If you’re living gluten-free at high altitude, I’ve got a gift for you: a High Altitude Gluten-Free Bread recipe that works. It really works! You can make it in an afternoon, with no kneading required. It bakes up moist, airy, and delicious. It’s a little high altitude, gluten-free miracle.
Neither I nor anyone in my family needs to avoid gluten, but I’ve received a lot of requests from friends and readers for high altitude gluten-free recipes. Bread seemed like a good place to start. Most of the commercial loaves I’ve tried have been either heavy and dense, or airy but dry. I was determined to avoid all of those things and create bread that someone would be really happy to eat, gluten-free or not.
I was so optimistic, you guys. I’d take a tried-and-true recipe, I figured, try out some of my typical high-altitude tweaks, and it would be great! Ha. Ha ha. Here’s my first loaf:
It weighed about a two pounds and tasted like a shoe. Next!
Without the elasticity of gluten to hold the bread together and create a nice, fluffy texture, I learned, bakers must rely on creative ingredient combinations and precise chemistry to get the texture and and flavor we associate with (wheat-based) bread. A lot of research and a lot of trial-and-error taught me a few things.
Use the right mix of flours
There are lots of options for gluten-free flours. Rice, oat, teff, coconut, amaranth, buckwheat, arrowroot, almond, oh my! All have specific nutritional, textural, and flavor profiles and produce varying results in baked goods. My research and testing convinced me that a blend of millet and sorghum flours, both of which are mild and slightly nutty-tasting, yielded the best result for this bread. It’s also really, really important to weigh your flour rather than rely on measuring cups. Gluten-free flours tend to be fine, and it’s easy to scoop up too much with a measuring cup.
You need a substitute for gluten
Gluten does a couple of things in bread: 1) it serves as a kind of elastic net, binding all the ingredients together, and 2) it forms little pockets in the dough that trap the carbon dioxide created by leavening (in this case, yeast and baking powder), which allows the bread to rise. In gluten-free baking, two ingredients step in to do this heavy lifting: xantham gum and starch. Both provide thickening and elasticity and without them, your bread will crumble, unable to hold any air.
I use tapioca starch because it gives breads a chewy, crisp crust, but in a pinch you can use potato starch or even corn starch.
When combined with the water and eggs, these ingredients result in a very wet dough that looks more like cake batter. If it looks like this, you’re on the right track.
The right mix of leavening and structure is extra-important at altitude
To get a moderately lofty rise that doesn’t go too crazy and collapse on itself at altitude, I had to experiment a lot. This is a yeast bread, but yeast alone was not enough to lift the loaf sufficiently. A smidge of baking powder helped boost the rise, but the batter lacked structure and ended up collapsing almost every time. It wasn’t until I tried incorporating eggs – working up to a whopping four large eggs for one loaf – that I started to get really well-structured, good-tasting bread. By providing both hydration and stability to the batter, eggs literally serve as the glue that holds the loaf together. I also brushed a little egg wash on the top of the loaf to help develop a nice, shiny brown crust.
Watch the rise!
This loaf requires one proofing session in the pan, and you’ve got to watch it carefully. If the bread gets too high and airy, it will collapse on itself during the bake. I found the perfect rise was just to the top of the pan, or maybe a teensy bit above. This took about 45-50 minutes for me, but may vary depending on how warm your rising spot is.
The size of your pan, of course, will also make a difference. I did all my testing in a small (8.5 x 4.5 x 3″) loaf pan (this one is my favorite). A larger pan will result in a wider loaf with a less-lofty rise.
Be sure to grease your pan thoroughly. I’m not a big fan of cooking spray, but in this case it’s by far the best option to avoid sticking.
Temperature matters
Temperature matters in a number of ways with this bread. First, it’s important to the water temperature to the point that it activates the yeast but doesn’t kill it (yeast death happens at 120 degrees F). The sweet spot is 110-115 degrees. Secondly, your ingredients should all be at room temperature so as not to inhibit the yeast’s growth. This goes for the eggs as well as the dry ingredients (gluten free flours can be prone to rancidity and are often stored in the refrigerator).
I start the bread at a higher temperature to give the batter a blast of heat and help set it. Then I reduce it a bit to let the inside cook slowly and evenly,
The “I’m done” cues given by wheat bread (browned crust, hollow thump) don’t always translate to gluten-free bread. The best way to determine doneness is by taking the bread’s temp with an instant-read thermometer. Sea level recipes recommend baking to 205-210 degrees F, but at altitude I’ve found that my bread is done at 195-200 degrees.
You know what’s the same, though? That yeasty, warm, nutty scent of freshly-baked bread. Your house will smell divine as the bread progresses.
If you’ve hung in with me all the way through this perhaps overly-detailed tutorial, congratulations. And call me, because you must be really into baking, or chemistry or both, and we definitely should have coffee.
