Gluten Free FAQs

Gluten Free FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Readers asked for Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day here on the website. There’ve been lots of gluten-free questions. Click on any of them below– these are the ones that seem to be on a lot of gluten-free bakers’ minds.  If you’re having a problem with one of our recipes, breeze through these FAQs first.  If you can’t find an answer in the FAQs, click on any “Comments” or “Reply” field (doesn’t have to be related to the content underneath).  Please say which book you’re working from, and which recipe and page number:

  1. Dense or gummy interior, or inadequate rising. What am I doing wrong?
  2. Gluten: What is it? And what grains contain gluten?
  3. Nutritional information: How can I calculate it?
  4. Substitutions for ingredients in the gluten-free recipes
  5. Videos: Where can I view videos so I can see what your gluten-free dough’s supposed to look like?
  6. Whole grains in gluten-free baking: how can I get more of them into the flour mixtures?

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1,168 thoughts to “Gluten Free FAQs”

  1. I recently purchased the GF artisan bread cookbook. I have been using Bob’s red mill products as advised and weighung with a scale for accuracy. I just mixed up a container of the pizza/fatbread dough and it seemd like a thicker dryer dough than any other I had tried so i went back over the recipe and realized I had used bob’s red mill corn flour NOT corn meal. How will this affect my dough? Should I mix in more water. Not sure if you will see this in time to help. I hope I didn’t ruin this …the flours are so expensive.

    Reply

    1. Hi Lisa,

      Yes, you can add a bit more water to the dough. Because you are using it as a flat bread it will be more forgiving. It may be too dense as a loaf of bread, but as a pizza you will probably be just fine. Roll it thin if you find it is denser than you’d hoped.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

      1. I ended up adding 1/4 c more water. I made a thicker crusted pizza last night and it was good but then tonight I used oiled parchment paper on top to roll it super thin, (1/8 th inch aprox). It was super crunchy on edges and tasted really good. Everyone was raving over it. I am very pleased with the recipes in this book. I am looking forward to trying more but I fear I may need to buy bigger clothes.

  2. I have the original artisan bread in 5 minutes a day, and then when my daughter was diagnosed with grain allergies we bought the gluten free book. It is our favourite, and we have made so many recipes. We especially enjoy the doughnuts as here in the UK a decent gluten free doughnut is the holy grail. At the moment I’m making them ring shaped as per directions. Would they work cut out with a round cutter, so I could put jam or creme patisserie or similar inside after cooking – a bit like a certain market leader in the doughnut world!! How long should I fry for at what temperature? I guess I could trial and error but the dough is so expensive to make, I can’t afford too many mistakes. Many thanks Liz.

    Reply

    1. Hi Liz,

      Yes, you can cut them into circles, fry them and fill them. I would test one to see the proper timing, the oil should be 360-370°F. The timing will depend on how thick and how large the circles are.

      I am so thrilled you are enjoying all of the bread!

      Cheers, Zoë

      Reply

  3. I have a question, but it’s aimed more towards other bakers. Has anyone figured out how to use other flour blends successfully for any of the GF recipes? I don’t use Bob’s flours because they are gritty to me. I prefer other brands. I’ve tried making the sandwich bread using mix #1 twice, but both times ended up with dough that didn’t rise and was quite gummy after baking.

    Reply

  4. First time Baker: can I use a “heavy duty” hand held “wand” mixer to mix up original dough? Can not afford to buy standing mixer right now, and even. No I used the Danish dough mixer I’m not satisfied that I mixed it up enough… it’s still a bit “lumpy” after much stirring, Have not even tried to bake it!

    Reply

    1. Hi LisaJo,

      Does the wand mixer have an attachment other than a blade? I’m not sure it will be strong enough, but maybe give it a try and if it sounds like it is struggling, you should stop. If you try it, please let me know how it goes.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  5. Is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour suitable for your recipes contained in your book.. “Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day” ? Replacing the listed flours in your Master Recipe with a ratio 1:1 with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour and adding Xanthum Gum also to the recipe.
    Thank you for your help.

