This is the best homemade gluten-free vegan bread recipe which is egg-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, and nutritious! This German bread is actually healthy since it contains psyllium husk powder. It’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!
Homemade Gluten-Free Vegan Bread
I cannot tell you how many times I tried making the perfect gluten-free vegan bread… Actually, I lost count how many times I ended up throwing the towel because it’s damn hard to create good gluten-free bread without eggs.
But since I can be quite stubborn (haha) I actually never gave up and continued with the recipe testing…
Psyllium Husk Powder
One day, I started experimenting with gluten-free pizza crust that contains psyllium husk powder. The recipe turned out so good, that I got intrigued.
To make a long story short, I made an online search about homemade gluten-free vegan bread + psyllium husk and found a couple of different recipes that were using huge amounts of psyllium husk powder in their bread recipes.
One recipe was from a German blogger, and she inspired me to give psyllium husk a try. I tweaked her recipe and used a different flour blend and the bread turned out amazing!
I was shocked by how great it turned out, especially since the bread is wheat-free (and therefore gluten-free), and egg-free (vegan)! It did rise, even though it doesn’t contain yeast and it actually looked like German bread from a bakery.
Conclusion: Psyllium husk powder is a godsend for gluten-free vegan baked goods. It’s also very healthy, especially for our gut! So please do yourself and favor and buy it or order it online. It’s cheap and absolutely amazing!
How To Make Gluten-Free Bread?
Check the video in the post to see how I made this amazing bread.
Step 1: Make the psyllium husk gel first. Mix the psyllium husk powder and water in a bowl. Try to be quick, because it gels instantly, within SECONDS. I always use a whisk, it works the best. Set aside and measure the dry bread ingredients in the meantime!
Step 2: It’s time to measure/weigh all dry ingredients and add them to a big bowl. You can also preheat your oven to 390 °F (ca. 200 °C) now.
Step 3: Mix it all together: Add the psyllium gel to the big bowl and mix all ingredients with a hand mixer (use the dough hooks). You can also knead the dough with your hands or use a Kitchen Aid. It will take about 5-10 minutes until the dough comes together.
Step 4: Shape the dough and bake the bread in the oven for about 55-60 minutes. That’s it!
Add Seeds Of Choice
I love adding pumpkin seeds but you can also use sunflower seeds, sesame seeds or nuts of choice (e.g. hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, etc).
The Ingredients
You can find all the ingredients with measurements below in the recipe card! Please also check the recipe notes below where I list different substitutes.
My favorite flour combo is this:
- Buckwheat flour
- Rice Flour
- Chickpea Flour
- Tapioca Flour
Recipe Notes & Substitutes
- Some readers replaced the buckwheat flour with oat flour or sorghum flour (or a combo) and the bread still turned out amazing.
- Rice flour works great in this bread recipe, but feel free to experiment with lentil flour, teff flour, sorghum flour, or quinoa flour.
- You can use arrowroot flour instead of tapioca flour/starch. Cornstarch or potato starch will most likely work as well.
- Chickpea flour is the same as garbanzo bean flour. It adds plant-based protein and I love adding it to bread. Some readers had success using oat flour instead.
- Psyllium husk powder is the most important ingredient in this recipe and cannot be subbed by any other ingredient. Make sure to use psyllium husk POWDER. If you have psyllium husk (not the powder), you can blend it in a blender or electric spice/coffee grinder until it’s a fine powder.
Can I Freeze Gluten-Free Bread?
You can definitely freeze this gluten-free bread! Slice it and wrap all individual slices in wax paper or parchment paper. Put in zip lock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature and then toast the bread once you want to serve it.
Other Gluten-Free Bread Recipes
You can serve the bread with stews, soups and all kinds of comfort meals. Make sure to also check out my other vegan and gluten-free bread recipes:
- Gluten-Free Baguette
- Gluten-Free Pita
- Gluten Free Naan
- Gluten Free Buns
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Bread
- Moist Vegan Cornbread
- Marbled Banana Bread
Should you give this gluten-free German bread recipe a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! 🙂
Gluten-Free Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 100 g (3/4 heaped cup) buckwheat flour (see notes)
- 100 g (2/3 cup) white rice flour
- 100 g (1 cup) chickpea flour
- 40 g (5 Tbsp) tapioca flour/starch (see notes)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4-1 tsp sea salt
- 50 g (3/8 cup) pumpkin seeds (optional - see notes)
Psyllium mixture:
- 450 ml (1.8 cup) water
- 30 g (3 Tbsp) psyllium husk powder (see notes)
Instructions
- I recommend using the metric measurements for this recipe (grams/ml). In a bowl, combine the water with the psyllium husk powder and whisk well. It will gel instantly and become thick. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, measure/weigh all the dry ingredients and add them to a large bowl. Preheat the oven to 390 °F (200 °C).
