Hello Gluten Free Sandwich Bread Recipe!
I have a new love to confess to you all! It’s this incredibly simple recipe that is going to blow you away!
I’ve been around the block when it comes to making gluten free bread recipes. This one is great, but I wanted to try to make a loaf with oats, or oat flour. Why?
Well, oats are super mild in flavor and also have a great texture for a hearty bread. Simply put…it reminds me more of a traditional wheat sandwich bread that I often find myself craving.
What Makes This A Sandwich Bread?
Glad you asked. Sandwich bread typically isn’t as sweet as others and they are usually higher in height.
For this recipe,
When baking gluten free bread, the pan can make all the difference in the world. This is a commercial grade loaf pan and will give you the desired crumb and creates an evenly baked loaf of bread.
Just check this out….
The use of apple butter…
You typically find xanthan gum or other gums in gluten-free bread recipes.
But did you know that you can use pectin to achieve the same results?
Pectin (more specifically apple butter which naturally has pectin from the apples) helps hold the bread together and naturally helps preserve the bread.
So don’t skimp out on using apple butter in this recipe. It is needed in this recipe and is there for a purpose. Look for one that is unflavored and unsweetened .
Finding oats that are REALLY gluten free!
The other important element to this recipe is finding oats that are actually gluten free.
Several years ago, this would have been quite the challenge. Wheat and Oats are usually grown in the same fields and often cross contaminate.
More and more, people are struggling with gluten so this created a demand for a true gluten free oat product and you now can source gluten-free oats.
I go through them so quickly that I buy two bags at a time.
Are you ready to try this yet?
I am so excited to share this recipe with you all. It is slightly adapted from one of my most favorite gluten free cookbooks, like ever!
If you don’t have , you need it! It is that good!
Let’s make some sandwich bread already, shall we?

Gluten Free Sandwich Bread Recipe With Oats
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 25 slices 1x
Category: gluten-free, bread
Method: baking
Cuisine: american
Description
If you’re looking for a gluten-free sandwich bread that tastes like the real deal…look no further, you’ve found it!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon organic cane sugar
- 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unflavored, unsweetened apple butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Pour 3 cups of rolled oats on a baking sheet and reserve the remaining half cup for later. Bake/toast the oats for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Turn the oven off. Once cool, transfer to a food processor and process until a fine oat flour forms.
- In a small bowl, add the active dry yeast, cane sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water and allow it to proof for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, mix together the toasted oat flour, tapioca starch, sea salt and thoroughly mix together. Add in the yeast mixture, eggs, olive oil, the remaining untoasted oatmeal, and the honey and mix well.
- Combine the unsweetened apple butter with 3/4 cup water and add to the dough/batter mixture and stir well. It will have a batter-like texture. Cover the batter and allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.
- Grease a 4×9 inch loaf pan. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan, cover and allow it to double in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the loaf pan into the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on. If the bread starts to get too brown on the top, tent your bread with foil.
- Allow the bread to fully cool before slicing. Store in a cool dry place or slice and store in the freezer for future use.
I don’t eat oats personally but I’d love to know based on how those slices of bread look! A great recipe idea, thanks for sharing!
That looks really legit! I’m going to make this soon! Thanks!
I love finding new gluten-free bread recipes and this looks so good! I don’t handle oats well but I’ll definitely try out this recipe when I re-introduce it back into my diet.
Wish I ate oats because this looks super legit! Yum!
This looks so good! We eat oats very infrequently, but I might have to make an exception to make this because it still looks healthier than some of the gf bread we buy for special occasions. Love the addition of apple butter!
This looks like some legit good bread! Thanks for sharing!
Use of the word ‘legit’ in 3 responses makes one think these people are paid to review.
That bit of tapioca! Looks awesome!
This looks so light and fluffy I love it! I don’t eat oats but my kids do which would make this a super cheap loaf to make rather than my regular Paleo ones!
This bread looks legit!
Totally delicious ! I’d love to have this every morning !
This bread looks so fluffy and delicious! What a fun tip about apple butter!
Didn’t know that pectin could be used instead of xanthan gum! Great tip.
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This looks SO amazing. Thanks for sharing this with all of us! 🙂
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This looks like bread I need to whip up this week. Thanks for the inspiration!
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The bread looks so good! I love that it’s gluten free. I bet my husband and kiddos would love if I made this for them.
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A great recipe for those looking for a bread alternative, the texture looks great.