    Reply

    1. Hi Shawn,

      I didn’t test the recipes with that flour blend, since it wasn’t available at the time when we are writing the book. You can give it a try, but I would start with a small batch to make sure you like the texture and flavor. I have had good luck with Better Batter flour blend.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  7. I have been attempting to make the boule from GF in 5 minutes with Mixture #1 (I substituted white for brown rice and used psyllium instead of Xanthan)p.64 and 60 I bake it in my french cast-iron pot. The bread comes out with a crust so hard we can’t cut it! It looks like bread until we try to touch it … and it is definitely very dense. 🙁
    Help! I want to love my bread! Also I use my stand mixer and I do not overly mix it. This time I tried the tip from the “no rest no rise just bake” box. It was worst than the other times. Thanks for helping!

    Reply

    1. Audrey: Have you tested your oven temp? Is the loaf taking much longer to bake than what we say? How is the rise before you refrigerate? Any chance your yeast is old?

      Reply

      1. Audrey: Also should have asked–are you making any substitutes for the flours we call for and tested with in the book (Bob’s Red Mill–which is the only one that’s reliably available all over the US). Other brands require different water amounts, and that throws off everything.

        Also–when you say “I’m careful not to overmix…” that might be your problem. This dough has to be very well mixed, or else the ingredients don’t emulsify. The best way to do that is with the stand mixer, as you’re doing.

      2. Thank you for these pointers. I decided to revert back to the pizza stone method with a water tray under and the bread is definitely coming out better. I ask a friend who works in a commercial kitchen to cut it for me with their machine, as I still find it somewhat challenging with a simple bread cutting knife. The cast iron had rendered it so hard that my friend said they couldn’t even cut it with the machine. Now, as for the flour I confess I never paid attention to the brand! I live in Canada and I buy all my flours at Bulk Barn. (I’ve been mostly making the mixture #1 with brown rice flour and psyllium husk as a substitute). I will try again in the cast iron and this time i will cover the bread a little less time (I realized afterward that I had left the cover on the whole time)

      3. Audrey–thanks for these details, it’s always fun to hear about people’s experimentation–which is inevitable, because ovens and kitchens differ, plus the ingredients we specify… well, not everyone can get those! Glad it’s working for you.

  8. Just bought your GF book for myself and my mom. Cant wait to start. One quick question, can I half the recipe? The whole batch might be a little too much.

    Reply

  10. I bought your book and have been working my way through the recipes. I am amazed at how well the breads turn out – thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this! The instructions are so clear. My favorite instructions is “about the size of a large peach” – that perfectly describes how much to use. I’ve also gifted the book to a survivor of the CampFire disaster in Northern California who lost all her gluten-free cookbooks in the fire. She is thrilled to get it Neanderthal said it really cheered her up. That’s a great cookbook!!!!

    Reply

    1. The second to the last line should say “She is thrilled to get it and said it really cheered her up.” I have no idea what I typed for spell check to substitute ‘Neanderthal” – lol!

      Reply

      1. Hahaha! Thanks Katie, for the kind words, and all thoughts and wishes to your friend.

  11. Hi, I posted some questions a little earlier, but don’t see that they got posted with a reply. Since my attempts at using the Mixture #1 with brown rice flour instead of white rice flour for the Master Recipe for making Boule have pretty much ended up with rock solid loafs, I’m wondering if it’s the brand flour I’m using? I’ve been using the rice and sorghum flours from the bulk refrigerated section of a local natural foods store. I did weigh the ingredients, used a stand mixer, baking stone, oven thermometer and all the rest. I’m am not using eggs. Any ideas for me?

    Thanks!
    kt

    Reply

    1. As we say in the book, we tested with Bob’s Red Mill flours, and substitutions result in massive changes in water requirement. My guess is that your hydration is off. Best bet to to try with Bob’s flours and see what you think. Also, the with-egg version (especially with egg whites) results in a lighter loaf (see details in the book https://amzn.to/1msOBmY).

      Reply

  12. I have long been a baker, taking on GF baking when I discovered that my body didn’t appreciate gluten. I have managed to bake almost everything EXCEPT bread that I enjoyed. I just discovered your book, will be getting it soon, but I wonder if you have ever used pressure cookers to (steam) cook bread? All the old little cookbooks that came with pressure cookers had a recipe for Brown Bread (more sweeter than regular bread).

    Reply

    1. We don’t have one. The steamed brown bread is very particular, very heavy concoction. Sometimes called Boston Brown Bread. I believe most recipes are treacly-sweet and more resemble a pudding than bread. If I had to guess, I’d say it’ll be too dense to do as gluten-free.