- Add the psyllium gel to the bowl and knead the ingredients with a hand/ stand mixer (use a dough hook). You can also knead the dough with your hands. It will take about 5-10 minutes for the dough to come together.
- If the dough appears too wet, sprinkle it with 1-2 Tbsp tapioca flour. If it feels too dry, add a little water.
- Shape the dough into a round or rectangular loaf and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I sprinkled the paper with a bit of tapioca flour).
- Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let the bread cool completely, then slice and enjoy. The bread freezes well, for up to 3 months!
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Psyllium husk powder is the most important ingredient in this recipe and cannot be substituted by any other ingredient. Make sure to use psyllium husk POWDER. If you have whole psyllium husk (not the powder), you can blend it in a blender or electric spice/coffee grinder until it's a fine powder.
- A few people mentioned a weird smell in the bread (I didn't, and most other people didn't either), however, I received a few helpful comments.
- You can use whole-grain buckwheat flour or regular, both are fine. Some people replaced the buckwheat flour with oat flour or sorghum flour (or a combo) and the bread still turned out amazing.
- Rice flour works great in this bread recipe, but feel free to experiment with lentil flour, teff flour, sorghum flour, or quinoa flour.
- You can use arrowroot flour instead of tapioca flour/starch. Cornstarch or potato starch will most likely work as well.
- Chickpea flour is the same as garbanzo bean flour. It adds plant-based protein and I love adding it to bread. Some readers had success using oat flour instead.
- Please don't compare this bread with wheat bread which contains gluten and yeast or a gluten-free bread which was made with eggs and yeast. It's hard to make a gluten-free, yeast-free, vegan bread, but this is the best recipe I have tried so far, and it turns out amazing every time! Depending on the flour mixture, the bread might end up more fluffy or dense.
- Pumpkin seeds: You can use sunflower seeds instead, however, they will turn green due to a chemical reaction with the baking soda/powder. This is perfectly fine and shouldn't concern you.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Melissa
I made this using US measurments, no kitchen scale and it came out gloriously perfect! So far my favorite GF bread recipe and the easiest. I only had wild rice on hand and blended into flour, now looking forward to trying a white rice blend. I followed your measurements and directions to the exact. I was very impressed when this came out of the oven- i placed on a cooling rack and carried over to the couch so the bread watched TV with me. ha ha- i was so proud of it! Then i sliced it and topped with natural PB and homemade preserves….I may have shed a tear. The next night I had slices topped with avocado and salsa, then the next morning I went all in and made my own ” NUTELLA” with roasted walnuts/pecans and chocolate chips and topped on a toasted slice. Thank you!
Ela
That’s so good to hear, Melissa! Very happy it came out perfect by using the US measurement.
Thanks for your thorough feedback! 🙂
Talianah Breet
I did everything wrong. Didn’t have buckwheat flour which I was convinced I did – used rice flour instead. Didn’t have bicarb, so substituted it with yeast. It still turned out amazing!
I have also used your pita dough recipe and was floored at it tasting exactly like gluten pita bread. Made it again the next day, but used it for samoosas. Wow! Fried up like “vetcoek” (South African favourite) and I’m in love with it.
Thank you so much – your recipes are reliable in every way.
Ela
That’s awesome, Talianah! So glad it turned out great, even without buckwheat flour. 🙂
So happy to hear that you also love the gluten-free pita.
Thanks for your feedback!
Uma
Hi Ela thank you for this easy recipe. I tried gluten free bread from other websites but none turned out well. I halved the measurements in your recipe mainly because I was scared it mightnot turn good and would be wasted . But I am so happy it was perfect and I am relieved I have a fool proof recipe. Now I can confidently make a whole batch. Can I substitute oat flour in place of buckwheat flour just to get a white bread. Also can you please give recipes for dinner rolls. Thanks a ton..
Ela
So glad to hear that, Uma! Yes, you can use oat flour. 🙂
Check out the recipe for my gluten-free buns.
LENORE
Made this yesterday (with a couple of variations) and also halved the ingredients to see how it would turn out. Best recipe for a bread I’ve made. These were my variations: Brown rice flour instead of the white rice flour / Teff flour instead of chickpea flour / did the pumpkin seeds plus chia seeds instead of sunflower seeds. Pulled it out of the oven at 53 minutes. Also used grams process instead of cup measurement in case the weight of flours were different.. Very much appreciated. Thank you.
