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Soft, fluffy, and perfectly sliceable gluten-free sandwich bread with a rich flavor from oat flour and honey.
Gluten Free Oat Bread
After a few months of making and very much enjoying soft and fluffy gluten free sandwich bread, I realized I missed the deeper flavors that are typical in whole wheat sandwich bread.
So, I started playing with that recipe. (The original is closer in flavor to a traditional light wheat or white sandwich bread.)
Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread
I’ve made this recipe at least five times now and I am very excited to finally share it. This bread is perfect for sandwiches, toast, or as a snack on its own.
Try a slice toasted slathered with restaurant-style whipped butter, whipped strawberry butter, or vanilla bean whipped honey butter.
Add a smear of peach jam or apple butter for a treat that you won’t soon forget.
If you enjoy step-by-step photos, there are a whole lot of photos included with the original Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread post. This dough appears the same in each stage and those photos can be used for reference.
For a few more great gluten-free recipes to try, check out these Gluten Free Flour Tortillas, the Sour Cream Banana Bread, this Hershey’s Chocolate Cake, and the Best Gluten-Free White Cake.
This Homemade Nut and Seed Paleo Bread from Cotter Crunch looks like a terrific option for toast too.
If you are not in need of Gluten-Free recipes, check out a few of our favorite whole wheat bread recipes:
- Honey Whole Wheat Bread
- Cool Rise Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
- Rosemary Bread with Whole Wheat
- Maple Oatmeal Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
- 100% Whole Wheat Free-Form Artisan Bread
- Unbelievably Easy Brioche
Honey and Oat Gluten Free Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1¼ cups oat flour make sure the flour is certified GF
- ⅔ cup potato starch
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1¼ teaspoons xanthan gum
- ¾ cup warm milk
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup soft butter
- 3 large eggs
- Optional: sprinkle of oats for the top make sure the oats are certified GF
Instructions
- Place the flours, starch, yeast, salt and xanthan gum in a mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Warm the butter and honey in a glass bowl or cup until the butter is melted. Whisk or stir it together and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer (hand mixer, or stand), gradually beat the warm milk into the dry ingredients. The mixture will be crumbly at first, but once all the milk is added, it’ll come together. Add the melted butter and honey to the mixing bowl and beat until thoroughly blended.
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat the mixture till each egg is thoroughly integrated before adding the next one. Once you’ve added all the eggs, beat the mixture at high speed for 3 minutes. This adds air to the thick batter, which helps take the place of the missing gluten as far as structure is concerned.
- At the end of 3 minutes, the batter will look like thick, heavy buttercream icing: smooth and silky. The dough will also be very sticky, and feel a bit gritty if you rub some between your fingers. Leave the batter right in the mixing bowl and cover the bowl with a light cloth or plastic wrap.
- Let the thick batter rise for 60-90 minutes. This batter won’t double in size, but it’ll definitely puff up. Gently stir the batter down. Scrape it into a lightly greased 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” loaf pan.
- Use your wet fingers, or a wet spatula or bowl scraper, to smooth the top, eliminating any “wrinkles.” The smoother your loaf is before you put it into the oven, the smoother it’ll be once it’s baked.
- Lightly sprinkle the top of the loaf with oats and press lightly into the loaf. Loosely cover the pan and let the dough rise till it barely crowns over the rim of the pan. 45 – 60 minutes, as much as 90. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the bread for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Lightly brush with melted butter to help keep the crust soft, being careful not to brush off the sprinkling of oats. Slice when completely cool. Enjoy!
{originally published 10/16/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/15/22}
could i use a paddle in a stand mixer instead of a hand mixer?
Yes, absolutely. I use my stand mixer to make this bread. It is much easier than with a hand mixer. Good luck!
Can I use white rice flour instead of brown?
Yes, white rice and brown rice flour can be used interchangeably. Good luck!
This is absolutely the best gluten free bread recipe I have tried. We were first impressed with your white sandwich bread, but after trying this recipe, it has become my family's favorite. My husband says it is the first bread that you can't even tell it is gluten free. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
One question I do have. The first time I made it, it turned out great. The last two times I made it, the loaf had a hole in the middle and the dough was uncooked around that hole. I even tried baking it longer and that didn't seem to make a difference the second time. Do you think I might need to add more liquid like someone else suggested in a comment above? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Oddly enough, Ellie, after making this bread countless times, that happened to me too, the last time I made it! I assumed that I hadn't baked it long enough, because I was distracted at the time. I wonder if it was the weather? (It was cold and rainy, a very uncommon thing in my area.) I'm making it again tomorrow. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the update!
I have made this several times again and adding a 1/4 – 1/2 cup extra of milk (almond milk in my case) as someone else said they did to get the right consistency made the difference and it turned out perfect again. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
I may be the only one to mention this and I'm really not trying to be a Debbie Downer… but…
I clicked on this recipe assuming that the bread mimicked the flavour of oats – not that it actually contained them. As fantastic as this bread may be, please please PLEASE do not feed it to your friends if they have Celiac's Disease without explaining the ingredients to them first.
