Gluten Free Pane di Casa Style Loaf
Updated: Mar 12
This brilliant Gluten Free Pane di Casa Style Loaf is the ultimate all rounder. Soft inside and deliciously crusty outside, it's perfect for anything from sandwiches to garlic bread and everything in between!
The gluten free breads readily available in supermarkets here in Australia are pretty frustrating. Most of them are very ordinary (flashbacks to bread that turns to dust as soon as you bite into it), and those that are actually good seem to disappear from the shelves for no reason at all.
Cue my Gluten Free Pane di Casa style loaf, here to fulfil all your bread-related needs! When I started working on this recipe I wanted to create a truly versatile loaf that can do anything you want effortlessly and deliciously. And here it is. I've used it for incredible sandwiches, toast, and garlic bread. I've eaten it on day one and day five, after days at room temperature and weeks in the freezer. It's delicious by itself and it will obligingly make anything you smother it in all the more delicious - I promise you, this bread will never let you down!
How to Proof Gluten Free Pane di Casa Style Loaf
This loaf is pretty simple to make, but there is a bit of judgement required to decide when the bread is ready to go in the oven. Most of the information on how to know when gluten free bread is fully proofed and ready to bake boils down to "there's no hard and fast method and practice makes perfect." I don't have a huge amount to add to that (practice really does make perfect), but I do have some pointers that I look for in my proofing loaves:
Most of my loaves (except my very high-hydration focaccia and ciabatta) will double in size before baking, so don't be afraid to wait for the dough to expand.
For me, it's all about the feel of the dough. If you feel your dough soon after shaping it will feel dense because the yeast hasn't yet started to produce bubbles. About 20 minutes before I expect the dough to be ready, I'll start gently poking the dough both down low near the tray and further up the side. If I can still feel some dense areas in the dough I'll give it another 10 minutes. If I can feel the delicate bubbles under my fingers all the way up the side, it's ready to bake!
Proofing bread is never an exact science, and I have to admit I've gotten it wrong a LOT. If you do happen to put your bread in the oven a bit too soon you might find that it splits along the side as it tries to expand, or that you have very large bubbles or tunnels inside the loaf. An over-proved loaf might come out a bit flat and dense.
Watch How to Make this Gluten Free Pane Di Casa Style Loaf
How to Store Gluten Free Pane di Casa Style Loaf
As an added bonus this bread keeps like a champion, too. If you're going to eat it over the next few days after baking it will do well in an airtight container at room temperature, though it will be best for toast on days three onwards. If you would like to keep it fresher, I find it does very well sliced and frozen.
