Great gluten free bread is something we all seek, and many of us pine for when it’s not readily available. And I’m not talking about those frozen loaves you find in nearly any supermarket nowadays. I’m talking about GREAT gluten free bread: soft, aromatic, yeasty and oh-so edible slices of fresh-baked heaven.
If you don’t have a gluten free boulangerie around the corner (and honestly, most of us definitely don’t!), then you need some great gluten free bread recipes. Like this one for Gluten Free Irish Brown Bread.
This dense, dark loaf has a deep, nutty flavor that’s just begging for a thick pat of butter. Served for breakfast or for supper with a hearty stew, this popular traditional bread finds its way onto nearly every Irish table and now it can find its way onto yours, gluten free.
My gluten free Irish Brown Bread recipe embraces the spirit of true brown bread — made from whole grains and dark treacle (molasses).
Rather than whole wheat grains, its hearty texture comes from gluten free teff seed and golden flaxmeal, combined with the perfect chew from gluten-free oat flour. (For more on selecting safe gluten free oats, hop to my article on Gluten Free Oats Safe for Celiacs.)
And of course, my gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour holds it all together without adding any funky flavors or odd texture.
Bake it in a dark loaf pan to help the crust develop and become even darker (I used a light-finished pullman loaf pan here*). Then turn the bread out before the bake time is finished to obtain a crunchy crust all around. This lets you dip pieces into yogurt or mead without crumbling.
Or top with slices of avocado and herbs and you’ll have yourself a fourteen dollar slice of avocado toast that only cost a fraction of what it would at a fancy NYC restaurant. Oh, and it’s gluten free!
So if you’ve been seeking a gluten free bread that’s not white, or one that’s got nutty, whole-grain flavor and texture, this one really satisfies! Also take a look at my Gluten Free Pumpernickel Bread Recipe. And of course use the search bar at the top of every page to search for all kinds of other great gluten free bread recipes like Gluten Free Pull Apart Rolls or Gluten Free Crescent Rolls.
And if you’re looking for Irish recipes, in particular, I have lots! Just use the search bar and search “Irish”. Here’s my favorite Easy Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread recipe, for example.
For an even easier way to get great gluten free sandwich bread from the oven or a bread machine, check out my award-winning gfJules Gluten Free Sandwich Bread Mix!
Happy Bread Baking!
Gluten Free Irish Brown Brown Bread
Gluten Free Irish Brown Bread Recipe
Hearty, whole grain Irish Brown Bread made gluten free!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 Tablespoons teff seeds
- 3/4 cup less 1 Tablespoon golden flaxmeal
- 1/2 cup certified gluten free, purity protocol oat flour (you can make your own - here's how!) or try millet flour
- 1 + 1/4 cup (169 grams) gfJules Gluten Free Purpose Flour
- 2 + 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 + 3/4 cups warm water (105°F–110°F), more as needed
- 2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses or 2 teaspoons dark treacle
- 1 Tablespoon mild cooking oil (like avocado or olive) or melted coconut oil
Instructions
- Spray a nonstick 9-inch pan or Pullman loaf pan lightly with cooking oil. Line pan with parchment paper for best results.
- In a large bowl, whisk together teff seeds, golden flaxmeal, gf oat flour, gfJules Flour, yeast and salt.
- Place warm water in a separate bowl with molasses and oil; stir to mix.
- Slowly stir liquid mixture into dry ingredients, combining with a fork as mixture gets thicker. Dough should resemble thick oatmeal. If it’s too dry, add more warm water, a tablespoon at a time.
- Scrape dough into prepared pan. Smooth the top with a wet rubber spatula. It shouldn't be crumbly.
- Dampen a clean kitchen towel and place it gently over the bread pan. Set pan in a warm, draft-free place to rise 20 to 30 minutes or until dough reaches the top of the pan (an oven preheated to 200F then turned off works well). Remove towel from pan.
- Place pan in oven preheated to 450°F with an oven-safe bowl of ice cubes on a lower shelf to add steam. Bake 20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 400°F. Release loaf from pan by pulling up on the parchment paper. Place loaf (without pan) on the parchment paper back in the oven. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 205°F and bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- When done, remove from oven. Let loaf cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
1 slice contains 129 calories, 3g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 2mg sodium, 23g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 1g sugars, 3g protein.
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*Some links to products I use or recommend may be affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own. See my disclosure policy for more information. Purchasing through affiliate links does not cost you anything extra, but brings a small payment back towards maintaining this site and allows me to keep bringing you free recipes. I hope that in the process, you’ll learn about some of the safe gluten free products I choose for my family. Thanks so much for your support!