I have Celiac's and this bread would make me very very sick. Oats contain gluten.
There are a few who are able to tolerate oats in very small doses, but they must come from wheat-free facility.
I only mention this because I noted that there were several comments to the effect that people were going to make this for the friends with Celiacs and I didn't want to you to accidentally feed your friends something that made them very sick. I'm sure that those who have slight intolerances or those who go gluten free for health reasons will be perfectly fine with this bread – I'm only referring to those who have Celiacs.
Just make sure to ask them if they can have oats, and if they can, be sure to buy a wheat-free variety – Bobs Red Mills, for example.
I only buy certified GF oats (i.e. Bob's Red Mill) when baking for Celiac or highly gluten intolerant persons. Thanks for the reminder though. I will make a note in the recipe. Thank you!
Thanks for adding that to your recipe. I wouldn't have said anything except that I had read the comments and got a little worried.
This may sound like an odd question, but are you located in the US? Labeling laws (I think) are a little less strict there. In Canada, at least last I checked, Bob's Red Mills could only label their oat products "wheat free" (meaning made in a wheat-free facility) and not gluten free.
The reason is that oats naturally contain gluten – it's just that it's at a lower toxicity level for someone who has Celiacs. There are some who can tolerate them and others that can't (like me).
If you notice that your son is still showing signs of being uncomfortable (is he Celiac or just intolerant?) I would try cutting out oats to see if he improves.
I've known I was Celiac since I was a baby, long before they found out that it was more common that originally thought, so I've had a long time to learn about my disease. I've noticed, nowadays, now that there is a trend of going gluten free to be healthier, that lots of company label their products accordingly. Some are more diligent than others and you have to be careful of the ones where it's more deceiving. I remember picking up a cereal from Nature's Path cereal, for example. On the front, it boasts "gluten free" in large bold letters, but when I flipped it over and read the ingredients, it says "may contain wheat". That's just an example of how relaxed labeling laws are.
http://www.celiac.com/categories/Miscellaneous-Information-on-Celiac-Disease/Gluten%252dFree-Food-Ingredient-Labeling-Regulations/
That's a link that talks about it a little further.
In Canada, now, they are required to list major allergens, such as gluten, so even if a product claims to be gluten free, you can still flip it over and read the ingredients to be sure.
Unfortunately, the US has not progressed that far yet.
Okay, I'm going to stop talking before you think I'm trying to be a know-it-all, which I'm not – I swear 🙂 I just thought it might help with your son.
Sorry – 1 last thing. I was on the Bob's Red Mills website and in their FAQ's, it states that the Canadian Celiac board and Health Canada release the statement that there is a "safe" level for people with Celiacs, in terms of eating their uncontaminated oats. For children, that maximum is equal to .25 cups (20-25 gram max) of their oat products per day before the toxicity level rises to a point where they can get sick.
I hope this info is helpful. Now I promise to stop talking for real this time LOL
Your comments are helpful, thanks for coming back and leaving more information. I am in the U.S. and I have heard that the standards for labeling are more relaxed here. Luckily, my son hasn't been diagnosed with Celiac, he simply doesn't tolerate wheat very well. At this point he has no difficulty with oats at all, but I will keep this in mind if that changes. Thank you!
This was AMAZING! My husband was so happy to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after 3 months of not being able to find a good gluten free bread.
It was a little dense – wondering if there is an adjustment for high altitude? Is that possible with gluten free baking? We are new to this, and SO happy to have found your site!
Thank you!
I'm not sure about an adjustment for high altitude. Let me research it a bit and I'll get back to you. I am so glad that your husband enjoyed the bread, even though it was a little dense for you! You might try letting it rise a little bit longer next time and see if that helps it.
Looks great. Alas, my son can't have oats, GF or not. Any recommendation for flour substitutions? Such as millet, almond, teff, sorghum, amaranth, spelt, garbanzo, etc.? Thanks a lot!
I also make this bread (without any oats at all) and it has been well reviewed by a number of people as well. http://barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/08/tender-high-rising-gluten-free-sandwich.html
Substituting another grain should work as well, provided you substitute by weight and not only by volume. Good luck!
Has anyone ever tried mixing this bread or your sandwich bread in a bread machine and setting it for dough and than taking it out and baking it in the oven.
On this bread recipe: http://barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/08/tender-high-rising-gluten-free-sandwich.html there are several comments from people that used machines. A couple people mentioned having GF cycles on the machine and another person adjusted her traditional machine for this bread. Hopefully those comments will help you.
If you do try it, please let me know how it works for you!
I haven't tried it in the bread machine yet. I probably will. I have read the comments on the other page. I did go ahead and make this bread today with the kitchenaide. I had to add the extra 1/2 cup of milk. I made the regular gluten free bread yesterday so knew what it should be like at this stage and it was just crumby, even after adding the extra 1/4 cup, so I went ahead and added another 1/4 cup. It still wasn't quite as together as the regular bread at this stage, but I went with it and finished the recipe. I perhaps let it raise a little high, but it turned out great. I am so happy with both of these recipes, I have already passed them on.
