Simple Gluten Free Raisin Bread
Updated: Mar 12
This bread is my gluten free answer to those cafe style loaves you can grab from the supermarket and pop in the toaster for a quick and delicious breakfast. Soft, lightly sweet with a hint of spice, this Simple Gluten Free Raisin Bread will make you forget gluten all together!
One of my biggest frustrations is when something tastes "gluten free" - dry and crumbly or weirdly sticky, odd aftertastes or uncanny resemblance to kitchen sponges are characteristics that can be found in loaves of gluten free bread all too often. Fear not! This Raisin Bread tastes amazing, the texture resembles bread and bread ONLY, with a little bit of chewiness, and it's even a decent size, so you won't need to eat half a dozen slices to feel like you've eaten something.
I'm a bit funny about dried fruit, I don't like too much of it in a recipe because for me it makes everything too sweet. For my taste the amount of raisins in this loaf is perfect. They're scattered throughout the loaf and they give enough sweetness without being overwhelming, but if you like loads of dried fruit in your bakes feel free to add a bit more. The spices in this bread are also pretty mild, there's really just a hint of spice to give it a little something - it's not a full on spiced loaf. Again there's room for personalisation here, but spices can slow the yeast down. If you add more the bread might take a bit longer to rise.
How to Make this Simple Gluten Free Raisin Bread
Mixing the Dough
The process for mixing this gluten free dough is pretty simple. First, the yeast and some of the sugar are mixed with some of the water, and the psyllium is mixed with the rest of the water. Set both aside while you measure the dry ingredients. The yeast will come to life and start to froth up, and the psyllium will form a gel with the water.
All of the flours, starches, salt and the spices then get put into a the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a spoon or rubber spatula. I like to use a whisk to mix them together before adding the wet ingredients, which helps to make sure everything is blended thoroughly. Then, we can add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar and the yeast and psyllium mixtures.
If you're using a stand mixer, keep it on low speed to make sure it doesn't throw the flour everywhere. Scrape the bowl down halfway through mixing to make sure it picks up all of the dry flour.
I you're mixing your dough by hand, start by mixing it with a spoon or rubber spatula until it starts to come together. Then, squeeze and knead it by hand to make sure it's really thoroughly mixed. We don't want any lumps of flour or psyllium gel to get left behind!
Proofing the Dough - First Time
Most breads will require two rounds of proofing. The first proof is mostly for flavour, and for this bread will be around 45 to 60 minutes. The actual time will depend on how warm it is. If it's a very warm day or if you have a really warm place to proof your dough, it will take less time. If it's cold and you don't have a warm place, it will take longer. We're looking for the dough to double in size.
Kneading and Shaping the Loaf
Once the dough has doubled in size it's time to give it a good knead on a lightly floured surface. It doesn't need a huge amount of kneading, we just want to knock the air out of it and make it nice and smooth so we can shape it easily.
Shaping the loaf is the fun part! First, we need to flatten it out on the floured surface into a rough rectangle - it doesn't need to be perfect. Then, we fold both short sides into the middle and press them down so they stick. Follow them with one long edge, pressing it into the middle to stick, and finally fold the remaining edge up and over the previous one and pinch the seam to stick it together - you should end up with a kind of sausage of dough. Roll the sausage back and forth on the surface until it's about the same length of your loaf tin. Then, simply place it in the tin seam side down, pressing it gently to even it out if necessary.
Proofing the Dough - Second Time
The second proof of this loaf is the one that needs a bit more judgement. Determining when gluten free bread is ready to go in the oven can be difficult, and truthfully the best way to get the hang of it is practice. BUT. I have pointers!
For this loaf, we're looking for it to double in size, or almost double in size. In my tin, the loaf comes just up above the rim of it by the time it's ready to bake - although that will be different if your tin has different dimensions.
It's all about how the dough feels. Gently prod your dough as soon as you place it in the tin; it will feel soft but dense. As you come to the end of your initial second proofing time - I always start with 45 minutes - gently prod it again. If it still feels dense, give it 10 more minutes. If, however, it feels light and airy and full of bubbles, it's ready to go!
Baking the Loaf
We can relax a bit now! I like to give the top of my loaf a brush of milk to help it brown, and then it's into the oven. Because this is quite a large loaf it needs 50 minutes in the oven. It will get quite dark on top, which gives it a lovely caramelised flavour. It should be baked after that time, but if you want to double check you can use an instant read thermometer inserted in the centre of the loaf. If it reads above 90ºC it should be baked.
Cooling the Loaf
This Gluten Free Raisin Bread is similar to most breads in that it needs a while to cool before you slice it so the texture inside can set. If you cut it when it's hot it will be a bit gummy and unappealing. Once it's cooled to just slightly warm or room temperature it's ready to slice and eat!
How to Store Simple Gluten Free Raisin Bread
This bread is softest on the day it's made, but it keeps well in an airtight container for about a week. It will harden in storage (it is home made bread, after all!), but it toasts very well - I can't go past a slice or two with butter for breakfast. You can also slice and freeze it for later, or even use any leftovers to make a delightful bread and butter pudding.
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