This bread looks incredible! I used to get this oatmeal bread at a local sandwich shop that I loved, but since it’s not gluten free, I haven’t had it in forever, but this looks just like it and I can’t wait to try it out!
Holy cow this looks like store-bought sandwich bread! Well done!
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Wow, I love that you used apple butter. The crumb looks perfect!
Can I just use oat flour instead of making my own? And if so, how many cups should I use?
Yes, I have the same question as I use oat flour that is organic and already ground for me. How much flour is used after grinding the oats in your recipe?
Could you sub arrowroot powder for the tapioca starch? I’ve read that they are relatively interchangeable. Thanks!
Hi Halle I just found your site yesterday. I am new to Gluten free and was searching the web for a good tasting bread. I have not made you bread yet but I did read all the wonderful things people were saying about it. I have been shopping for all the things on the list. I did notice that your slices are very even. What do you use to slice your bread? I am looking forward to tasting your bread.
Could this be made in a bread maker?
I haven’t tried to yet, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work Delaina…
Could I use organic unsweetened applesauce instead of apple butter?
I haven’t tried it with the unsweetened applesauce. With apple butter it goes through a cooking process and is reduced down so I’m pretty sure they won’t substitute one for one. You certainly can try it though…
I’m really looking forward to making this bread & have most of the ingredients. I’m having trouble finding the apple butter in my local stores. I have plenty of pumpkin butter, do you think I could use that as a replacement?
I’m not sure that would work Tammy. The pectins found in apples is what makes this recipe non-crumbly. You can find the apple butter on Amazon. Also, check in your local grocer by the jelly and peanut butter section.
I wonder if there is something wrong with the Amounts. Is it really 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour? I followed the recipe and it was so dry that I added an additional 1/2 C water, as well as the 3/4 called for, and it was still very very dry and dense. The total volume of dough filled my 9×4 loaf pan to the very top, and consequently, it was so dense it would not cook in the center. The flavour was great. Did you use small flake oats or the larger old fashioned oats?
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I’m sorry it didn’t work for you Catherine. I used the oats that I link to in the recipe: http://amzn.to/2Ea94er My guess is that your oats were the issue. My oats are closer to the consistency of old-fashioned oats.
I can’t get it to work either. After resting there was a little rise but nothing happened when I put it in the tin – it definitely didn’t double in size. The yeast was definitely working as there was plenty of froth after adding the water. The only thing I substituted was the apple butter – you say in the recipe that it’s an alternative to xanthum gum, so I used that instead as I couldn’t find apple butter. The dough was not really like a batter – it was thicker than cement… When I put it in the tin, it actually needed pushing into shape. I thought as it cooked the rise would sort out the slightly mangled surface but nope, it stayed exactly as dense as it was when I put it in the oven. It didn’t rise or really start to brown, even after 1 hour, so I took it out and honestly, this thing could sink ships! The centre does not appear to be cooked but I’ve no hope that it will do so now. There is no air in it at all. Just a heavy, solid lump. What have I done wrong?!
I would love to try this one but I’m supposed to avoid tapioca. I would rather stay away from the starches. Is there something else I could use instead?
Hi Maire,
The starches are needed in this bread and in most gluten-free bread as there is no wheat to hold the structure together. You could search for a gluten-free bread that is made primarily with nut flours and coconut flour but it will have a totally different texture and taste. I prefer this bread and just eating it in moderation.
This bread is amazing!! I have been gluten free for several years and have recently been trying to eat less products that contain rice flour. I am so excited to have found this recipe! I didn’t purchase the pan you recommended yet, and just used a regular loaf pan. The bread is definitely smaller in size, but I don’t mind it at all. I sliced the loaf once it cooled and keep it in the freezer. Excellent taste and texture. Thank you so much!
I forgot to rate it?
I’ve made this recipe twice – once with a 4″x9″ loaf pan, the second time with a slightly larger loaf pan. Both times the batter rose and started overflowing the pans. Both loaves tasted great, but the amount of batter seems to be too much for my loaf pans. Unfortunately, even though I cover the pan with an oiled sheet of plastic wrap, the loaf falls when I remove it and baking does not re-establish the rise, so the loaf is high on the sides and low in the middle. I’m going to cut the ingredient amounts by 1/3 to see if that keeps the overflow from happening.
