Amazing Gluten Free White Bread Without Xanthan Gum

Name: Amazing Gluten Free White Bread Without Xanthan Gum
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 3 egg whites; 55 grams brown sugar (about 1/4 cup); 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar; ¾ cup warm water (for mixing the yeast); 1 ½ Tablespoons active dry yeast; 4 teaspoons hot water; 1 teaspoon chia seeds; 1 teaspoon golden flax seeds; 175 grams tapioca flour (about 1 1/2 cups); 65 grams sorghum flour (about 1/2 cup); 70 grams brown rice flour (about 1/2 cup); 80 grams potato starch (about 1/2 cup); ¾ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon baking powder

By Christine January 14, 2016 Updated January 23, 2022 121 Comments

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The title of this recipe sure sets the bar high, doesn’t it? Well, I promise, it will live up to its name! This Amazing Gluten Free White Bread Without Xanthan Gum is everything you’ve been wanting in a gluten free bread and more. It takes the qualities like texture, aroma, and appearance and combines that with a bread that's actually delicious to eat as well. And with no xanthan gum!

It doesn’t get any better than that.

And even better... scroll down and have a look at the ingredients…

There is nothing in it that will bankrupt your pocketbook! Double win!

image with text on it for bake a loaf of gluten free bread

Tips for making the most amazing gluten free white bread recipe

Besides this being one of the tastiest gluten free breads ever, it comes together really easily. Slice it sandwich thin like this sandwich bread, or thick, hearty slices (like this French bread), either way works for a perfect sandwich! Below are a few easy tips for a delicious loaf every time...

Tip #1 - Prep your space and 9" x 5" baking pan. AND, allow the ingredients to come to room temperature.

Tip #2 – Use the flours in the recipe. They create a lovely loaf of amazing bread because the fiber and protein content of these particular flours work perfectly together.

Tip #3 - Proof the yeast. Is that yeast really fresh and active? Proofing it before adding the rest of the ingredients not only gets that lovely bread-yeast smell flowing throughout the kitchen, but it also reveals if the yeast is fit to use.

Tip #4 - Use golden flax seeds. You can find them online and at Whole Foods, labeled golden flax seed meal. The texture is different from regular ground flax seed – the golden variety seems finer.

Here's another recipe that uses golden flax seeds: Gluten Free Outback Steakhouse Bread

Tip #5 - Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. See that lovely golden brown crust and delicious interior you could just sink your teeth into? That's the lighter than air properties of whipped egg whites.

Tip #6 - Use a large bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients. The batter will look more like thin cake batter than bread dough.

Tip #7 - Add the batter to the pan and let it rise. The pan will be quite full after the 30 minute rise time. Place it into the oven just before it hits the rim. You should be able to grab the pan without getting batter all over your hands.

How to make this bread

Ingredients & substitutions

Since brands of flours and starches are always a hot topic, here are the specific brands I use and recommend and then an alternative if a substitute will work equally well. (I use Nuts.com flours and starches for almost everything, the exception is this Buckwheat bread / flour)

Tapioca starch - Tapioca starch and tapioca flour are the exact same thing, the names are interchangeable. I recommend the 5 pound bag from Nuts.com as it is a great price and will last you a very long time - in fact, find flour storage tips here!

Sorghum flour - I would not recommend substituting the sorghum flour as it has a distinct protein and fiber content. And I haven't tested another flour. So unless I've tested it, I won't recommend it.

Potato starch - Starches are an interesting ingredient. They are an important part of gluten free baking (as I talk about in my baking class) but a lot of the time, they can be substituted pretty easily. Cornstarch or more tapioca starch would also work well.

Brown rice flour - I use the brown rice flour from Nuts.com because it works great and the price is right. I haven't tested out a substitute for this flour so I wouldn't recommend it.

Egg whites - I've gotten a lot of questions about these egg whites over the years (this recipe is over 5 years old). The only thing that I would recommend for the egg whites is aquafaba. It's not an exact match as far as flavor and taste, but it works well as a substitute for the egg whites.

Brown sugar - For the brown sugar, I recommend Imperial brown sugar as it never fails me in delicious flavor or quality. As a substitute for the brown sugar, I would recommend Swerve brown sugar.

Vegetable oil / olive oil - I use these interchangeably. In my baking masterclass I use a combination of both olive oil and vegetable oil, but I've also tested just the vegetable oil - either way works just fine in this recipe.

Active dry yeast - There are different types of yeast - you may see bread machine yeast, instant yeast, quick rise yeast... but the one for this recipe is active dry yeast. And I recommend the Fleischmann's brand as it never disappoints in quality and a beautiful rise.

Salt - I've had readers ask me if this is an essential ingredient or what they can substitute for it. Since I haven't found a salt alternative that tastes great in this bread, if you're following a low sodium diet, then the salt can be cut down to ¼ teaspoon. I wouldn't advise completely eliminating it but it can be cut down for diet reasons.

Apple cider vinegar - This is another ingredient I get a lot of questions on. Apple cider vinegar is important for helping with the rise. It combines with the baking powder to activate and contribute to a nice tall rise in the bread. There is no substitute for this. White vinegar is not the same and will lend a hint of vinegar to the bread whereas apple cider vinegar won't.

Chia seeds - Chia seeds and flax seeds are important because they are the xanthan gum replacements. Use ground chia seeds for the best results (ground seeds are smaller so you won't bite into a seed!). I use the 365 brand of whole seeds and then ground them with a coffee grinder to a fine ground.

Flax seeds - I use and recommend the Bob's Red Mill brand of golden flax seeds. I would suggest storing them in the refrigerator (same for the chia seeds) to prolong the life of them.

Baking powder - The baking powder helps with that gorgeous rise. I use Clabber Girl as it's a gluten free product I trust. I would not recommend substituting the baking powder.

Mixing

Mixing this bread batter is best done by breaking everything down into small steps... if you're more of a hands-on, visual person, we make this in my baking class so that might be worth checking out here.

The first thing is to separate the eggs (image 1), eggs are easiest to separate when they're cold so do this step first, then set the bowl aside to warm up while prepping the remaining ingredients. Steps 2-5 show preparation of the yeast, flour and brown sugar mixtures.

Image 6 is the egg whites after they're whipped.

Note on whipping egg whites: This process can take anywhere from 5 - 8 minutes. Be patient and let the machine do the work. They are done when you see stiff peaks.

Making the bread dough

Image 1 above is what the batter / bread dough will look like after adding the yeast/brown sugar mixture to the whipped egg whites. Then you'll add the flour to this mixture (step 2). Once you mix that for 2 minutes, you'll end up with batter that looks like image 3. Image 4 is an overhead view of it - the batter is thin. Not thick like bread dough. But that's how it's supposed to be.

Baking

This is a fully baked loaf of bread - you'll want to use an instant read thermometer to be sure the temperature reaches 205 F. Once it does, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack before turning it out of the pan to finish cooling.

FAQ's about this bread

Can I use different flours in this recipe?

I would not recommend it - the flours have been tested and retested and this combination works best!

Can I substitute the egg whites?

Yes - aquafaba is an acceptable substitute.

How do I store this bread?

The best to store this loaf is by slicing the bread (once it's cooled completely) and place pieces of wax paper in between each slice, then freeze the entire loaf. Unfortunately, gluten free bread goes stale much faster than other breads.

My batter is really thin - is this correct?

Yes! Resist the urge to add more flour or starch, the batter is supposed to be thin.

Other recipes you may like!

Are you ready for the best gluten free white bread recipe ever?! Here it is!

Updated 12/19/2018, then again 1/2022.