I made this bread for the 3rd time today and it turned out great like usual. This time, I wanted to make 2 loaves at the same time, so made one in the bread machine. I did it while doing the one in the kitchenaide and did it like the recipe has you do it. I put in the dry, turned it on, slowly added the warm milk (I have to add an extra 1/2 cup milk), than added the honey/butter and than the eggs one at a time, than let it mix for 6 or 7 minutes (I upped it cause it doesn't appear to mix as well as the kitchenaide) I turned it off and let it raise, after which I ended up putting it in the kitchenaide to mix another 2 minutes cause it had alot of lumps that the other loaf didn't have. I than put it in the bread pan to raise and it turned out pretty much like the kitchenaide loaf even though I messed with it a bit more than I was supposed to. Don't think I would do it in the bread machine again since it doesn't seem to mix out the lumps very well. Just thought I would let you know I tried it.
Great looking GF bread. I have to try this recipe.
I just made this bread and something went terribly wrong. My batter was never thicker then pancake batter. It raised nicely in the bowl and again in the loaf pan. But the batter was rather thin. I let it raise to the top of the pan and then placed it in a preheated oven. Shortly after it rose more and batter started to drip over the edge. after 25 minutes the top had collapsed into the middle and the batter underneath was still raw. First thing is I likely let it rise to much. But the consistency was much thinner then other gf breads batter. Any thoughts??? I left it in the oven for another 25 minutes to see if the doughy part will bake. It smells yummy just wish it looked better. Any suggestions will be helpful! Thanks
I'm so sorry that the recipe didn't work for you. The dough should have been pretty thick. Definitely not pourable. Letting it rise too much can contribute to a bread that doesn't cook right, but it sounds like something was off in the recipe. Any substitutions maybe? Or possibly an ingredient was missed inadvertently?
If you try it again and the batter is still runny, I'd add a bit more flour and starch. However, without seeing the dough, I'm hesitant to tell you how much. The weather can affect breads quite a bit, but I've never seen a dough become that runny. Let me know how it works next time!
Can I use arrowroot powder, in place of the potato and tapioca starches?
I don't think it would work the same way, but it might be worth a shot. I haven't tried it myself. If you do try it, let me know how it works!
Can I make it without the potato starch? or is there a substitute?
You can use tapioca starch or cornstarch, but it will have a slightly different texture. It should still work fine though!
Great thanks!
LOVE this bread! It was my first time trying GF bread and I don't even think I'll need to try another recipe. My entire family loved it! Thanks for sharing! I would like to make it without butter though- I saw someone posted earlier about using coconut oil in place of the butter. Has anyone had success with that? Thanks!
I am so glad that your family loved the bread! I have not tried making it without butter myself. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out!
Thanks you for this recipe. Can I sub additional oat flour for the rice flour? I have an allergy to wheat AND rice!
Additional oat flour would probably work fine, although I think the loaf will be a bit heavier than the original. You might try subbing sorghum flour for the brown rice flour as well. Good luck! Let me know how it works out for you.
Lovely bread. Looks soft and yummy.
Have you tried using sourdough as your yeast? If so how much would you suggest? I have a fantastic rye starter we have been using with no side effects.
I have never tried it, but I would LOVE to hear how it worked for you, if you figure it out. Making my own sourdough bread is on my list of things I would really like to figure out this year!
I just made this and it's DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Only problem for me is that when I calculated the calories mine came in a whopping 156 calories per slice (I got 18 slices out of the loaf), which is just something for me to keep in mind since I'm trying to lose weight.
I am thrilled that you like the bread, Miriam. Unfortunately, GF flours and starches do tend to be higher in calories than plain AP flour.
Thanks for this information. Just what I was looking for.
Mary, I just want to thank you for this amazingly delicious bread! I recently had to go gluten free and I am a baker and a cook and mourned all I would have to give up making and eating. I was so thrilled to find your recipes and my whole family and Iloved, loved this bread! They are not so afraid of me being gluten free now. I've printed up a bunch of your recipes and can't wait to try them! I made the Buttermilk Biscuits tonight and they were amazing too! Thanks again.
I made this bread a couple of days ago and it was AWESOME. I only had a large bread pan so I didn't get the lovely rounded top that yours has but the flavor and consistency was wheat bread quality. I loved it so much I made it again today. I increased the recipe to 1.5 and it fit in my large pan perfectly. Such a great recipe. Thank you!
Oh my golly, this bread is delicious! I had to do a substitution because of dietary intolerances (used arrowroot in place of tapioca starch) but it worked out beautifully. This is *the* gluten-free bread I've been longing for. And it works in a normal size bread loaf pan! (Didn't have to buy something special.)
Thank you!
Just an update. Today I made it with all potato starch instead of part potato and part tapioca (or arrowroot). Today's resulted in a more "normal" bread taste. The arrowroot starch that I tried previously gave it an odd taste, though not bad. Just different.
Any idea about nutrition information?