This recipe for vegan and gluten-free oatmeal bread is a game-changer! It has a super tender, open crumb and rich nutty flavour. Perfect for toasting or eat it fresh, smothered in butter.
Before we go any further, I have something to confess! I don’t always make my own gluten-free bread, in fact, it’s a 50-50 toss-up that I’ll have store-bought vs homemade gluten-free bread in the house. There’s no excuse for this other than a touch of laziness. Once you have a good recipe, gluten-free bread is easier to make than regular bread. So after a few weeks of subsisting on toasted cardboard, I got my act together and made this little gem of a recipe.
I originally intended to make my gluten-free seeded loaf, but I was out of seeds, so I added oats instead. Oats absorb a lot of water, which means this version of that recipe has a higher water content, and I swapped the brown sugar for maple syrup for a riff on honey oat bread.
This recipe for gluten-free oatmeal bread rises beautifully and has a soft, tender texture with a deep nutty flavour similar to that of wholemeal bread.
What do you need to know about this gluten-free oatmeal loaf before you get started?
You’ll need five different gluten-free flours, psyllium husk, ground flaxseed and certified gluten-free oats (see the note about flour) but once you have all your ingredients, this recipe is straightforward.
Start by activating the yeast with water and maple syrup, like you would in any other bread recipe.
Hydrate the psyllium and flaxseed, which act as an excellent replacement for gluten without adding any gums.
And finally, mix the wet ingredients with the dry. Once the dough is thoroughly mixed, it’s ready to rise – no kneading required, which is the best part of gluten-free breading baking!
I’ve included all the additional notes for this gluten-free oatmeal bread recipe at the bottom of the page with the hope of improving your experience here at blue border. If you found this useful, I’d love your support on Instagram, click here to follow.
ingredients
- 675g / 23.8oz lukewarm water, divided
- 12g / 1 Tbsp. quick yeast
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 20g / 4 Tbsp. psyllium husk
- 15g / 3 Tbsp. ground flaxseed or chia seed
- 150g / 5.29oz potato starch
- 75g /2.65oz tapioca starch
- 75g /2.65oz oat flour, gluten-free
- 100g /3.53oz sorghum flour
- 100g /3.53oz buckwheat flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
- 100g /3.53oz rolled oats, gluten-free
To garnish
- 1 Tbsp. non-dairy milk
- 2 Tbsp. rolled oats, gluten-free
process
In a medium bowl, combine half the water with yeast and maple syrup. Mix well and set to one side. After 10 minutes, the yeast should be frothy and bubbly (if the yeast has not bubbled, it may be expired and need replacing).
Use a whisk to combine the psyllium husk and ground flaxseed with the remaining water and mix until it starts to thicken (it will have a consistency similar to jelly). Set to one side.
Into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, sift the potato starch, tapioca starch, oat flour, sorghum flour, buckwheat flour and salt. Add the oats and mix through the flour.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the yeast mixture and the psyllium mixture. Use a wooden spoon (or fit your stand mixer with a dough hook) and mix until well combined, 3mins approx. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
Use wet hands to gather the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with a tea towel. Keep the dough in a warm place for 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Grease and dust a loaf tin with buckwheat flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knock it back (deflate the dough by shaping it into a small ball) and use your hands to gently shape it into a rectangle roughly the length of the loaf tin.
Transfer the dough into your loaf tin (the dough is very delicate at this stage, so if you struggle to pick it up, roll it onto a thin chopping board and use the chopping board to gently transfer it into the loaf tin).
Brush the top of the loaf with non-dairy milk and sprinkle with oats. Cover with a tea towel and keep in a warm place for another 30mins.
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F.
Bake the bread for 1 hour or until the bottom sounds hollow when you knock it. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
Gluten-free bread goes stale fast, I recommend slicing what you don’t plan on eating within 24hrs and freezing it.
NOTES: Gluten-free Oatmeal Bread
Ingredients Notes
Flour
I appreciate that this gluten-free oatmeal bread recipe has a long ingredients list, and tracking down five different flours isn’t ideal. But blending your own flour mix is the key to gluten-free baking success.
For this loaf, I’ve added a high percentage of starchy flours (45%) which gives this oat bread its soft, tender texture. The oat flour adds a slight chew and an extra level of bounce, while the sorghum and buckwheat flour are protein-rich and give the bread the structure it needs to rise.
In the UK I order my flours from Shipton Mill. They have an incredible range of gluten-free flours, and you can get them all in one go.
If you choose to use a pre-mixed flour or a different combination of flours (in which case I can’t guarantee the recipe will work!), you may need to adjust the water content slightly. If your dough feels at all dry after mixing, add 1 – 2 tablespoons of additional water until you achieve a sticky dough (similar to that of a well-hydrated sourdough dough).
Psyllium husk
Psyllium husk is a type of dietary fibre. In gluten-free yeasted doughs, psyllium is used as a binder, and in this recipe, it’s an excellent replacement for gluten, eggs and dairy. I see a lot of recipes insist on psyllium husk powder over the psyllium husks, but I haven’t noticed a massive difference when switching between the two.
Ground flaxseed
In this recipe, ground flaxseed is working with psyllium to replicate gluten. Gluten-free bread doughs can tend to lack stretch and hardly ever double in size. The combination of flax and psyllium gives this bread dough enough structure to double in size.
Oats
Oats are naturally free from gluten but are easily contaminated with gluten during processing. To ensure this loaf is gluten-free make sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Recipe Questions & Troubleshooting
Why didn’t my dough rise?
If your dough didn’t rise your yeast may be expired and need to be replaced, or your dough was too dry after mixing. Gluten-free doughs need a lot of liquid, and if you don’t add enough, the dough will struggle to rise.
Why is the dough so sticky?
This recipe has a high proportion of water which makes a very sticky dough. The flour and oats will absorb the majority of the moisture during proving (rising), and the dough should be much easier to handle once it’s risen.
If you are struggling to shape the dough, dust your hands and the surface generously with buckwheat flour and start over.
Do I have to add the psyllium and flaxseed?
Yes, you won’t get the same rise or texture without them. Most gluten-free dough recipes call for eggs, dairy or whey powder. The combination of psyllium and flax means you can make this dough vegan and allergen friendly.
How do you store this bread?
Gluten-free bread always goes stale fast! As soon as the bread has cooled, I recommend slicing what you don’t plan on eating within 24hrs and freezing it. Store the rest in an airtight container.
