This gluten-free French bread (baguette) is soft inside with a thin crusty exterior – all with just 8 ingredients, with no rising time necessary, for a delicious dairy-free, egg-free, no yeast bread!
I spent Winter filling my house with the warming scent of sweet treats baking in the oven – like this vegan streusel apple pie and double choc chip fudge cookies. However, if you were to ask me what smell could rival that of freshly baking desserts, it would have to be bread! While this gluten-free French bread may not smell exactly the same as its yeast-containing counterparts, it’s still just as satisfying- especially served warm.
After spending weeks perfecting my crusty gluten-free loaf in 2019, I turned my hand towards trying to perfect other favorites of mine. I think you can guess the top of my list- gluten-free baguette! I wanted this vegan bread to be soft inside, rounded in shape, with a thin crusty exterior- mission successful.
While I’ve enjoyed sharing some of my favorite flatbread recipes recently, like this naan and pita bread, when you want something crusty and bread-like, those just won’t cut it. Instead, this gluten-free baguette recipe is for you!
Simple No Yeast Bread
Not only is this a super simple bread recipe (tried and tested countless times to get the texture just right!), but as it’s for bread without yeast, it requires no rising time which means the loaves can be shaped immediately and baked to warm, fragrant perfection in under an hour!
Once in the oven, the bread will rise nicely – but don’t expect it to be 100 % as light and fluffy as a French baguette made with gluten and yeast. The results are certainly good enough for me, though!
Ingredients For Gluten-Free Baguette
This simple bread recipe requires just 8 ingredients (not including the water):
- Flour: I used a combination of white rice flour, oat flour, and tapioca flour (tapioca starch). I’ve tried with several gluten-free flour blends, but this has provided great results.
- Psyllium husk powder: If you have whole psyllium husk, then use a blender or electric coffee/spice grinder for a few seconds into a powder. Please do NOT leave out or sub this ingredient.
- Leavening Agents: Baking powder & Baking soda will provide lift in this gluten-free French bread (without yeast needed).
- Spices: Salt for seasoning, oregano (optional)
- Apple Cider Vinegar: It’s best to use unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. This helps to strengthen the gluten-free dough and provide a springy texture. You can use regular vinegar instead.
- Water
For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.
How To Make Gluten-Free French Bread
I recommend measuring the ingredients on a kitchen scale in grams (use my written measurements) for exact results.
Step 1: Prepare the French baguette dough
- Preheat the oven to 380°F/195 °C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, sifting the baking powder and soda if they’re clumpy.
- Then add the water and vinegar to the bowl. Mix it into a rough dough with a spoon. Then use your hands to knead the dough for a few minutes. The dough will seem too wet, to begin with, but once the psyllium soaks up the water, it will become nice and pliable.
The dough should be slightly sticky, not too dry, but also not too wet. Add a little tapioca flour if it’s too sticky or a little water if it’s too dry. This can depend on how fine your flour is (some brands are finer than others) and your climate (if it’s humid or dry).
Step 2: Shape the dough
- Divide the dough into two equal parts and shape each into a long baguette loaf shape (refer to next photo).
- Place them on a lined baking sheet and brush each loaf with a mixture of water, oil, and baking soda. Make 4-5 elongated angled slits down each one with a knife (this no yeast bread requires no rising time!).
Step 3: Bake it
- Bake the gluten-free French bread loaves in the oven for about 50-60 minutes. Allow them to cool, and then slice and enjoy.
How To Store?
Like traditional French baguettes, this gluten-free baguette is best when eaten within 1-2 days of baking. If you plan to store it for longer, then freezing is the best option.
You can freeze the baguette whole or pre-sliced (so it’s easy to remove precisely how much you need in one go) for up to 3 months, tightly wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap.
If you pre-slice the bread, then place bits of wax paper/parchment paper between each slice, so they don’t stick together as it freezes.
Thaw in the fridge before using or reheat from frozen.
How To Serve
You can enjoy this gluten-free French bread any way that you usually would.