Happy gluten-free baking!
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High Altitude Gluten-Free Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus proofing
- Cook Time: ~ 1 hour
- Total Time: ~2 hours
- Yield: I small sandwich-style loaf
Description
Finally, a recipe for truly delicious gluten-free bread that’s not only moist, airy, and flavorful, but can be baked at elevations up to 10,000 feet.
Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1 packet active dry yeast (not rapid rise) + 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 cup (140 grams, 5 oz) millet flour
1/2 cup + 2 TB (60 grams, about 2 1/4 oz) sorghum flour
1 cup (120 grams, 4 1/2 oz) tapioca flour (aka tapioca starch)
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp kosher salt
2 TB granulated sugar
2 tsp xantham gum
4 large eggs (room temperature), lightly beaten
2 TB neutral-flavored oil, such as avocado or grapeseed
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Optional egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp sugar; set aside until bubbly.
2. Prepare a small (8.5 x 4.5 x 3″) loaf pan with cooking spray (or grease very thoroughly with butter or oil).
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the millet and sorghum flours, tapioca starch, salt, baking powder, xantham gum, and 2 TB sugar. Stir gently to combine.
4. Add the water/yeast mixture, eggs, oil, and vinegar on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium and continue to beat another 2-3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the consistency of thick cake batter. If it’s too thick to pour (think muffin batter), beat in a little more water.
5. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan (it should be about halfway full) and gently smooth the top. Cover the pan with plastic wrap (tip: spray the wrap with cooking spray to avoid sticking) and leave in a warm place to rise. The proofing should take 45-60 minutes depending on the warmth of the environment and the activity of the yeast, but watch it carefully and do not let the dough rise more than a quarter-inch or so above the top of the pan.
6. While the bread is proofing, preheat oven to 375 degrees. When the loaf has risen to the desired height, gently brush on the egg wash (if using), taking care not to deflate the nice airy bubbles that have been created.
7. Place the bread on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 55-65 minutes (or even a bit longer), until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 195-200 degrees.
8. Cool the loaf in the pan 5-10 minutes, then remove and cool fully on a baking rack. Wait until the bread is fully cooled before slicing.
The bread is best eaten within two days. Leftovers can be frozen in individual slices; wrap each in plastic and store in a freezer-safe bag.
Notes
… Be sure to weigh your flours and starch if at all possible. All are fine-grained and can easily become compacted. It’s easy to end up with too much flour in your recipe if you’re simply relying on dipping a measuring cup into the flours.
… Make sure your xantham gum is marked gluten-free. It is typically sold in small packets similar to yeast packets.
… Resist the temptation to open the oven in the first 40 minutes or so of baking. This is an important time for setting the structure of the loaf and temperature changes can wreak havoc on the bake.
Haven’t tried this, but thanks for the tips. My son can’t eat _any_ gluten, and I’m having a lot of trouble adapting to this whole gluten free thing after baking mostly with wheat flour for the last 40 years. I live at 5,000 ft, so not very high, but all my attempts collapse. I think I should just make a hyperbaric oven and pretend I live at sea level.
Gluten-free baking is a challenge at any altitude. I haven’t done a lot of it but I have heard from several people that the Cup-for-Cup brand provides a good sub for AP flour in some recipes. Good luck!
Could you recommend how I would incorporate my sourdough starter in this, instead of dry yeast? Thank you!
Assuming you are using GF starter, you should be able to do it! I honestly haven’t experimented with gluten free sourdough but my research tells me you can do it by using 1 cup sourdough starter, while and reducing your total flour by 1 cup and your water by 1/2 cup water. Good luck and please report back if you try it!
Hi there! I’m so excited to find this recipe. I can’t find millet flour anywhere though. What would you recommend as a substitute?
Hi Kate, try using oat flour or buckwheat flour.
I haven’t tried the recipe yet and have a couple of questions before I do. I’m at 8200 feet and have had great difficulties getting my loaves to bake all the way through. They claim the loaf is light and fluffy but the bottom inch or so of the loaf is usually gummy and the last loaf, the whole slice was gummy. The recipe called for 30 minutes in the oven and I baked it for 55 minutes and still not done. The recipe said the internal temperature of the loaf needs to be around 205 degrees. I can’t get it hotter than 197. You say that for this recipe, 195 – 200 is what I’m looking for. I’ll give that a shot but in the meantime, can you shed light on why these loaves don’t complete. The other question is you call for 4 eggs. I don’t eat egg yolks so will egg whites work for this recipe. If so, can I just replace 4 regular eggs with 4 egg whites? Thanks for your help, Ken
Make sure your loaf rises properly. Otherwise it will be too dense and have a gummy texture that no amount of baking will fix. As for whether to forego the yolks – honestly, I’m not sure how that would work. The yolks provide fat and moisture. I’d try it with whites only and if the bread seems exceedingly dry, maybe try adding a couple teaspoons of oil next time.