      Reply

      1. Again, thanks for this insight Jeff. It seems I need a better understanding about how steam plays its part in bread making.
        I do find it interesting that so many people are afraid of using a stove top pressure cooker, but the new electric ‘instant pots’ are much the rave these days. Same principles and probably equipment too, just different power source. (I have 5 of the originals of varying sizes collected from thrift store and garage sales 😉

  13. Reading your Equipment tab I see that a Kitchen Aide stand mixer is generally used. I am wondering if anyone has made use of a bread machine to do the mixing? I do have an old (circa 1950s!) Hamilton Beach stand mixer that works continues to work like a charm – but no dough hooks in all the accessories that I have. (no joy with finding on ebay or Hamilton Beach parts)

    Reply

    1. We haven’t, but it’d probably work. But– you’ll probably have to halve, or even quarter our recipes, which make a lot of dough. And my guess is that it won’t work well to bake in those–too much moisture in our stuff to dissipate.

      Reply

      1. Thanks Jeff for your insights. I would for sure expect to give mixing by use of bread machine a go with a smaller batch of mix. I never bake using the bread machine anyway – don’t like the shape of the loaf or how the bread turns out. Transferring to a bread pan or baking stone might be a bit challenging, but seeing as to how one shapes the loaf to be baked, handling dough is more a matter of practice I’m sure.
        Very much looking forward to actually making my own delicious GF bread!!

      3. Quick feedback – I did make a 1/2 batch of dough with my bread machine (normal setting – 6 mins. – 5 mins. slow mix + 1 min. through mix)and it turned out well.

        Some alternatives that I used and worked fine for me – plastic ‘cutting’ sheets instead of parchment paper flexible to move with + assistance with spatula for transferring onto hot baking surface. Instead of pizza stone I had a cast iron griddle that I quickly preheated on stove top and fit under a very large stainless steel bowl to capture/redirect steam during initial baking. I removed the SS bowl about 1/2 way thru baking time.

        I also added 1/2 crushed vitamin C tablet to water as our area (west of Rockies) has more alkaline water and the light acid addition helps yeast raising.

        (I took pictures of above alternatives equipment but don’t know if those would be of interest to share here)

  14. Please help!! After enjoying all of your traditional heathy bread in 5 recipes I recently found out that I have allergies to yeast and gluten 🙁 I am so sad and want to continue making the bread somehow do you have any ideas for making a gluten free yeast free bread? I know the results may not be as great but I’m desperate for ideas as my family is really go to miss having fresh bread around! I should also note that I have allergies to milk & eggs, but this hasn’t posed a problem with your recipes as I have been able to successfully make substitutions on those with good results. Any help or advice on this would be greatly appreciated! Your books are wonderful and have changed our life by making fresh bread a part of it!

    Reply

    1. It’s the yeast-free that doesn’t work in our recipes, so no, I’m afraid we don’t. All the recipes in our gluten-free book (https://amzn.to/1msOBmY) have yeast. You could try adapting natural yeast (from the air, from the flour), as we do in the last chapter of our whole wheat book (https://amzn.to/1NdVkgj)–natural sourdough (aka “levain”). But be aware–we haven’t tested that with the denser gluten-free breads.

      Reply

  15. My husband has recently been tested for food intolerance and this has completely changed the way I have to cook. He is gluten, dairy, egg (can have duck egg) and yeast (both bakers and brewers yeast) sensitive. I have started a sourdough natural yeast. I would like to know if I can use the sourdough in place of the yeast in your recipes and if I should make adjustments in the flour and liquid. I have used some of the flour blends like Measure to Measure KAF in some of my tried and true recipes without yeast and it has worked very well. I really want to make breads it is what we miss the most. Thank you in advance for any help you give me.

    Reply

    1. Hi Rebecca,

      We have never made our GF breads with a sourdough starter, but many of our readers have with success. Perhaps one of them will weigh in with their experience. We have not had great success with substituting most commercial GF flour blends in our bread recipes, they just don’t have a great texture. But, I have never tried the one you mentioned, so it may be worth a try. I just suggest with all of this you start with a small batch until you land on the results you like.

      Cheers, Zoë

      Reply

      1. Hi folks. I know there were some questions on how to bake a sourdough loaf. I can tell you, it is amazing. I would post photos if able to. I mixed up a typical peasant loaf from the fantastic cookbook ‘Gluten Free Artisan Break in 5 Minutes a Day’. I omitted the yeast. While mixing, I added around 1/2 to 3/4 cup gluten free sourdough starter. I initially let the dough rest 2.5-3 hours instead of the prescriptive 2 hours. All else followed the peasant loaf recipe. The bread turned out beautiful, and also utterly delicious. The crumb was actually a bit nicer than with store-bought yeast and the flavor is quite similar to what I remember from my sourdough gluten-full flour days. Give it a try if you’re curious!