Ela
So happy it was a success, Lenore! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and for sharing your subs. 🙂
Gayatri A.
Hi Ms. Michaela! Thank you so much for this recipe!! I had been looking for a yeast-free bread recipe since AGES. Usually whenever the recipe is yeast-free it either contains egg or curd. BUT. Finally, when I did find your page on Instagram, I not only got introduced to a yeast-free bread recipe but also a gluten-free one! The recipe is on spot! Really easy to make. No mess at all and is super spongy (despite using psyllium husk itself as I didn’t have the powder). Also, I tried the recipe a second time by using whole wheat instead of buckwheat (since my mom found its flavour a bit overwhelming) and guess what, the recipe worked wonderfully well despite the change! A wholesome recipe indeed. Thank you for sharing it!
Ela
That’s so good to hear, Gayatri! Thanks a lot for sharing, and I am happy it turned well with whole wheat flour as well. 🙂
Kind regards,
Ela
Ciny
Awesome recipe, followed the recipe exactly as adviced, and it turned out great.
Trying to make a double batch, I noticed the psyllium amount (in grams) doesn’t convert when using the website function (on mobile, haven’t tried on desktop). Easy to double the amount yourself, but just noting that, given it’s an important ingredient in this recipe.
Thanks again, I love this recipe.
Ela
Hi Ciny, thanks so much for your wonderful feedback! Also, thanks for informing me about the glitch in the “double amount”. I have fixed it now. 🙂
Happy to hear you love the bread. 🙂
Kate G.
Hi! I love the idea of this bread but the times I’ve baked it, the texture has been fantastic but the flavor and smell has been off-putting. I’ve tried different flour variations and then I tried doing a mix of psyllium husk and xanthan gum as I found the taste and smell was from the psyllium husk. It still has an odd flavor though. Any suggestions? I’m wondering if it’s the brand of psyllium powder? I so desperately want this to work, but after 5 batches, I’m ready to throw in the towel.
Ela
Definitely try out a different brand, Kate. I think there might be differences. I never had a weird smell, but I use a German brand. 🙂
Talianah Breet
Try using apple cider vinegar – a tablespoon or two. It takes the smell away.
Ela
Yay, that sounds great! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
P
Hello! I have just baked this bread, another recipe in search for a perfect home made vegan bread, but was very sceptical about buckwheat flour… as it turns out the bread looks lovely, was super easy to make and looks like it has a great texture but I have problem with the taste of buckwheat flour. You say one shouldn’t replace it… is there any particular reason? would there perhaps be a good alternative? ( I was thinking of using some neutral flour like oat or red lentil flour instead of buckwheat). Thank you!
Ela
Hi, please check out the comments, I think some people tried making the bread without buckwheat flour, and it worked well. Oat flour works great. 🙂
Elizabeth
Thank you for a yeast-free, gluten free and vegan bread. It’s really hard to find them and make them work. I followed the recipe precisely, and like others, it came out too moist inside. I realize the suggestion has been to turn up the heat or extend the time, and I did the latter because gluten free baking advice is that breads should achieve an internal temp of 200 degrees, so I waited until it did and yet still fell short. It’s greatly improved by toasting. I’ll be trying it again with a slightly hotter oven and a little longer. Any advice for browning the crust more? Your photo came out more so than mine did. (Also couldn’t find the video…) Thanks again! Elizabeth K
Ela
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for your feedback. I added the video now also to the recipe notes. Once it loads you can watch it, but it’s also above in the post and it will stick to the screen as a pop-up once you scroll down. You can only see it when you don’t use an ad blocker though. 🙂
Jo
Hello! Thanks so much for the detailed recipe. I made it for the second time yesterday and turned out great! I feel the recipe is foolproof – I did go by weight though, not cups. I am so glad I found this awesome gluten free vegan recipe which also happens to be almost grain free except for the rice flour!!! And the wonderful flavor of buckwheat makes this bread taste even better than store bought whole wheat bread!! My picky teenager likes it too???? – couldn’t have asked for more!
Ela
I am so glad you like the recipe, Jo! Thanks for your great feedback.
Merry Christmas! 🙂
RO
Hey, would it still work if I just used buckwheat flour or buckwheat and chickpea flour for example? Does it need so many different types? 🙂
Ela
Hello! I think someone tried that already, and it still came out fine. 🙂
Dima
Hi Ela,
This is my second time doing the recipe exactly as per your instructions and video and both times the bread seemed ready from the outside but completely moist inside. Any tips or suggestions?