Robyn, I made this bread today for a friend of mine who has celiac disease. I live at 7,200 feet in Santa Fe, NM and have really struggled to find GF bread recipes that work well at high altitude. But I followed your recipe exactly because it was clearly written and included tips – thank you, thank you! The bread turned out beautifully and my friend pronounced it “divine”.
Thanks so much for all your research and willingness to share it with others online.
This made my day! Gluten-free baking is a challenge at any elevation, and I’m so glad this recipe worked for you.
I’m so excited to make this recipe! I was wondering, is there anything that could be used instead of xantham gum, or would it be possible to leave it out? I have a friend with an intolerance to both it and gluten and was hoping to make some good bread for her!
Thanks!
If she can tolerate it, you can try guar gum instead (the bread might be a bit crumblier).
Wish I found this recipe before two disastrous attempts at gluten-free bread with a recipe formulated in Tennessee 😑 I’m (attempting) baking in Albuquerque, over 5,000 ft with consistent humidity below 12%. I haven’t tried this recipe yet because my husband and I are both discouraged about wasting so many ingredients, but I’m glad I found this… I also had problems with the batter rising too much and the bread falling upon removal from the oven, and being totally raw in the middle.
I hope the recipe works well for you!
It was almost perfect, definitely much more acceptable than my first two attempts! Next time I will make small tweaks for taste (we are used to German schwarzbrot, or black bread, which is full of spices and herbs), but you are seriously a lifesaver!! Up until yesterday, I was an Italian Jewish woman that couldn’t bake (gluten-free) bread, which is honestly more shameful in our culture than being a woman who is infertile. I have nobody in the area that eats gluten-free (they all think I’m crazy and, in fact, on an impossible mission to make delicious and proper GF bread). So thank you thank you thank you for the best and definitely healthiest bread my husband and I have ever eaten!
I’m so glad the recipe worked for you! And I love the idea of amping up the flavor with spices.
I’d love to hear what herbs and spices you end up using – I make this regularly and love to mix it up! Keep us posted please!
Yes, the remake was delicious 😋 I find the recipe works best when the oven isn’t opened at all until 75 minutes (10 at 375 and 65 at 350). I don’t have a window in my oven, so I forced myself to wait and just pray it was cooked all the way through, but it came out perfect! May God bless you and your talented hands, and your family, in these tumultuous times.
I am so impressed with this recipe!!! It turned out AMAZING. We’re at 8500 feet and the cooking time was exact. I love the nice crust on the outside. My 8yo is gluten free and he proclaimed it to be the best gluten free bread he’s ever had. Thank you so much for this recipe!! 🙂
I’m so glad it worked well for you!
Haven’t made yet but see what appears to be a small mistake. Ingredients sho 1/2 tsp sugar directions show 1/3 tsp sugar for yeast. I assume it is probably 1/2. That is what I am going to try. Looking forward to trying this.
Good catch, thanks! It should be 1/2 tsp (though honestly, 1/3 would probably do the trick too). I’ve updated the recipe.
I haven’t tried this yet but would like to as I am searching for a good gf bread recipe at altitude. Before i start, would you clarify the sugar question asked above, i.e. 2 T sugar listed in ingredient list but directions state 1/3 t sugar to be set aside with the yeast mixture and then 2 T sugar be added to the dry ingredients in mixing bowl, so I’m assuming the entire recipe calls for 2T + 1/3 t sugar, correct? What’s the role of the vinegar in the recipe – flavor or chemistry (can you tell I’m a total chemistry freak when it comes to baking ?! LOL) – thank you! Can’t wait to try this!
details matter… just saw that I failed to notice the “1/2 t sugar” line item in ingredient list combined with the yeast ingredient line item – my bad 🙁 but would be curious to know if it’s 1/2 or 1/3 t as questioned by another. And definitely interested in the the role of the vinegar – thanks!
Hi Lori, I’ve corrected the recipe to reflect the correct amount of sugar needed to activate the yeast (1/2 tsp). Vinegar serves both to help the yeast flourish (yeast likes slightly acidic environments) and also to help tenderize the dough, giving the bread a nice soft crumb.
Has anyone tried this in a bread maker with the gluten free cycle? I’m at 6500 feet in Durango.
Thanks so much for this recipe…but (like your worst nightmare) I have issues.
I am Gluten Free (Celiac) and VEGAN..and live at 6300 ‘ in CO. I moved from Denver 2 yrs ago and had NO problems baking.
Over the last few weeks I have been on a mission to make GF/Vegan Sourdough Bread.
I cannot get it to rise (much less brown-yeah I know, same problem).
