Gluten-Free Bread Baking Fall Guide

There was a season when a warm slice of bread felt out of reach for our family. Between
celiac disease, food allergies, and special diets, we spent years in our kitchen learning
(and failing, and learning again) how to bake bread that was truly safe and truly good. We
weren't trying to start a company. We were just trying to feed our family. That's how
Rustic Scoop™️Bread Mix was born.

It's also the product we get asked about most, so we gathered your questions and our
answers into one guide. Please don't let the length overwhelm you. This bread is simple
enough for a first-time baker if you read and follow the directions. These are just the small
details that turn a good loaf into a great one. We've organized everything by topic so you
can jump straight to what you need. If you have a question we didn't cover, reach out.
We've been exactly where you are, and we know you can be a successful baker!

Tools You'll Need

A stand mixer with a paddle attachment. This dough is thick, so it needs a good, sturdy
mixer. You can mix it by hand, but we don't recommend it. If you do, mix very quickly with
a sturdy wooden spoon, and expect a denser loaf.

An oven thermometer. Knowing your oven's true temperature is one of the most
important pieces of good baking. Most ovens, no matter how new, don't actually heat to
the temperature they say they do.

A food thermometer. If you're not sure whether your bread is done, a food thermometer
takes out the guesswork. Bread should reach 205°F internally when it's finished baking, or
up to 5°F less if you live at high altitude. It's also handy for checking the temperature of
your warm water.

Glass measuring cups. Measure liquid ingredients in a glass measuring cup and check the
line at eye level. When you look down at it from above, it can look right when it isn't.
Precise measuring makes a big difference.

A metal bread pan. Either an 8x5 or 9x4 pan works. A glass pan can work, but it doesn't
radiate heat evenly and often takes longer to bake. To release your loaf easily, line the pan
with parchment paper or use a safe nonstick spray (avocado oil spray doesn't work).

There's a video tutorial on our Rustic Scoop™️ Bread Mix product page. It shows how
simple the process is, and more importantly, what the texture of your dough should look
like. If your dough looks different, walk back through each step to make sure nothing was
skipped or measured incorrectly (it happens to the best of us). The short video above also
gives you a great look at the dough's texture. You don't have to shape the dough by hand,
but seeing it helps.
On Instagram and Facebook, we've also shared live videos and several posts showing our
bread dough's texture up close.

Rising Your Bread

Rise by height, not by the clock. Your dough should rise to the top of the bread pan, not
over it. How long that takes depends on the temperature and humidity where you live.
Cold weather slows the rise and summer warmth speeds it up (see our winter tips below).

Don't let it rise above the pan. If it does, you've most likely over-proofed your dough. The
loaf will rise nicely in the oven and then collapse as it cools.

Proof your yeast first. Make sure your yeast mixture is nice and foamy before adding it to
your dry ingredients. If it doesn't foam, the yeast isn't alive and active, and old or inactive
yeast won't rise your dough.

Check your water temperature. Your warm water should be between 95°F and 105°F.
Cooler than that, and the yeast won't activate. Hotter than 105°F, and you'll kill the yeast
completely. No thermometer? The water should feel warm to the touch, but never hot. 

Egg Free Options

Our Rustic Scoop™️ Bread Mix product page walks through several egg-free options and
how to use each one. Here's a quick overview:

Aquafaba (chickpea water): Decrease the water by 2 to 4 tablespoons, depending on
whether you live in a humid or dry climate.

Powdered egg replacer: Add up to 1⁄4 cup of extra water, since most replacers call for less
liquid than an egg contains. Your loaf will be a bit denser, but it will still be a great loaf of
bread!

Flax and chia eggs: These don't work well in our bread, so we recommend skipping them
for this mix.

Baking Times

Baking times vary depending on where you live. In general, one hour at 350°F is the sweet
spot. At high altitude, you may need 5 to 10 minutes less.

Fun fact: we created this recipe at sea level in a humid climate. Now we live at about 5,000
feet in a dry climate, and we bake it exactly the same way with great results. Start with
the standard time and adjust to what works best at your elevation.

Winter Baking Tips

No bread dough loves the cold. Yeast needs warmth to grow and thrive. If winters get
chilly where you live, these tips will help:

Find the warmest spot in your house. Aim for 70°F or warmer. If your oven has a proofing
setting, use it and let your bread rise right in the oven.

Cover your dough with a hot, damp towel. Halfway through rising, refresh it with hot
water.

Borrow heat from your oven. If your oven has a stovetop, set it to preheat and let your
bread rise near the warm air venting out onto the stove. It's perfect for rising!

Try a proofing mat. We use the Raisenne mat, and it works great!

Cool it slowly in a cold kitchen. If your kitchen is below 65°F, let your bread cool in the
oven. Turn the oven off, crack the door, and leave the loaf inside until it's completely cool.
Moving a hot loaf into a cold kitchen can make it collapse.

Ready for Sourdough?

Bread is where our story started, but sourdough is where it got personal. I gave up on
gluten-free sourdough for seven years because I felt so defeated, and I never want you to
feel that way. So we built the course we wish we'd had.

If gluten-free sourdough is something you've wanted to learn, stay close. Our Master
Gluten-Free Sourdough Course is opening soon,  Join the Waiting List Everyone on the list gets first
access.