Gluten Free + Vegan Dark Rye Sandwich Bread!

For a very long time I completely avoided the idea of trying to create a rye bread or pumpernickel. I thought with confidence that there was no way the flavor of the flour could be mimicked in a gluten free way.

I was completely wrong. Turns out with the use of caraway seeds, cocoa powder and molasses magic can happen. The flavor is SPOT ON!

I did it first making marble rye bagels for the club- finally I got around to creating a beautiful big loaf of dark rye sandwich bread! . Ive been on a roll nailing down lots of gluten free + egg free+ dairy free + vegan bread recipes & I’m just thrilled with this one. Its so soft and fluffy and stays that way for days at room temperature. You could use it to make a killer good gluten free reuben sandwich.

Very soon here I will be working on a pumpernickel marble rye sandwich bread as well!

For this recipe you will need to use this special gluten free bread pan!!

Its a miraculous invention that I couldn’t live without. Gluten free bread needs more support to give it structure and height. This pan allows for that to happen & sets your bread up for success. I have been able to achieve full sized (or bigger) loaves of bread many times over as a result.

If you use a normal pan- your bread will not rise nearly as high and as a result could end up quite dense and gummy. Getting the proper rise makes a HUGE difference.

You can order the gluten free bread pan here.

Psyllium is a really unique ingredient that has properties to it that I have not found in any other ingredients besides gluten itself. So I don’t think (at this time) anyways that I can recommend a way to substitute it successfully.

Ingredients (Some of these are affiliate links that earn me a few cents if you shop using them! :)

Better Batter Gluten Free Orginal Blend

This flour blend continues to amaze me. It can do so many things better than most other blends that I have tried. As a result its extremely popular. Around the holidays it tends to sell out everywhere. Usually its available on Amazon and at Walmart. Lately I have been ordering it from the Better Batter website directly. When they sell out- they tend to restock pretty quickly. Check back within a day or two if they are sold out when you look. I buy it in bulk now (Up to 40 lbs at a time) as I cant risk running out. I use it in too many recipes that we love.

What if you cant get your hands on it? This may be the case if you live outside the US. My friend Nichole from Gluten Free on a Shoestring has figured out a mock recipe for better batter. Her version should work great in this recipe! The owner (Naomi) of better batter has confirmed that the mix is similar to the official version.

Better Batter so kindly offered me a 30% off promo code to share with all of you! This can be used as often as you would like for every single purchase made directly on BetterBatter.com Use the code: BakingAngell30

Expandex

This bread is truly only possible because of the magic of expandex. It is a modified form of tapioca starch that was formulated to improve gluten free baking. The word Modified tends to worry people- so let me explain further. Essentially they studied tapioca and removed portions of it leaving only the parts that would allow for it to cause amazing elasticity (aka its name) in gluten free recipes. This flour allows me to get an incredible rise with everything I use it in. It traps the air bubbles in the dough just like regular flour with gluten does! Its honestly incredible. If you eat any processed or store bought foods you have eaten many forms of modified starch. Its nothing new- its just semi new to the home baker. Its non gmo and I typically get it from the brand Judee’s on amazon. Under no conditions can you sub it out for another regular starch.

Outside of the US there is a product called Ultratex 3 I have not worked with it but from what I understand its comparable! I would use that in the exact same quantity as the expandex amount that I call for.

Yeast: I recently learned about a special yeast made for sweet breads. Breads with sugar that are higher in fat have a harder time rising and typically take much longer to do so. Which means that this yeast has some extra oomph to it. Which gives me confidence that it could really benefit gluten free bread recipes. https://amzn.to/3AQPMsZ

If you don’t want to go to the trouble of getting that specific bag- any brand will do. Just make sure that its fast acting or listed as instant.

Sugar- REAL Sugar is important. Its what feeds the yeast and makes this bread possible. I do not recommend swapping in a liquid sweetener as that could throw off the recipe. Please don’t use any keto sugars or even coconut palm sugar. It may not work as well.