  16. Wanted to leave feedback about an alternative baking step that worked very well for me. I made the Olive bread dough – using 1 egg white – and after resting wanted to make a pizza from it. No way was I going to ‘lift and slide’ a huge thinner disc of dough onto a 16″ pizza stone! So I instead slightly oiled the pizza stone and shaped the pizza dough right onto the (cold) pizza stone, I had a small cup with water in it to dip a wide bladed silicon spatula into which helped me to smooth and shape the disc of dough. When I had the dough shaped to my liking I put the pizza stone right over a (gas) burner on my stove top and turned the burner to medium-highish flame. Within a few mins. the stone was hot and I slipped the stone into a heated oven for 10 mins. of ‘pre’ baking. I then topped the pizza with our preferences and baked another 15 mins.

    This method resulted in a wonderfully baked crust BOTTOM as well as delightful bread like crust. Every other GF pizza recipe I’ve tried produced a more cake like texture crust. Wonderful to have a pizza that my husband and I both enjoyed.

    Reply

    1. Wow, wouldn’t have guessed this–might have guessed that direct flame would crack the stone (though some stones specifically say that you can do this…). Iron and steel “stones” would be great candidates for this approach.

      But I never argue with success!

      Reply

      1. I have a cast iron griddle that I am going to try this same method on for forming bread right onto instead of having to transfer over to.

        I had read that some stones are prone to cracking, but mine 16″ is an older one so maybe better material? Will look into flat cast iron pieces that are larger than my 10″ round griddle is.

      2. We found that this thicker stones are less prone to cracking. Cast iron or steel Stones don’t crack.

      3. Further feedback RE cast iron pizza ‘stone’ – I purchased a 14″ cast iron pizza pan (Amazon) and its turned out to be what works fabulously for making GF pizzas! I can place it on my (gas) stove top and ‘pre-heat’ the pan while also browning the bottom of the crust. I then bake it for about 10 mins. – without toppings – so that the crust doesn’t have to bake thru the toppings to finish cooking. After adding toppings of choice, its another 15 mins. until done.

  17. I LOVE THIS BOOK!! Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day FINALLY met my wish I wasn’t sure would ever come true….to be able to easily make flaw-free gluten free bread easily. Thank you!!!!!!!

    And I have a question….I’ve made the Almond Brioche (to die for!!), 100% Whole Grain Seed bread (my mom loves it!!!), the Master Recipe, Cheese bread, and Pizza dough (yum). So far, I’ve noticed that day-old of the breads, brioche, etc are dried out and hard. I’m ok if the reality is that GF bread doesn’t keep well as day-old, but I’m wondering if there’s a way to store it that keeps it moist and soft?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Cristi,

      I’m so thrilled you are enjoying the GF bread you are baking! What you describe really is an issue with all GF breads. The best way to store the bread is to freeze it as soon as it cools completely and just take out and toast what you want to eat. If you slice it before freezing, you can just take out a piece and leave the rest frozen.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

      1. Thank you Zoe, you are a gift us all!! (PS – still obsessed with making all the bread from your book – tonight, 9:30pm, I’m baking the Master Recipe, with the egg variation with herb variation. Tomorrow, I’m going to my friend’s house to show her how to make the Almond Brioche (yup!, obsessed, LOL!!!)
        Thank you!!

      3. Oh, also, for the Brioche, if we freeze it (after baking it) in slices…..what is the best way to reheat it? Or, do you advise just eating it same day if freezing/reheating doesn’t really work?

  18. I made my first boules from your Gluten-free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and the loaves were inedible, very dense and doughy, probably from undermixing. I want to use the remainder of the Mixture #1: Gluten-free All Purpose Flour (p.60) to try making the Master Recipe: Boule again. The math doesn’t seem to add up, though. The total volume of dry ingredients from Mixture #1 comes to 12 1/2 cups and I used 6 1/2 cups of it to make the Master Recipe Boule as stated in the recipe on p. 64. So, I now only have 6 cups left of the Mixture #1, which is 1/2 cup short of what I need (12 1/2 minus 6 1/2 = 6). Given your precision regarding weights/ingredients/measurements, i don’t want to just add some random half cup of any flour to the Mixture #1. What am I not understanding?

