 450F, and bake for 40 minutes (do not preheat your oven).
🥧 After the loaf has cooked for 40 minutes, uncover the bread and bake for an additional 30 minutes or less, depending on your oven, until it’s light and golden.
🍞 Let the bread ❄️ cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then enjoy your homemade gluten-free bread.
Nonna’s Tip 🍞
Make sure the yeast is not expired. You can always add the yeast to warm water and let it foam up. When it foams up, it’s active and ready to be used. If it doesn’t foam up, start this step again.
Substitutions and Variations for No Knead Gluten Free Bread
This No Knead Gluten-Free Bread has lots of options for add-ins. I have only tried Caputo’s Gluten-Free flour so you will have to experiment if you use a different brand.
- You can add herbs 🌿 like rosemary, thyme, or spices such as garlic powder or onion powder to the dough.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or chopped nuts (like walnuts or sunflower seeds) on top of the bread before baking for added texture and flavor.
- Experiment with different shapes – you could make rolls, 🥖 baguettes, or even stuffed bread with your favorite fillings.
Best Served With
My No Knead Gluten-Free Bread pairs wonderfully with a variety of dishes, including soups and stews, cheese and butter boards, and more. Some of my favorite soups to enjoy with this bread:
- Pastina Soup
- Greek Lemon Soup
- The Best Lentil Soup
- Hidden Veggie Orzo Soup
- Healthy Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Healthiest Cream of Hidden Veggie Soup
- Hidden Veggie Meatball Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
Try it With My Favorite Boards
- Viral Butter Board With Goat Cheese
- Holiday Butter Board
- Holiday Charcuterie Board
- Holiday Cheese Board
Other No Knead Recipes
If you like this no knead bread, try some of my others:
- No-Knead Cheddar Bread
- My Viral No-Knead Peasant Bread
- Grandma’s No-Knead Olive Bread
- No-Knead Foccacia
Common Questions
I use a Corning Ware Dish for this recipe. You can feel free to use any baking dish that you have on hand as long as the bread fits in it.
I use Caputo Fioreglut (1kg) – Italian Gluten Free Flour. It’s the best flour out of any others I have tried. You can absolutely try another type of gluten-free baking flour, but I cannot guarantee the same quantities or results.
Maintaining this water temperature range is crucial because it ensures that the yeast activates properly. Water that’s too hot or too cold can hinder yeast activation.
In this traditional recipe, I encourage you to add water gradually until you achieve a very thick and sticky dough, following the “na oko” or “by eye” method.
To test the yeast’s activity, add it to warm water. If it doesn’t foam up, you’ll need to start with new yeast. Foaming indicates that the yeast is active and is ready to be added to the flour and salt.
If the dough is too wet, you can sprinkle in a bit more flour to adjust. Conversely, if it’s too dry, add warm water a little at a time until you have a tacky dough.
Yes, due to the material you will have to preheat the Dutch oven in a 450°F (230°C) oven with its lid on, shape the dough, place it inside, bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
You certainly can, although this recipe specifically calls for active dry yeast you can also try instant yeast as well, but I have not tried making this bread with any other type of yeast.
This method ensures more precise measurements, helping you achieve the right consistency for the dough.
While I have not explicitly tested it, using a doubled-up piece of aluminum foil should work as a substitute for a dish lid.
The dough should rest for a minimum of 5 hours, but it’s common to leave it overnight and bake it the following morning. Let the dough rest at room temperature away from drafts.
In hotter climates, the dough may rise much faster, so I would advise placing it in a cooler room or limiting the rise to a maximum of 2 to 3 hours to prevent over-expansion. Once it doubles or triples in size, it should be baked immediately.
The recipe hasn’t been tested at higher altitudes, so adjustments may be necessary.
The dough should not be watery or dry; it should have a thick and sticky consistency.
I use Redmond Real Salt, please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is always to taste. Always taste and adjust as you cook.
No-Knead Gluten-Free Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Activate The Yeast
- 1.5 cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten-free flour , I used Caputo
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Note: I have only tried Caputo's Gluten-Free Flour so you will have to experiment if you use a different brand. If the yeast does not activate, start that step all over.
- Start by adding the first three ingredients to a bowl and stir. Wait five minutes and if the yeast does not activate you will have to re-do this step. Make sure the water is warm. If it's too hot or too cold, the yeast may not activate. Water should be lukewarm.
- Add the flour and salt to a separate big bowl and stir. Slowly add in the activated yeast mixture and stir until you get the right consistency. You should have a thick sticky dough; it shouldn’t be too wet or too dry.
- Let it rest covered for 5 hours at room temperature away from drafts. Once the dough has risen, flour the counter and pour out the dough. Flour the top of the dough and shape it. No-kneading, just shape it into an oval even dough ball.
- Transfer into ANY baking dish lined with parchment paper and put the lid on. If you don't have a lid, add double foil on top instead.
