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Gluten-Free “Rye” Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 11 reviews
  • Author: Rachel Conners
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Rising Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Jewish
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Although rye bread inherently has gluten, since rye is a gluten-containing grain, we recreate it’s key flavors with this Gluten-Free Rye Bread! This rye-style bread is made with buckwheat flour, caraway seeds, and cocoa powder to mimic the flavors and textures you love – all without the gluten.


Ingredients

Scale

Liquid ingredients

  • 18g psyllium husk
  • 20g date syrup or other sweetener of choice, like maple syrup, cane sugar, or honey
  • 460g hot water

Dry ingredients

  • 460g gluten-free bread flour blend (I like the combination of 100g potato starch, 100g tapioca starch, 120g buckwheat flour, 140g sorghum flour if not using my homemade pre-mixed blend)
  • 30g (3 tablespoons) sunflower seeds
  • 12g sea salt
  • 12g (1 tablespoon) flax seeds
  • 7g (2¼ teaspoonsinstant yeast
  • 7g (1 tablespoon) cacao powder (in the process photos, I used black cocoa, and in the final loaf photos I used regular cacao powder)
  • 7g (1 tablespoon) caraway seeds

Instructions

  1. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together the psyllium husk, date syrup or other sweetener, and water. Whisk together, breaking up the psyllium and making sure it’s fully incoporated, and let it set for a few minutes while you mix up the dry ingredients, until it’s thickened and gel-like.
  2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the flours, salt, seeds, instant yeast, and cacao powder. Whisk to combine.
  3. Add the thickened psyllium gel to your dry ingredients. If using a stand mixer, fit it with the dough hook and let it mix up the dough until combined and smooth, scraping down the sides a few times during the process, and flipping the dough around to make sure it’s fully mixed on the bottom too. You can also do this by hand. If doing it by hand, I like using a dough whisk to get it mostly combined. Then, turn it out onto the countertop and use your hands to knead the rest of the flour in.
  4. Use your hands to knead the dough and shape it into your desired shape. Cover with sesame seeds or other garnish, if desired. Then, place it in the banneton (seam side up) or loaf pan (seam side down) for the final proof.
  5. Cover with a tea towel and let the loaf rise for one hour in a warm place. It should just about double in size, and it will feel light and puffy to the touch when it’s ready. Preheat the oven to 425℉ while it rises with a Dutch oven inside, if using.
  6. Once it’s risen, score the bread (carefully flipping it out of the banneton onto parchment or a silicone bread sling if baking in a Dutch oven). If you’re baking in a loaf pan, you may want to brush the top with oil to get a nice golden crust and help soften it slightly.
  7. Place into your baking vessel if using a Dutch oven. I like using a silicone sling for easy removal. If using a loaf pan, just place right into the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, removing the lid for the last 20 minutes if baking in a Dutch oven. It should be golden brown and crusty.
  8. Remove from the baking pan and set on a cooling rack to cool completely. This is definitely the hardest part, but you really need to let the loaf cool completely so the inside can set. I try to let it cool overnight, but you’ll want to let it cool for at least four to five hours. It should be fully cool to the touch before cutting into your loaf.
  9. Slice and eat. This bread is great raw, toasted, or however else you want to enjoy it!

Storing gluten-free rye bread

  • To store this bread, I recommend keeping it in a bread bag or box for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. It’s best to use it fresh if you plan on eating it untoasted, for things like sandwiches.

  • You can also slice the loaf, and keep it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Place your slices into the toaster to reheat whenever you’re ready to enjoy them!



Notes

Can I bake this bread in a loaf pan?

  • Yes, for sure. I often make this bread in a loaf pan when I know it will be used for sandwiches. This 8.5″ x 4.5″ bread pan is my favorite for baking bread loaves in.
  • To bake your gluten-free rye bread in a loaf pan, follow the same instructions up until you’re placing the dough in the banneton. Instead, shape the dough to a longer oval shape and place the dough seam side down in the metal loaf pan you’ll be baking in. Metal will help conduct the heat more efficiently to help your bread bake through – I don’t recommend using another material.

  • Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise in the pan until puffy, about an hour. When you’re ready to bake, bake for an hour. Check on the loaf and if it’s firm enough, remove it from the pan and bake directly on the oven racks for another 20 minutes or so, until golden all around and hollow-sounding when you knock on the sides or bottom. 

  • Since you’re baking without steam when baking a loaf, the crust will be a bit crustier. To prevent this, you can brush the top with oil before and after baking, and/or wrap the warm loaf in a towel as it cools to help soften the crust with the bread’s own steam.