Another Jules recipe hits it out of the park! Made the brown bread today (with substitutions) and it came out perfect!
We can’t do oats or flaxmeal so I did the following:
150 gr Teff flour
104 gr Millet flour in place of flax
68 gr Buckwheat flour in place of oat flour
Didn’t need any additional water, was like thick oatmeal as Jules said. (My gluten eating husband said inside was softer than the store bought loaf he had 😁). It’s really good, I can’t wait to eat more tomorrow. Thanks Jules!
BEAUTIFUL!!! Thanks so much for sharing your gorgeous bread pic and also what you used as ingredient subs where you needed to make changes. It helps so much to see what works for others. I love the alternatives you used – so creative! and obviously it turned out great!!!
~jules
Like Elizabeth, I also cannot find Teff seeds anywhere near my vicinity, even at Natural Grocers. I wondered if I could substitute Hemp seeds, which wouldn’t have to be cooked ahead of time like the quinoa she asked about.
What can I substitute for TEFF SEEDS? I am in Oklahoma, and any place I have searched locally does not sell them.
Also, can I use this recipe in my bread machine?
Amazon carries a lot of Teff flour, that’s what I used (see my review above). Used brown Teff flour (Bob’s Red mill stone ground), not ivory/blonde.
Sounds like delicious bread! Note that most people with celiac cannot eat oats or oat flour even when gluten-free (separated in growing, transporting and packaging from wheat and other grains as rail cars are not always washed out between loads or after wheat is hauled)
Hi Terri, so glad you like the sound of this gluten free Irish Brown Bread! You’re absolutely right about REGULAR oats being unsafe for those with celiac disease, but purity protocol oats are safe for well over 90% of celiacs. The trick is finding purity protocol oats versus traditionally grown and processed oats! You can find out more about why they’re considered safe and how to distinguish between them in my article on why oats are safe for celiacs.
~jules
I have baked both the gluten free Irish brown bread and the soda bread. The brown bread I’ve baked both in the oven and in a bread machine. Despite adding 15+ minutes to the bake time. They seem to be under baked in the middle. I have not used your flour, but Bob Mills 1 to 1 and Vitacost gluten free baking mix. Are these that different from your flour? Can I mix it myself? What are the amounts of each ingredient? Do you have any other suggestions?
Hi Zsuzsanna, check out this article for information on my flour blend and why it is actually different from others (and what makes it special!), but why all gluten free blends differ so much. Also, information on blending your own.
~jules
What could I substitute for the flax meal, I’m allergic?
Hi Mary, if you can do purity protocol oat flour, you just just use more of that instead, or you could use millet or buckwheat.
~jules
How large are the slices that you have provided the nutritional stats? I want to make this for a diabetic, a nursing mother, and a celiac. Looking forward to your answer. Thank you for such wonderful recipes and flour!
Hi Christine, I haven’t weighed the slices, but you can see from the photos that the loaf is full-sized. A standard loaf may be sliced into around 20 slices of bread. I hope that helps!
~jules
Hi Jules, Can your Gluten-free bread recipes be done in a bread maker?
Hi Cheryl, yes! Following the basic principles outlined in this article on baking gluten free breads in a bread maker. Enjoy!
~jules
Hi, can you advise what I can use instead of Teff seeds as I can’t get them at the moment. Can I use Quinoa or cous cous, does it need to be cooked?
Many thanks
Hi Elizabeth, I haven’t tried quinoa in this recipe as a replacement for teff seeds — you could give it a try, knowing that you’d have to work with the liquids to get the consistency right in the dough before baking, since teff and quinoa aren’t equivalents, and yes, you’d need to cook the quinoa first, unlike teff seeds. Couscous is NOT gluten free, so do not use that as an alternative! Perhaps you could order some teff on-line to try so you wouldn’t have to play around with the recipe too much and you would be certain the recipe would work out?
~jules
Yes thanks for that, I’ll wait until I get them online. I just wanted to make it straight away, looks so good. Thanks again, and for the recipe
Of course! I just don’t want you to be disappointed! I’m glad you’re eager to try the recipe. Let me know how it goes!
~jules
Can this be made in a bread machine? Also, just out of curiosity, is this a bread comparable to the brown loaves of yumminess from Outback I miss so much?
Hi Denise, you can definitely make this in a bread machine with a gluten free setting, just follow the standard gluten free instructions I give in this article on baking gluten free bread in a bread machine. I haven’t had the Outback bread before — does it look like this bread? I can’t wait to hear what you think – now you have me super curious!