I took this photo to show you the size difference in comparison to a piece of Trader Joe’s gluten free bread!

Gluten Free + Vegan Dark Rye Bread

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Yield: 1 Large Loaf

Author: Brittany Angell

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 70 MinInactive time: 70 MinTotal time: 2 H & 40 M

This bread turns out absolutely beautiful & you wont believe how closely resembles a rye flavor without an ounce of gluten! The loaf is quite large- the slices are at least double the size as store bought gluten free bread. The texture is soft & best of all it'll stay soft at room temperature for days!

Ingredients

• 460 grams warm water
• 4 grams Psyllium Husk Powder (1 1/4 tsp)
• 35 grams Organic Cane Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Instant/Quick Rise Yeast
• 56 grams mild flavored oil
• 405 grams Better Batter Original Blend
• 66 grams Expandex (Modified Tapioca Starch)
• 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (12 grams)
• 2 Tbsp Molasses (40 grams)
• 2 Tsp Xanthan Gum
• 2 Tsp Caraway Seeds
• 2 1/4 Tsp Salt
• Oats or seeds to sprinkle on top

Instructions

1. Place a rack in your oven on the 2nd to bottom section. Remove any above as the bread will need ample room to rise.
2. Turn your oven on to 300 degrees to warm up (to use to proof the dough) while prepping the dough.
3. Place the bowl of a stand mixer onto the baking scale. Add the water and psyllium and whisk together. Whisk in the sugar & yeast. Then add in the remaining ingredients. NOTE: If you haven't used your yeast in awhile and want to make sure that its alive you can allow the water, psyllium, sugar and yeast mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes. If it begins to bubble & froth you know your yeast is active.
4. Once all the ingredients are accurately measured and in the bowl use the paddle attachment to start mixing on low. Gradually increase the speed and then mix on high for 1-2 minutes. Making sure to scrape down the sides once midway through mixing.
5. Add a layer of parchment to the bottom layer of a gluten free bread pan folding it over the sides- then place the top of the pan over it which will keep the parchment bent and in place. This will allow for the top section of the bread pan to not be covered in parchment which is important as we want the dough to stick to the top of the pan to help give it good height. (See the pan linked to in the post). Do not oil the pan!
6. Add the stick dough to the base of the bread pan (lined in parchment) Then wet a spatula heavily and use it to press the dough down evenly into the pan. The dough is extremely sticky -use as much water as you need to prevent sticking. You can also put your hand in water and then use it to evenly press the dough into the pan. Take an extra minute to get this as smooth as possible as any uneven spaces will show up when the dough rises.
7. Place a layer of ceran wrap gently wrapped over top of the pan (I like to leave a little slack so that the dough can lift it up higher than the top of the pan.) Then place a kitchen towel over the gluten free bread pan. Turn off the oven. Open the oven and place the bread on the prepared bottom rack. Set a timer for 10 minutes leaving the oven open a crack during this time. After the 10 minutes close the oven door. Set the timer for 1 hour.
8. After the hour has passed - check your bread. It should have risen almost all the way if not all the way to the top of the pan. The entire loaf may not reach the top, but its important to make sure the center or several sections have. If it has not- place the towel back on and close the oven for another 15 minutes.
9. Once fully risen remove the bread from the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven preheats use a brush dipped in water and liberally brush the top of the bread. You can gently can smooth out any imperfections created by the yeast. Adding this water will help the bread further expand when its baked . Sprinkle oats or seeds on the top if you wish. (I used them as I find they make for a prettier loaf of bread and prevent the top from over browning).
10. When the oven is preheated to 375 stick place the bread in and bake it for 60-70 minutes. When it's done it will be firm to touch.
11. Give the bread 1-2 hours to cool! Cutting into it too soon will deflate it somewhat & the bread may be too gummy.
12. Once cooled store at room temperature for 3-5 days in sealed bag or container. It can also be frozen for another day.

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