    Reply

    1. Hi Susan,

      Did you see this post on the GF master recipe, it may help you get a better result: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2014/11/03/master-recipe-from-gluten-free-abin5/

      The mix is meant to be used in any kind of bread, so it won’t always come out to an even amount, some of the loaves require much less and some more. You can just make a smaller batch of dough if you are trying to make the Master recipe again. Maybe a 1/2 batch would do well, until you figure out what the issue is the the results. Let me know if that post helps?

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  19. This question is regarding gluten free breads. I have a Wolf convection-steam oven with a built in bread baking mode. I have tried using it to bake the boule but the results are inconsistent. Do you have suggestions on using this type of oven for baking any of the gluten free breads.

    Reply

    1. We haven’t tried this; don’t have one. My suggestion would be to turn off the convection, but use their steam feature only. I don’t know what their bread-baking mode entails but you could try turning that off too. Then–you’d be re-creating our regular oven effect. The only thing to try after that would be to turn off their steam feature and create the steam the way we show in our books.

      Reply

  20. Because it is more difficult to gently move and shape loaves AND my results were OK, but didn’t provide sandwich type slices, I set about altering this method a bit.

    Immediately after mixing the dough I put it into mini-loaf pans (mine are – at top – 3 1/4″ w X 6″ long X 2 1/4″ tall). I fill these pans about 1/2 -> 2/3 full and let the dough rise until near the top. I then freeze these, pans and all. When they are froze I wrap them in plastic until I am ready to bake a mini-loaf. I take one of the frozen out of the freezer and put it into my refrigerator over night, setting it out (under a glass bowl) to proof for baking.

    After baking and removing the loaf from the pan, when cool I slice the loaf length wise to make 4 – 2 1/2″ X 5″ slices. These I separate with wax paper strips, place in a large sandwich baggie and freeze until I want to use them. Because I am the only one who is eating GF bread, and I’m not a frequent sandwich eater, this method provides me with bread I enjoy when I want it. Yes its not as artisitic and perhaps not as immediately tasty as what this method produces otherwise, but I am find this a lot easier and manageable for me.

    Additionally, reading about how one is about to use a ‘slow cooker’ for baking, I gave a try with one of my mini- loaves in my solar cooker! The cooker reaches about 250 degrees on a sunny day and using a cast iron dutch oven that I do have the loaf baked nice and golden brown in about 3 hours. Just thought you would get a smile to read that 🙂

    Reply

    1. Smile indeed, I’d have never guessed that the solar cooker would have worked. So glad it did.

      About your freezing method–also glad that this is working for you–thanks for the ideas…

      Reply

    1. Hi Antoinette,

      Hi. What an amazing gift. As the name suggests, this flour is best for cakes and pastry, because it has a low protein content, so it doesn’t provide enough strength and structure to trap the gas of the yeast for a loaf of bread.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  22. I am so excited to start working with your recipes! Both my husband and 11 year old son have recently been diagnosed with celiac. Before I start baking I have a question. We have a wall oven that has a steam bake feature with a little reservoir to fill with water. I’m hoping this will work for the steam element in the baking process. What are your thoughts?

    Reply

    1. Hi Leah,

      I would imagine the steam feature will work wonderfully, but it may take some experimenting. You only want steam for the first 10 minutes of baking, then the oven needs to be dry.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  23. I recently made a batch of #1 GF mix using Expandex, a modified tapioca flour. The resulting loaves did seem to raise a bit better and the texture was even more chewy than last ‘regular’ batch. If anyone wants to know more about this product, simply Google the name. I managed to contact a supplier and ended up with a 50# bag so I have plenty. But I have seen it for sale in smaller amount online too.

    Reply

  24. I am getting warmed up to making doughnuts but am not sure if I want to use as much honey as the recipe calls for. Can I substitute sugar for the honey or even part honey and part sugar? (what amounts sugar all/half?)
    I am going to make maple bars which are one of the gluten treats that I have been missing so much. I read in one of the older questions here how the Brioche dough only rises ONE time, so if I make the Brioche dough ‘fresh’ do I let it rest/rise (how long) before scoring it into bar shapes that are then deep fried? Or is it better to make the dough and freeze it before using as the instructions suggest?