If I chuck the idea of sourdough-this recipe looks great except for the EGGS…I know you don’t KNOW, but often eggs can be substituted w/ chia or flax eggs (or they have neat eggs ). Is your instinct thinking this is a game changer? I’m happy to try and report back.
AS per sourdough-someone above asked about using starter and I think you suggested the amount of started and DEC total flour by 1 cup. If my math is correct -total flour is 2.5 cups so that would be dec to 1.5 cups for a loaf of bread w/sourdough starter instead of yeast?
I’ve signed up for your email, if there is ANY chance you’d be willing to try a GF Sourdough PLEASE let me know. I’m a shrink over the edge…I usually buy Outside the Breadbox Vegan Oat bread -was hoping to save some money by making it myself…but it’s been a very expensive experiment. HELP! Thanks for your ideas!
Dr Karen
Can you substitute butter for oil? Please respond to Kevinpenner4@gmail.com
Ive made this recipe 5 times and 2x turned out very well with 3x partially well- problems are gummy bottom, overflowing bread pan in the oven, falling after removed from the oven. I think your recipe is saying to achieve a cake batter consistency, not muffin batter consistency and that seems to require about 1 1/2 c total water. I am weighing all the flours. Im at 6000 feet. Any suggestions? I did reduce the yeast to 1/2 packet which prevents overflowing. Thanks- I love the flavor of this bread, so I want to figure thus out.
I live at 6250 elevation and my children and I are all gluten intolerant . Baking bread is one I haven’t been able to master. Will have to try this recipe. Do you know if this is a recipe you can place into a GF bread machine?
Just made this recipe @ 9,500ft in Crested Butte, CO. I am not a regular baker, and I was skeptical if it would turn out. I followed the recipe as written, and it was successful in case anyone needs encouragement to give it a try!
I’m trying this at 7500′ – but I substituted King Arthur flour and am using a bread machine, cause it’s tax season and I’m tired (tax preparer). Just so you know, I can find NO recipes online for high altitude GF/DF using a bread machine. Hmmm I wonder if that’s a coincidence? I’ll report back when it’s done.
Robyn – would love to meet for coffee after tax season! I’m in Woodland Park, CO.
Have you or anyone tried making this in a bread machine?
I’ve never baked bread before but, after years of eating GF bread that tastes terrible and has now gotten up to $1.50 per slice, I decided that even though I live at 7500’ in Evergreen CO I would give it a try. The combo of GF and elevation is a tough one for baking! I couldn’t believe it when I found a GF /High Altitude recipe- what luck! I followed the recipe exactly and it is AMAZING! I wanted to post pics but don’t see that option…golden brown and crispy on the outside, perfect texture and taste…I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TRY THIS RECIPE! I was prepared for catastrophic failure but instead I ended up with a beautiful and delicious loaf of homemade bread…color me proud and happy! Thank you Robyn…you are my new bff!
Hey Robyn I’m in Evergreen (7500’j and have been making and loving this bread for a while now! I’d like to mix it up a bit and make it a little more whole grain tasting and I’m wondering if you’ve ever tried other flour combos (maybe buckwheat) or adding flaxseed or anything else I might find interesting? Thanks for your recipes!
First of all thank you so much for this recipe!! I have been struggling trying to make gluten free sourdough bread for a couple of months. I don’t know if it’s my altitude or what the problem has been. So i decided to try your recipe with out the sourdough starter. This is the first loaf of bread that has been edible and not gummy. Just curious if you have any suggestion for making this into more of a whole grain bread, maybe even with some seeds. What flours would be good substitutes and adjustments that would need to be made? I’l do some research and tweaks as well and see how it goes.
Hi Joanne – I’ve been making this bread for about a year now-usually make 2 loaves at a time, slice and freeze! I too wanted it a little earthier so I used a little less mullet and sorghum and subbed in buckwheat (for my double batch I use 1-1/2 c mullet, 3-4 c sorghum and 3/4 c buckwheat )- LOVE IT!!! Have also tried a few toppings like salt or Zara’s or garam masala -all tasty! I think adding some herbs in the batter would be tasty too! Explore and enjoy!!
Hey Joanne!
I am trying to make a gluten free sourdough at 7,000ft above sea level. Do you have any tips? I was looking at your glutinous sourdough recipe and trying to figure out what adjustments to make. Any tips are appreciated. Thank you!!!
I made the recipe last night exactly as written. Unfortunately it sank after having overflowed a bit. My altitude is only 5423, Wheat Ridge. All was not lost. This morning I cut the very hardened crusts and made bread crumbs. I then used the soft interior to make croutons and some small slices of bread to toast. I tried another recipe for white bread the previous day which also used baking powder and ACV. It also sunk although had softer crust was more usable. I make a loaf consistently which uses only yeast. I’m wondering if the additional lift is too much for my altitude?