- Put the bread in the cold oven, turn the oven to 450F and bake for 40 minutes. DO NOT pre-heat the oven. Put the bread in, turn the oven on, and start the timer for 40 minutes right away.
- After 40 minutes, uncover it and bake for another 30 minutes or less depending on the oven. The bread is done once it’s light and golden all over.
- Let the bread cool for 5 to 10 minutes and dig in! Enjoy.
Nonna’s Notes
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi There
How do I adapt this to be a sour dough that’s light and airy?
Hi, Darren! I primarily bake with yeast doughs, so I haven’t tested a sourdough version. If you decide to experiment, let me know! ❤️
The crust was very hard and hard to cut and chew. The inside was very gummy. We followed directions exactly and used cup for cup flour.
hi
the dough did not rise very much, even after extended proofing. the yeast was active.
any suggestions?
Hi, Alan. GF dough generally will not rise as high as a traditional dough. There could be a number of solutions to the rise issue: try a warm proof (75-85F | 24-29C), add baking powder, make sure you’re using a 1:1 GF dough with a structure builder like xanthan gum, and don’t over-proof. I hope this helps ❤️!
Can you leave it to rise longer than 5 hours? Is there a max time (too much time)? Thank you!
Ideally, you want it to double in size, so anything after that is too long. Hope this helps ❤️!
I can’t afford Caputo, so I tried this recipe with King Arthur’s gluten free flour blend and used a Staub dutch oven to cook it. The bottom crust was so hard I had to cut it off. The top crust was tough but edible. The inside was dense but soft. Did not turn out at all the way I had hoped and I’m wondering if the pot I used was too heavy? Does that matter. The bread did taste really good and I will definitely be eating it all.
Hi, Brijitte! I think the Dutch oven is fine! It sounds like it was cooked a little too long, and this could be because some ovens simply run warmer than others. Next time, try a little less baking time and see if that works!
I don’t have a covered baking dish big enough. Could I use a stainless steel Dutch oven type pot?
Hi, Ronda! Yes, a dutch oven will work. Happy baking! ❤️
I’m fairly new to GF baking & this is the first bread recipe I’ve made that didn’t come out flat and gummy.
The rise was great and it’s a true, crusty bread! Thank You!
I’m so happy this worked for you, Joanne ❤️!
What a total waste of 7hrs! Dreadful recipe. Followed all instructions and measurements to the letter and ended up with a pancake! Total waste of expensive gluten free flour.
Don’t waste your time on this recipe.
I’m sorry to hear this didn’t work for you, Deborah. Thank you for sharing your feedback ❤️.
This has been a go-to recipe for a year now, and I have just written down the recipe so that I don’t always have to refer to my phone screen.
I have a few thoughts – flour makes all the difference and, as with everything yeasted baking, you’ll have good days and bad days. Bread never seems to raise as much when it’s too humid (I live in Seattle and it gets moist out here), and I swear dry days the bread feels more dry.
I have had great luck with cup 4 cup flour for this recipe, and not as great of luck with King Arthur flour. Each one is yummy, but King Arthur flour loafs often turn into croutons, bread pudding, or stuffing, and cup4cup never gets the chance to. King Arthur yeast dough flour never raises and is always dry and it makes the more dense loaves. This is a peasant loaf, so it is more dense than a sandwich loaf, but it has a good crust and bite.
If you’re feeling sassy, I recommend activating the yeast with lavender sugar or rosemary sugar. It adds an extra depth to the flavor and doesn’t appear to impact the yeast’s ability to activate.
Thank you for this helpful feedback, Danielle! And lavendar sugar sounds absolutely AMAZING!! 😍
Hello Sneji,
I put the GF dough together this morning. After 5 hours proofing, the dough more than doubled in size with lots of yeasty bubbles!!
Baked it in a 9×13 inch baking pan covered with foil as per directions, uncovered and in the next 30 minutes, the loaf was a rich brown colour and smelling like fresh baked bread heaven!!
Cooled for 1 hour, cut into it and the crumb is AMAZING!!!! light, airy pockets and the taste is scrumptious!!!
Many thanks!! I am over the moon!! I must eat gluten free but I make wheat flour artisan bread for my family and although I cannot taste those breads, this GF No Knead bread comes very close in appearance. No GF bread will rise like that of gluten wheat flour breads… this is very very. Lise in appearance, texture and aroma.
Thank you!!
Sandra, this makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for sharing your success, and I hope you continue to enjoy your delicious GF bread ❤️.
Thank you for your feedback. I am from Olympia, I use king Arthur Measure for Measure flour. I love reading others take on recipes, it helps much when I know you have the same weather conditions. It definitely affects our baking haha! I’m going to try this recipe.
Enjoy, Kendra ❤️!
I made this recipe exactly as specified and my bread is flat and dense. I used the exact flour and did everything right. I tried this recipe before without the flour and it was horrible and so I tried it again thinking the flour was the problem. It’s not. It’s the recipe. There’s much better out there.
I’m so sorry this didn’t work out for you, Nikki. ❤️