This bread is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. This will be my bread of choice going forward. ❤️
Hi Halle,
can i substitute the apple butter for apple sauce? (if so same amounts?)
I live in australia and we dont have the apple butter.
Thanks in advance 🙂
You would need to cook down the applesauce a lot to make apple butter. You can find instructions online. The apple butter is delicious.
I made this bread today and was pleased with the outcome. I could not find tapioca flour, so I used brown rice flour instead. Also, I used a 9X5 bread pan instead of the recommended 9X4. The bread cooked evenly and slices well. This is definitely a sandwich bread as stated. If you are looking for a sweet tea bread, you will have to add more sweetener. I have not tried to toast it, but I am hoping that it does well. I see no reason why it should not. Thanks! I am gluten sensitive, and this is the first time a recipe for GF bread has actually passed muster. No more oat crackers for me!
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Note: There is additional water in some of the notes. Even so I added 1/4 cup more water and the batter was still very thick. I think I will add even more next time.
My bread turned out very nice with arrowroot flour substituted for the tapioca flour.
I like that this recipe is not primarily starch as is the case with many GF breads.
My batter rose nicely but ‘fell’ a bit after putting it into the oven. I notice the top of the loaf in the photos above is slightly concave so perhaps this is normal?
★★★★
This is our new favorite GF bread! The texture is wonderful and It has a great nutty taste! I double it and divide between 3 loaf pans. I have made it many times now. I have not purchased the pan she uses/mentioned.
Also…I slice the loaves and separate every 2 slices with wax paper and freeze each loaf in a bag. That way I can pull out 2 slices at a time for a sandwich or toast.
First time making any bread and I love it. It is more dense than regular but Holy Moly it’s so much better then store bought gluten free. This recipe is good and forgiving and I will make it again!
The amounts are correct. It didn’t rise much in the 30 minutes after mixing and I was worried. But once I put it in the bread pan and set it on top of the stove it did almost double in height. For goodness sakes don’t add more water cuz you think the batter is too dry. Even I know what that does. I love it!
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Hi I am looking to make this recipe but wanted to know if I could use oat flour instead of the rolled oats. If so what would the quantity be changed to? I’m also going to use my homemade apple sauce instead of the apple butter for now.
Thanks,
Sharon
This bread is moist and delicious and has a great texture. I used a 9x5x3 bread pan, which is all I had available. I followed the recipe precisely other than substituting arrowroot starch for the tapioca starch. The batter had risen a fair amount after the initial 30 minute rest and did not lose height when I transferred it to the bread pan. When the batter rose 1/2” above the lip of the pan I got nervous about overflow and put it in the oven (gas oven on the convection bake setting at 350, middle rack). The top was getting brown at the 40 minute mark, so I tented the loaf with foil at that point. It was done at 50 minutes and it did not fall in the middle after I removed it from the oven. It’s not going to last very long around here because it’s so good!
I can’t wait to try this recipe!! I have a sensitivity to rice and it’s SO hard to find a gluten free bread recipe without rice flour. I also have a sensitivity to apples. Could I substitute homemade pear sauce in place of the apple sauce????
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Hi! I don’t have much experience with baking bread, can applesauce by used to substitute for apple butter? does arrowroot work to replace tapioca flour?
You would need to cook down the applesauce a lot to make apple butter. You can find instructions online. The apple butter is delicious.
Others have successfully used arrowroot.
I want to try this bread, but it sounds like the oats are not pre-soaked according to the recipe. Is pre-soaking assumed?
No
I am vegan, so I had to make a substitution for that. I used Chia seeds. That worked fine.
I did note that my “batter” seemed dry–not like a batter, closer to a bread dough one might knead. So I added more water. Still, when I checked the rise @20 minutes in, I could tell it was still too heavy to rise. So I stirred in more water.
The bread turned out very good. I’m going to make it again this week. I have a hunch it will turn out better when I incorporate all my adjustments from the get-go (e.g. not stirring it down after it’s already sitting to rise).
The only recommendation I have is to make sure ALL the water you use is “warm.” Don’t add any cold water. That will slow down or stop the yeast. Water should be at 105-115F. If people are having trouble with the rise, then it may be either a too-dry batter and/or cold water.
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Halle, this recipe looks so light and fluffy! I love it! I’m a big fan of oats and I can’t wait to try it!
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Thanks for sharing this. I really enjoyed reading it. It is very good. This is interesting as well as very engaging. I couldn’t stop until I finished it.
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