- Serve the vegan bread warm and slathered in dairy-free butter.
- Served alongside soup – like this Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup or Vegan Corn Chowder
- Or even to top the soup – like this Vegan French Onion Soup.
- Mop up stew sauce – like this Easy Veggie Stew or Vegan Hungarian Goulash
- As part of charcuterie board/ cheese platter – with Vegan Cheese.
- To dip into Vegan Cheese Fondue.
- Use it to make baguette sandwiches.
- Use with dips – like Oil-Free Hummus, Vegan French Onion Dip, or Easy Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip.
- Create into pizza slices, topped with a little marinara, Vegan Cheese Sauce, topping/s of your choice, then broiled for a few minutes.
- Serve as an appetizer bruschetta, brushed with a little olive oil and topped with plenty of freshly chopped tomatoes, garlic, and herbs.
Really, the sky is the limit!
FAQs
Why use psyllium husk in this gluten-free bread recipe?
Psyllium husk is combined with water to create a gel-like consistency (similar to flax/chia eggs), acting as a gluten-replacement to create a bread-like dough rather than something sad and crumbly.
It is also key to getting the bread-like chewy consistency we all want in our GF bakes.
Note that different psyllium husk brands react differently, so if you’re new to the ingredient – this may require a little experimentation. Some brands can even turn your baked goods purple! (it’s all-natural, but a bit odd).
How to reheat French bread?
This gluten-free French bread is fairly versatile and can be toasted and broiled (grilled) depending on what you want it for.
If the loaf is starting to get a little harder, however, then sprinkle it with a little water. Then wrap it in foil (it also works without foil) and heat in the oven until warmed and lightly springy when pressed on the top. This will breathe life back into it.
Recipe Notes & Variations
- You could use a stand mixer with a dough hook for the kneading part of this baguette recipe.
- Feel free to change the size of the gluten-free baguettes. Make several smaller ones instead of two larger, etc. Just note that the baking time will vary.
- If you want to create even more of a crusty loaf, it’s good to create a little steam in the oven at the beginning of the baking process. To do this, you could add a few ice-cubes to an oven-safe bowl/plate on the floor of the oven or lightly spritz/brush the loaves with a mixture of water, baking soda, and a little oil right before placing them in the oven (that’s what I did).
- You can purchase special perforated French bread pans, which circulate the air around the entire loaf for even crustier results too. However, it’s definitely not necessary for this recipe.
Other Gluten-Free Bread Recipes
- Gluten-Free Pita Bread
- Gluten-Free Naan (Indian Flatbread)
- Keto Tortillas with Almond Flour
- Simple Gluten-Free Tortillas
- Gluten-Free Buns (Bread Rolls)
- Gluten-Free Vegan Bread
If you give this gluten-free French bread recipe a try, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan – I love seeing them.
Gluten-Free French Bread (Baguette)
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 1 cup (160 g) white rice flour
- 1 1/3 cup (120 g) oat flour (gluten-free if needed)
- 5 tbsp (40 g) tapioca flour
- 3 tbsp (30 g) psyllium husk powder (see notes)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4-1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
Wet ingredients:
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cup (350 ml) water
Instructions
- Watch the video in the post for easy visual instructions.I recommend measuring the ingredients on a kitchen scale in grams (use my written measurements) for exact results. Preheat the oven to 380 °F (ca. 195 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir with a spoon. You can sift in the baking powder and baking soda, if it's clumpy.
- Add the water and vinegar to the bowl and mix all ingredients with a spoon first, then use your hands to knead the dough for a few minutes (or use a stand mixer with a dough hook). It will appear too wet at first, but once the psyllium soaks up all the water, the dough will be pliable and nice.The dough should be slightly sticky, not too dry, but also not too wet. Add a little tapioca flour if it's too sticky, or a little water, if it's too dry. This depends on how fine your flour is (some brands are finer than others) and also on your climate (if it's humid or dry).