    Reply

    1. Hi Katcha,

      You can replace some of the honey with sugar, but depending on how much you want to replace, you may need to add just a little bit of extra water so the dough is not too dry. Not much though.

      If you are going to roll out the dough and then fry it, you will want to let it rise, then refrigerate to make the dough stiff enough to work with, then you can roll it and fry it.

      Enjoy! Zoë

      Reply

    2. Another question regarding the doughnut (Brioche) dough – is unsalted butter a necessity or can one simply decrease the salt in the Brioche recipe?

      Reply

  25. I am working on the GF challah recipe from Gluten Free Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Several questions:
    1. My results have been inconsistent as the “dough” is very hard to braid.
    Can your recipe be used in a challah mold? I bought one on Amazon but haven’t used it yet.
    2. I have tried letting the dough rise on the counter and I have tried letting it rise in the proofing function of my oven. It seems to get too “light.” Is it a bad idea to use the warm “proofing mode” for GF breads?

    Reply

    1. Sure, the “mold” should work, though you’re going to have to experiment with the baking time.

      We tested all of these recipes by proofing at room temperature, so I’m not sure how to advise you about the oven proofing function. But I can’t see why that would make a difference to the final color of the crust. Do an experiment, trying it at room temperature, see what you think.

      Reply

  26. Due to high levels of arsenic in my body my doctor removed riced from my diet. I am looking for a good substitute to rice flour on your gluten free bread recipes Can you please point me in the right direction?

    Reply

    1. Unfortunately, we we’re not successful in finding a substitute for rice flour. If your experiments show something different, please let us know.

      Reply

  27. Hi. Could you ease assist me by I forming me with of you recipes for Brio, Baguette or Challah are correct in the Gluten Free Bread, Healthy Bread, or the new artisan bread books. Where do you get the GF All Purpose flour Blend and Whole Grain GF Blend GF Bread in Five Minutes a day or any other book.

    Reply

    1. Hi Charles,

      If you are only interested in GF breads, then I would get the Gluten-free Bread book, since it is dedicated to that style baking. You’ll find the flour blends in that book.

      Enjoy, Zoë

      Reply

    1. Hi Gail,

      Yes, you need to bake it about 90% of the way, then cool completely, before wrapping and freezing. Depending on the thickness of the loaf, you may need to let it thaw slightly before baking, but a baguette can go into the oven frozen. Bake until it turns caramel brown.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

    1. Hi Debra,

      Which book are you working from. Some of the books have recipes for Spelt, that behaves very similarly. You may just need to reduce the water slightly.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  30. I like the texture that psyllium fiber creates in my GF bread. I notice that in your book, GF Artisnal Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, you have a note that says if you use psyllium fiber instead of xanthan gum, to only store your dough 5 days….

    Since your Flour mix #2 s for psyllium fiber, does this mean any fresh dough made with Flour mix #2 (or mix #1 with psyllium fiber) must be used up within 5 days? If so, can it be frozen?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. I’m confused– on page 62, the table with ingredients calls for xanthan gum OR ground psyllium husk. You can use either (though there’s a quantity adjustment). If you use the psyllium, then yes, 5-days max. Usual freezing instructions apply (see page 57).

      Reply

    3. I use ground chia seeds mixed with water at the ratio of 1 tbsp ground chia to 3 tbsp water, let sit for 5 minutes. This is equivalent to 1 egg. I like the results much more than using ground flax. I use it in all my GF baking, bread included, and it works very well. Certainly not as light as when using real eggs, but that is to be expected!

      Reply

  32. To be clear, I buy what’s labeled as ‘ground flax’ but then i grind it further in a blade grinder. I’ve read that some people mix the flax and water together to make the “eggs”, but when i make the bread i just add the ground flax to the dry ingredients and additional water to the wet ingredients and then mix everything together (adding more water if necessary to get the dough to the right consistency). My girlfriend enjoys your homemade gluten free bread so much more than store-bought, that i don’t think she minds if it’s a little dense.

    Reply

  33. I plan on making the GF naan from the book. If I freeze them after making them, how do I reheat the naan? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jeff,

      You can fry them in a bit of ghee or bake them. I’ve never frozen the naan, so not sure which will be more successful.

