Five ingredients, one bowl, and a Dutch oven — that is the whole project. A small amount of yeast and a long, slow rise build the flavor, and the hot covered pot gives you the crackly crust gluten-free bread usually skips. This version rebuilds the loaf on a plain gluten-free flour blend with psyllium husk as the binder instead of xanthan gum: whisk the psyllium into the bloomed yeast water, let it gel, and it holds the wet dough the way gluten would.
In the Test Kitchen: this psyllium version is converted but not yet test-baked. Psyllium keeps drinking water the whole time it sits, which matters more in a five-hour rise than in any quick dough — the trial checklist in the notes is the honest part of this recipe until we bake it.
Easy Gluten-Free Bread (Psyllium Husk Version)
Five ingredients, one bowl, and a Dutch oven — that is the whole project. A small amount of yeast and a long, slow rise build the flavor, and the hot covered pot gives you the crackly crust gluten-free bread usually skips. This version rebuilds the loaf on a plain gluten-free flour blend with psyllium husk as the binder instead of xanthan gum: whisk the psyllium into the bloomed yeast water, let it gel, and it holds the wet dough the way gluten would.
In the Test Kitchen: this psyllium version is converted but not yet test-baked. Psyllium keeps drinking water the whole time it sits, which matters more in a five-hour rise than in any quick dough — the trial checklist in the notes is the honest part of this recipe until we bake it.
Activate the Yeast
- 1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon warm water 430 ml, about 105°F (40°C)
- 1 teaspoon sugar 4 g
- 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast 2 g
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder 12 g
Dry Ingredients
- 420 g gluten-free flour blend plain blend WITHOUT xanthan gum, about 3 cups
- 1 teaspoon fine salt 5 g
- Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm water and let it stand 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Whisk the psyllium husk powder into the bloomed yeast water and let it stand 2 to 3 minutes, until it gels to a thick, pourable paste.
- Whisk the flour blend and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the psyllium gel and stir with a sturdy spoon or spatula until a wet, shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains. If the dough looks stiff or dry instead of soft and shaggy, stir in more water 1 tablespoon at a time — psyllium drinks a lot.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 5 hours, until roughly doubled, domed, and bubbling at the edges. The small amount of yeast is deliberate — it is what the long rise is built on, so do not double it.
- About 30 minutes before the rise ends, set a Dutch oven with its lid on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C).
- Tip the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. With wet hands, shape it into a rough round. Lift the parchment with the dough on it and lower it into the hot Dutch oven.
- Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 15 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden and the loaf reaches 205 to 210°F (96 to 99°C) inside.
- Move the loaf to a rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour, before slicing. Psyllium bread sliced warm gums up inside even faster than most gluten-free loaves.
This version is converted but not yet test-baked. Trial-run checklist for the first bake: (1) Water — 430 ml is the starting estimate; the mixed dough should be soft and shaggy, not stiff, so add water 1 tablespoon at a time if it looks dry, and note how much the loaf actually took. (2) The rise — check the dough at 3 hours, not just 5: psyllium keeps hydrating as it sits, and a dough that tightens up early may not want the full rise. (3) The crumb — slice only when fully cool and check for gumminess; a gummy center means the loaf needs the covered bake extended by 5 to 10 minutes next time.
Powder versus whole husks: this recipe is written for psyllium husk POWDER. Whole husks are weaker; if that is what you have, use 1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons (about 10 g) and expect a slightly looser dough.
The flour blend matters: use a plain blend with NO xanthan gum already in it, since psyllium is the binder here.
A 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven fits this loaf. Cast iron holds the heat best.
Storage: wrap and keep at room temperature up to 2 days. Refresh slices in the toaster.
Powder versus whole husks: this recipe is written for psyllium husk POWDER. Whole husks are weaker; if that is what you have, use 1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons (about 10 g) and expect a slightly looser dough.
The flour blend matters: use a plain blend with NO xanthan gum already in it, since psyllium is the binder here.
A 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven fits this loaf. Cast iron holds the heat best.
Storage: wrap and keep at room temperature up to 2 days. Refresh slices in the toaster.