- Divide the dough into two equal parts, and shape each one into a long loaf (see step-by-step photos in the blog post).
- Place them on the lined baking sheet and brush them with a mixture of 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp oil, and 2 tsp water. Then make 4-5 elongated angled slits down each one with a knife
- Bake for about 50-60 minutes. Let the baguettes cool slightly then slice and enjoy. The bread can be frozen!
Notes
- Psyllium husk powder: If you have whole psyllium husk, you can blend it in your blender (or electric coffee/spice grinder) for a few seconds until it's powdery. Please do NOT leave out or sub this ingredient.
- The bread will rise in the oven, however, please don't expect it to be as light and fluffy as a French baguette made with regular flour and yeast.
- Check the serving suggestions and step-by-step-photos in the blog post.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Susana
Do you think it would be ok to halve this recipe?
Ela
Sure, that is possible.
Alexa
Awesome!! I am so glad I have found your site. My daughter is on a special diet and can not have gluten or yeast and all recipes I have tried were not palatable at all. Your bread was great already and those baguettes are another addition of breads I can now offer her. I had to make small adjustments as she also can not have anything derived from grapes, so baking powder is out as is apple cider vinegar. I used baking Soda and lemon juice instead (3/4 tsp baking soda and 2 tbsp lemon juice) and the baguettes came out beautifully and so very tasty! Thank you!!!!
Ela
Thanks so much for your helpful feedback, Alexa. I am so glad it was a hit. 🙂
Edwin
Excellent recipe, Ela! It’s the best recipe I have found in the Internet. Thank you!
Ela
You are very welcome! I am so glad you like it, Edwin. 🙂
Laurie
Do you think I could mix and roll into log the day before and bake the next morning?
Ela
Hi Laurie, I never tried it. The only issue I could think of is that the baking powder and soda will react immediately and won’t help the bread to rise.
wippy
Can ‘t find the video- it’s nice to have a “jump to video” link as well as a “jump to recipe” link.
Ela
The video plays on top of the post when you scroll down. You will only see it without an ad blocker, though.
Bea Holz
Really enjoyed this bread — a winner for those of us who need to stay gluten-free, dairy-free, and yeast-free!
One question — would there be any way to use this recipe to make individual “baguette dinner rolls”?
Ela
Happy to hear! And sure, you can shape the dough into smaller rolls. 🙂
Maria angelica
Hi, ela i have a question, could i bake it in a loaf pan? What would be the instructions fir baking it if so.
Ela
Yes, that is no problem at all. It should be done at the same time.
Lily Aaron
hi, what can I substitute oat flour with?
Ela
Hi Lily Aaron, I would recommend chickpea flour or quinoa flour. 🙂
Lily Aaron
How about if I only have baking soda can I opt out baking powder and only use baking soda?
Ela
You can try, but it might not rise as much.
LILY AARON
Hi, I have tried your recipe but mine was hard to cut even when the inside was soft. The loaf was a bit hard on the outside and there were not many holes in the bread.Why is that so?
Did I put too much flour or I did not knead that long?
Ela
Hello Lily, I am not sure what went wrong. Did you follow the metric measurements? Did you change any of the flours maybe?
LILY AARON
I only change oat flour with chickpea flour
Ela
Please use oat flour next time, there will be a difference. 🙂
Bell
Can I substitute apple cider vinegar with lemonjuice?
Ela
That should be fine! 🙂
Milos
Hi Ela, I’ve made this bread and loved it, although with brown rice flour and less tapioka, but sometimes it stays moist in the middle. I fix it by toasting slices, because I’m afraid to bake it longer because it might get too hard? I think I saw your advice on what to do if it’s still wet but I can’t seem to find it?
Ela
Hi Milos, you can bake it longer, about 5-10 minutes, or increase the temperature by 5-10 degrees. 🙂
Colleen
I’ve been cooking gluten-free for over 20 years and had pretty well given up on making decent bread. You, Ela, are a miracle worker! This bread is so quick and easy to make; the texture is great and the flavor is wonderful. I’ll be making this again.