Thank you
Ela
Hi Dima, increase the oven temperature by 5-10 degrees and leave it in the oven longer. 🙂
Sal
Hi Ela – I’ve left a comment and rating before about this great loaf of bread, but I have something to add that might be useful for some people. I noticed some of the posts commented on a strange musty smell and they thought it was the psyllium husk. Like you, I didn’t think the psyllium husk was the culprit, but after eliminating other things it became clear that it was the psyllium husk. Maybe it has to do with the conditions it’s grown in? Who knows?! Anyway, I’ve found that adding a 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid to the psyllium husk (before adding the water and letting it rest) gets rid of the smell. I will try lemon juice next time instead of citric acid powder and see if that also works.
There was also a question about whether this loaf could be baked in a breadmaker. After successfully baking it in the oven I tried it in my breadmaker. and it turned out really well.
You will need a breadmaker that allows you to select a “bake only” function. I have a Panasonic and I set mine to 1 hour and 10 minutes and it’s perfect. I hope this helps.
Ela
This is so helpful! Thanks so much for sharing, Sal. 🙂
Claire Peterson
What setting on you’re bread Machine did you use?
Sarah
I made this finally and it turned out great! Im allergic too many things and pay big money for a meh bread I can eat. Going to be making my own from now on. Thank you so much for this recipe! Im excited to try different flavours and play around.
Ela
You are very welcome, Sarah. 🙂
Jayne
I have been making this bread every weekend with different flours because I really don’t like the flavor of buckwheat. I know you said not to try other flours, but here I am not following directions, per usual. Anyway, the absolute best version has half oat flour and half sorghum to replace the buckwheat and it is fantastic. The texture and taste are both better and I love this easy bread. Thanks a bunch!
Ela
Thanks so much for sharing, Jayne! 🙂
Sherry
Just had our first bites of this wonderful bread, what a winner! Didn’t have chickpea flour so used millet and also used a gluten free mix by Namaste, Perfect flour blend, which contains sorghum and tapioca, as well as more baking powder (and guar gum), The secret is the psyllium powder, which I did happen to have on hand in husk form, so simply ground it up. My bread rose a bit higher than yours, which was a pleasant surprise, as I’ve recently had the experience of my trial breads hardly rising and remaining uncooked and dense inside. Thank you so much for this site, it’s a real find, can’t wait to try your other beautiful looking vegan recipes.
Ela
That’s wonderful, Sherry. Thanks so much for your helpful feedback! 🙂
caroline juskus
I jus want to thank you so much…. this is by far the best gf bread i have ever had…i have tried ma y recipes and the uk is excellent for store bought gf but none of thm close to this! and soooooo si.pleto make. crusty tasty and absolutely delicious. cor the first time in 20yrs since ive been coeliac i finally have a ‘rea’l bread. and my husband loves it more than his usual sourdough. and of course its vegan! ❤❤❤❤
Ela
Yay, that’s awesome Caroline! I am so glad you both love it. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Mikaela
Love this recipe – thank you! Have made this loaf a heap of times! I always end up with the middle bottom part not cooking properly though, has a small stodgy patch across the bottom. Still tastes amazing but was just wondering if you have any ideas on how to stop that happening? Thanks!!
Ela
So glad you love it. You could bake it a couple of minutes longer next time. 🙂
caroline juskus
flip it upside down for another 10 mins thats what i do and works perfectly!
Yvonne
Hi there,
I can’t wait to try this! What determines whether it comes out more fluffy or more dense?
Ela
Different things, the flour blend, the oven, and also the baking time (baking it longer will make it less dense). 🙂
Nat
HI Ella, I can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you think I could replace chickpea flour with corn flour though?
Ela
Hi Nat! It might turn out fine (I never tried it though). Some other readers used oat flour instead of chickpea flour which turned out great. 🙂
Holly
Thank you so much for this recipe! Finally a bread that I can eat. This was the first time I have ever made bread and it was super easy! I used my vitamix to make psyllium powder, used oat flour instead of chickpea, weighed all ingredients, kneaded for 5min with Kitchenaid stand mixer, baked for 50min and let it cool completely on the baking sheet.
It has such a great soft, spongy texture. I love this bread.
Not a complaint but is there a way to jazz up the crust? It kinda looks a bit like cardboard. I cant have seeds. Also, it has a distinctive aroma…is that the buckwheat or psyllium? What can I add to mask it?
Ela
I am so glad you love it, Holly! 🙂
You can top the bread with nuts of choice. The aroma could be the psyllium. Maybe switching the brand might help. 🙂