Soft Sweet Loaf Bread, Gluten Free

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake up the yeast

   Warm the milk to about 105 to 110°F, stir in the honey, and sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Give it 5 to 10 minutes to foam up. Gluten-free loaves rise only once, so you want yeast that is clearly active before you commit.

2. 2

   Whisk the dry ingredients

   In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt. Check your blend's label first — many already contain xanthan or guar gum, and doubling up will give you a slick, rubbery crumb.

3. 3

   Beat the batter

   Switch to the paddle attachment, not the dough hook. Add the milk mixture, eggs, vanilla, vinegar, and softened butter, and beat on medium for 3 to 4 minutes. What you end up with is a thick, sticky batter closer to muffin batter than bread dough — that is correct. Do not add more flour trying to make it kneadable.

4. 4

   Let it hydrate

   Cover the bowl and walk away for 25 minutes. Gluten-free starches absorb liquid slowly, and this rest is what turns a gritty, loose batter into a thick, scoopable one. Skip it and the finished loaf will taste sandy. Give it one more brief stir afterward.

5. 5

   Fill the pan

   Scrape the batter into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan and smooth the top with a wet spatula or damp fingers. This is your only shaping opportunity — gluten-free batter rises once, in the pan, and cannot be punched down or reshaped later.

6. 6

   Single rise

   Cover loosely and let it rise 50 to 70 minutes, until the batter has just reached or barely crested the rim of the pan. Stop it there. Without gluten there is nothing to hold an over-proofed loaf up, and it will sink in the oven. Preheat to 350°F during the last 20 minutes.

7. 7

   Wash and bake

   Beat the egg with the milk and brush it gently over the top — press too hard and you will deflate the rise. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Tent with foil around 25 minutes once the top is golden, and pull the loaf when the center reads 205 to 210°F, noticeably higher than a wheat loaf needs.

8. 8

   Cool completely

   Rest the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then move it to a wire rack and leave it for at least 2 hours. This is not optional with gluten-free bread — the starches finish setting as the loaf cools, and cutting early gives you a dense, gummy center every time.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Of the 2 1/2 hours of prep time, only about 30 minutes is hands-on — the rest is the dough rising on its own schedule.

• 2.

  An instant-read thermometer takes all the guesswork out of this loaf. Color lies, internal temperature does not.

• 3.

  If your kitchen runs cold, turn the oven on to its lowest setting for 2 minutes, turn it off, and let the dough rise inside with the door shut.

• 4.

  The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky after kneading. Every extra spoonful of flour you add buys you a drier, denser loaf.

• 5.

  Swap the honey for maple syrup, or knead in a tablespoon of orange zest with the butter for a brighter, Portuguese-style loaf.

• 6.

  Baking in a glass or dark metal pan? Drop the oven to 335°F, since both brown the sides faster than light aluminum.