Ela
Hi Colleen, I am so glad you like it! Thanks for your fabulous feedback. 🙂
Angel
I feel the same way. Sometimes we just have to try a million recipes until we find the right one for us! Thank heavens for recipe developers like Ela!
Ela
Aww, thank you very much Angel. I appreciate your kind words. 🙂
Hennie Ng
Thank you Ela. The bread is very yummy and easy to make bread. Ever more tasty than the same containing gluten. Looking forward to your new recipes especially those which are diary, fat and gluten free.
Ela
I am glad you like this bread recipe! Thanks for your great feedback, Hennie. 🙂
Aly
This is a really great gluten-free and vegan bread! Thanks for another great recipe.
Ela
Hi Aly, I am so glad you like this bread. 🙂
Nik
I just made this and turned out beautifully. The texture, especially on the outside was just perfect. The only thing I wanted to ask was, it had an unusual, almost bitter aftertaste, would it be the baking sofa? And if so, can that be left out?
Ela
Hi Nik, I am glad you liked it! You can try reducing the baking soda a little next time. 🙂
Lorenza Bigeni
Hello,i dont use apple, cider vinegar. May i use 1,tablespoon lemon juoce instead please and i dont use psyllium husk could i please replace with flaxseed meal? Would the bread still work i was hoping to make it today with your guidance. Thankyou and i love your recipe s.
Ela
Hi Lorenza, you can use lemon juice. But you will need the psyllium husk powder for this recipe. I am not sure if the bread will rise with flaxseed meal. Please report back if you try it. 🙂
Gerry
I have been making my own gluten free bread for years, but this was amazing. I felt like I was eating “real” bread. I would like to make it into one big loaf. Would it work and if so how long to bake?
Ela
Yes, it works the same! Also, the baking time won’t be much different. I have a different gluten-free bread recipe on my blog (which is quite similar, but the flour mix is not the same) and that takes also about 60 minutes. 🙂
Gerry
Thanks so much for answering quickly. I absolutely love this bread. I think because it is with oat flour.
Ela
Hi Gerry, no worries. I am glad you like it. 🙂
Bobbi R Cravens
I”ve made your buckwheat bread several times and really enjoy it. This also looks amazing – however, I don’t do rice flour. What would you suggest as the next best option? Thank you – Bobbi
Ela
Hi Bobbi, you could maybe try sorghum flour. 🙂
Lora
Hi Bobbi,
Did you by any chance try the recipe with the Sorghum and if so, did it work out? Much appreciated.
Teresa Hermann
Could you use this as a pizza crust? I have yet to find a GF pizza crust recipe that I like! I know you mentioned cutting the bread and putting marinara, etc, on top, but what about making a whole pizza with it?
Ela
I think it would be too fluffy. Please check out my Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipe which works perfectly.
Nikoleta Koleva
This is a great recipe! Thank you so much ofr sharing!!!
Ela
Hi Nikoleta, I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
Audrey Grace Honeycutt
You’ve done it again!
I’ve been using your buckwheat bread recipe for months now about 2-3 times a week with great success. However, this is even better! The texture is less crumbly and less dense, than the buckwheat bread, which lends more to easy cutting for sandwiches and toasts.
Thank you for for sharing your amazing creativity with all of us!
Please keep them coming.
Ela
Aww, you are very welcome! Thanks so much for your great feedback, Audrey Grace. 🙂
Jenalee
Can you make it into one bigger, round loaf?
Ela
Yes, that’s totally fine. 🙂
Ally
Can I sub brown rice flour? Looks amazing!
Ela
Hi Ally, I think it could work, but the bread might turn out a little denser. 🙂
Mia
I use brown rice flour. It is probably a tiny bit denser (from what I can see from the pictures) but it’s delicious 🙂 Best vegan gluten free bread I ever made!
Ela
Thanks so much for sharing, Mia. 🙂