~jules
Is there a substitute for teff seeds?
The teff is for the whole grain, brown bread flavor. If you’d rather not use them, sub with another gluten free whole grain that you prefer. Enjoy!
~jules
Wow, just like we remember. Best gluten free bread I’ve had in a long, long time! This recipe is a keeper. Your flour is amazing. Thanks so much Jules!
Wonderful to hear, Bjorn! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you’re loving this recipe and my gfJules Flour!
~jules
Hi – something’s missing with oven temp (see copy/paste) I have preheated 200^ to proof, but then do we keep oven at 200 for 20 min bake time? If so, then the ‘reduce heat to 400’ doesn’t make sense. Increase? Thanks in advance for the clarification.
Dampen a clean kitchen towel and place it gently over the bread pan. Set pan in a warm, draft-free place to rise 20 to 30 minutes or until dough reaches the top of the pan (an oven preheated to 200F then turned off works well). Remove towel from pan.
Place pan in preheated oven with an oven-safe bowl of ice cubes on a lower shelf to add steam. Bake 20 minutes.
Reduce heat to 400°F. Release loaf from pan by pulling up on the parchment paper. Place loaf (without pan) on the parchment paper back in the oven. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 205°F and bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Hi Nancy, the first line of the recipe reads: “Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray a nonstick 9-inch or Pullman loaf pan with cooking oil. Line pan with parchment paper.” I hope that helps clarify it! Happy baking!
~jules
How beautiful looking. But I and several of my GF friends cannot eat oats, not even GF oats. Never could, don’t think ever will. Is there some other thing that could be used in place of oats? I most often use quinoa-not the same flavor, but similar ‘feel’. Hemp is not my friend (at least, not hemp milk) and neither is buckwheat (another weird allergy). So I am limited even in alternatives. Help? Thank you!
Hi Eileen, I’m sorry for my delayed response – for some reason I missed your comment earlier! I would recommend millet flour. I like the mild taste and texture and it should work in this recipe as a substitute for gluten free oats. Enjoy!
~jules
Looks yummy. I’m new to teff, sorry if this is a dumb question, but could teff flour be used instead of teff seeds? I have a GF family member who is also prone to diverticulitis and should avoid seeds… Thanks, Sam
No worries, Sam, and no question is dumb, especially when it comes to gluten free baking! Teff seeds are used to make the teff flour, so if avoiding seeds, your family member probably needs to avoid the seed flour, as well. Buckwheat flour might work here instead, but I haven’t tried it myself yet.
~jules
So, do you think teff flour would work? Would you use the same amount?
Hi Sara, what flour would you like to substitute with the teff? Is it the teff seeds or something else?
~jules
Jules, I can eat teff flour but not the seeds due to diverticulitis (it’s not the teff, it’s the seeds that can’t be digested). Can you substitute teff flour for the seeds 1:1 or should a lesser amount be used? Thanks
Careen
Hi Careen, you may use teff flour in place of the seeds; if you find that the dough seems too dry or crumbly though, stir in another 2-3 tablespoons liquid to the dough before baking. I hope you love the recipe!
~jules
Jules – How many grams of teff seed or teff flour would you need for this recipe? I am also looking for ways to use more teff flour (e.g., Ethiopian injera) Thanks!
It’s like you read my mind! I was just saying how I bought this bag of teff and have no idea what to do with it – this is perfect!
Wow – that is perfect timing! Enjoy the recipe, Alisa!
~jules
Could this recipe really be gluten free?? I am so impressed with it! I missed my brown bread, but not anymore! This was delicious.
YAY! That’s so fantastic to hear, Noelle! How wonderful that you have authentic brown bread back in your life! Thanks so much for letting me know you tried the recipe and enjoyed delicious success!
~jules
This bread looks so delicious! Love that it’s gluten free! Perfect for toast and sandwiches!
Hey Jules, I am super excited to make this recipe (I’ve been DYING for a good non-white gluten free bread!) But… I don’t have a Pullman pan and don’t really want to spend $23 to get one that I would only use for this. (Unless you have other recipes that would use it?) Could you please clarify if you’re referring to a 9 inch square pan as an alternative? It’s just not quite clear in the recipe. Thanks!
My children haven’t had brown bread. This is definitely make then super excited. Where can I get teff seeds?
Hi Rozelyn, I’ve linked to the teff seeds that I used to develop this recipe in the recipe. Let me know if you still have troubles finding it!
~jules
This bread looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it out!