      Enjoy! Zoë

      Reply

  34. I want to make the Sunflower Seed Breakfast Loaf on page 253 of the Gluten Free Artisan Bread book. Is the recipe accurate? It states to mix 2 cups of the baking mix with 4 cups of cornstarch, along with the rest of the ingredients. That seems like A LOT of cornstarch to very little flour.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Margaret,

      Yes, that is the right amounts. It produces a lighter crumb even with the weight of the seeds. You can also add some seeds to the whole grain breads, but you’ll want to use less or it will get very heavy.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  35. I got the Gluten free Artisan Bread in 5 minutes book for Christmas. I have all of the different flours for gluten free baking, but I also have a few All Purpose gluten free flours. Would this work in the master recipe as well, or is there a reason we should mix our own flour? Just looking for tips or comments if this is possible.
    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jenny,

      I didn’t have much luck with premixed GF all-purpose flours when I was testing for the book. Having said that, it was a few years ago and there are so many more to choose from. I’ve had the best luck with Better Batter. Namaste didn’t work well for bread.

      If you try the ones you have, do a small batch to make sure you like the results.

      Enjoy! Zoë

      Reply

    1. Well… We have a number of GF brioche recipes. Which of our books are you working from? What page number and recipe name?

      Reply

  37. Hi there I’m so excited to try making good GF bread. So I’ve mixed my dough. It’s quite stiff so I added 1/2 c more water. I used full eggs with water. It still isn’t not sticky but it’s smooth … I put it in the oven to rise and it’s doing quite nicely. Should I add a wee bit more water over it when I put it in the fridge???? Or when I shape it to bake? I’m sure it’s a bit too dry. I used all bobs red milk but wondering if the eggs thru it off? I’m not sure how tender the dough is after it has started rising.

    Thanks

    Reply

      1. Hi there.. I’m using the GF book. I just made another batch. i added a bit more water. Can I just keep adding water to make the dough stickier? The flours are super thirsty. I’m using all Bob’s Red Mill. Second batch is rising 🙂

      3. Well, not in our testing… what’s written there is the hydration level that we found to be correct. May be too dense if you over-hydrate. All of this assumes you’re weighing the flour– volume measurement can be inaccurate.

      4. Ok thanks. I’ll weigh then. I’ve been measuring. Need to buy a scale anyway. I’ll do take 3!!! So excited.

    1. Sure can, instructions for that is in our books after 2008, or here on the website–go to the Search Bar. The glazed clay pot works, or, for that matter, any lidded baking vessel.

      Reply

  39. Another question from a UK reader who got your book for Christmas. When you talk about convection oven, is that equivalent to our fan-ovens?

    Reply

  40. My daughter is both gluten and lactose intolerant.
    I just bought your Gluten-free Artisan Bread book and saw that challah has butter. I have notice that if I use lactose-free butter the consistency is different from just plain butter.
    Can I use lactose-free butter in your recipes and have success?
    Thanks,

    Reply

  41. Like many others, I’m so happy to have found your books. I started the Auto-Immune Protocol in January 2016 and was off ALL grains until summer 2019. What a joy to have breads and rolls back. My questions involve the Gluten-Free Artisan Bread, etc. book, page 172, the Pizza and Flatbread Dough recipe. It starts with Master Recipe #1 (p60) and then adds some stuff. Two things are duplicated, the potato starch and the psyllium husk (AIP doesn’t allow xanthan gum). Am I really to add more of them for the pizza master mix? And question 2: On page 172, you suggest putting in twice as much psyllium husk as xanthan gum. Should the same doubling apply to the Master Recipe #1 on page 60? —Thanks for being here.

    Reply

    1. Hi Cecilia,

      I am so thrilled you are enjoying the breads! The Pizza and flatbread recipe has additional flours, so it requires more psyllium. The recipe is correct as written, we just found it behaved better with the additional binder.

      No need to change the recipe on page 60.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  42. Can I put dough directly into loaf pan after mixing then baking after the 2 hour rest? I’ve had great success with the the free form 1# loaves, but my attempts of larger 2# in loaf pans haven’t risen as well as I ‘d like.

    Reply

    1. Hi Janet,

      You can put the dough into the pan right after mixing and bake directly after it rises. This sometimes works better for larger loaves.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  43. Hi.
    Can the gluten free master recipe be used as cup (gluten free) for cup (gluten) in waffle, pancakes, etc.?

    If it can’t, I would love for your version. I have two of your books and love them.

    Reply

    1. Hi Angela,

      I am afraid I don’t understand your question? Do you want to replace gluten-free flour for wheat flour? Please give me more details about what you are looking for?

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  44. I made the Master recipe with eggs, but it still seems heavy and dense. Why can’t I just double the yeast for a lighter dough?

    Reply

    1. We have many GF “Master” recipes; which of our books are you working from–which recipe and what page number?

      Reply

  45. I’ve just started working my way through your GF Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book. I’ve made GF bread for 8 years but liked the idea of your recipes. After making my first batch of Master Recipe #1, I let it rise on the counter, then put in the fridge with lid cracked open for 2 days, then shut. When I pulled it out to make a loaf on the third day, there was condensation inside the container which has made the remaining dough wet on the surface. Any idea why this would happen? Since this is my first batch I don’t know if it affected my results, though the loaves are small and dense, but tasty!
    Thanks!

    Reply

  46. You say water and whole eggs or egg whites for basic mix. How much eggs whites by volume because have egg white in carton

    Reply

  47. I was looking at the GF recipes in The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and I noticed the GF Whole Grain Seeded Bread recipe uses 2 tablespoons of yeast for 5.5 cups of flour while the Master Recipe: Boule in GF Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day only uses 1 tablespoon of yeast for 6.5 cups flour. I substituted Brown Rice flour in this Master Recipe and the loaves are quite dense. Would it hurt to increase the yeast to 2 tbsp to see if I can get some more lift in this boule recipe? I know less yeast = more flavor but they are so dense!
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. It might help, but anytime you increase whole grains (especially with GF), you get a denser loaf. Can’t hurt to try it once though. You may find this dough you’ve created would be better as flatbread, since tall loaves weigh down the crumb and accentuate this problem.

      Reply

      1. Thanks Jeff. I’ll let you know how it turns out. The bread is fine if toasted as it still has spots of gummy, but the flavour is fabulous. I have been using a cast iron dutch oven to bake the round loaves in and so haven’t tried making a baguette, which would probably be better too. Thanks!

      3. So I tried using 2 TBSP of Red Star yeast (previously had used 1 tbsp instant yeast) and the bread was definitely less dense – still a very fine crumb, but we ate it un-toasted about 2.5 hours after baking and it was not gummy! One curious thing happened tho – I left the newly mixed dough out for 2 hours as directed, and it had risen more in the covered bin than it did with the 1 tbsp. But by day 2 in the fridge the risen dough had “fallen” a fair bit. It did still rise a bit during baking but why did this happen? If I am using 2 tbsp yeast should I reduce the time on the counter for the first rising?
        Thanks Jeff!

      4. This actually goes along with my expectation. Using a lot of yeast can cause over-rising, and then falling. One way to address it (assuming you prefer the result this way) would be exactly as you suggest–reduce the time on the counter before refrigeration.

  48. Just made my 1st loaf in a loaf pan. It is tasty and look forward to making more breads. I used #1 recipe and added egg whites to the water. I found that a large egg is about 1.25tbls yoke and about 2 tbls whites. I have a carton of eggs whites so should I use 2 or 3 tbls of whites per egg?

    Reply

  49. Hi! Been working from your book to bake a GF boule. Three times the boule has come out very hard on the outside and raw in the middle. I’m working the master recipe as written w/o eggs. My chocolate-chocolate chip muffins came out beautifully.

    I watched a video on you tube of Zoë making a boule and she added oil, but the master recipe does not use oil. Where can I find this recipe in the book or online. Will also try with eggs. Do I need more water?

    Thanks,
    Roin

    Reply

      1. Thanks for your response! I have a standing temp in the oven. My oven runs about 20* lower then marked so I accommodate and bump it up. I’m also in Spokane, WA (west of the rockies so maybe need to accommodate for that?

      2. Spokane, at about 1,800 feet, isn’t high enough to account for problems related to the rising, so I’m a bit stumped.

      3. Reading through that recipe and also looking at the pictures, I’m noticing my second rise doesn’t do much (certainly not as much as the photo shows). However big the dough ball is, shaped, is the size it comes out of the oven. It barely rises in the oven as well. But the first rising after making the dough, I usually get a little growth. I’m not using quick rise yeast, red star active. Will increase the resting time to 90 minutes + try that out 🙂

      4. Give it a try. Assume you’re using one of the binders we recommend, not swapping flour brands, etc.?

    1. We haven’t tested our GF recipes with our sourdough (no commercial yeast) method… could be worth a try, type “sourdough” into our Search Bar above.

      Reply

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