Light, fluffy, easy to make and not loaded with a million calories.
Oh yea. This is my new sandwich bread when we’re not eating wraps.
I ran out of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) Friday. It just added one more thing to the “to-do/to-get” list that was percolating in my head. I was in no rush, but I knew that I would miss them on my salads. When I spied a bag of the raw, dried pumpkin seeds while we were out yesterday, I was quick to toss them in to the mix of to-be-purchased items. And the second I had the pepitas in hand, my brain started trying to figure out what more I could do with them.
When I was a kid, my mom would have us save our pumpkin seeds from carving jack-o-lanterns and we would rinse them, toss them with a little salt and oil and she would roast them. Oh, were those good! I loved munching on the warm, roasted seeds in the cool October evenings. I enjoy them so much that I even saved the seeds from my mini-pumpkins (pie-in-a-pumpkin) to roast. However, I knew that wouldn’t hold me over. I had to pick up more.
Pepitas are actually quite versatile – and healthy. Snacking on the dried/raw pepitas or on the roasted ones is great. Tossing them by the handfuls in to salads, on to soups, or with yogurt for breakfast are also popular ways to munch on the seeds around here. We also like to add ground pepitas to salad dressings, sauces, etc. We’ve even ground them and added spices to use as a seasoned thin coating of “breading” on roasted pork loin or chops. (Ground pepitas, garlic, fennel, salt and pepper are my favorite combination.)
I wondered what these these tasty treats would do to a bread recipe. I had been plotting one that used much less starch than typical GF breads. I wanted to see if the texture would be better without as much starch. To be honest, I wasn’t sure the bread would even hold together. So this weekend I caved to my plot and had to give it a try. And I’m NOT sorry I did at all!
This bread is quite delicious – AND it’s light (!), airy (!!) and flexible (!!!). All of these descriptive terms are the ones I look for in a gluten free bread, ya know. After all, if I am forced to toast it or crumble it in order to “use it”, it’s not really for me. And even my gluten-eating Love thinks this bread is worth it too.
Each slice of bread (53g) has 120 calories, 5g of fat (2g saturated, 0g trans fats), 27mg of salt, 15g of total Carbs, 3g of fiber, 3g of sugar and 4g of protein. Each also has a decent amount of some daily values of vitamins/minerals. Each slice has 2% of your daily Vitamin A and Calcium as well as 7% of the daily recommend intake of iron.
The fiber content is good – as is the low sodium. Now… I just have to work on the calorie count. 🙂 Each of these slices have about the same number of calories that regular gluten-filled white bread has, but these are obviously gluten free and made from gluten-free whole grains.
Whatever the balance, we are enjoying this bread for paninis with our soup and sandwiches for work. I hope you get a chance to try it out as well.
Gluten Free Pepita-powered Bread
Makes one standard 9 x 5 loaf of bread
Nutritional analysis based on 18 slices per loaf (which is what we average)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (otherwise called Pepitas)
1/2 cup flax seed meal
3/4 cup millet flour
1/2 cup certified GF oats OR quinoa flakes
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 1/2 cups water (1/2 cup for proofing the yeast, the last 1 cup is added at the end)
1 1/2 Tablespoons pure GF maple syrup OR agave nectar OR honey
1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast
2 eggs
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
Directions:
- Warm 1/2 cup of the water (reserve the other 1 cup) to proof your yeast. Do NOT boil nor heat to steaming. Add maple syrup (or agave or honey) and yeast. Stir. Set aside to proof for at least 10 minutes. (Mine proofed for about 15 minutes and almost overflowed the 2 cup glass measuring container!)
- In the bowl of your food processor, dump the pumpkin seeds. Process until evenly ground. Add the flaxseed meal, millet flour, tapioca flour and oats (or quinoa flakes). Process again until evenly combined and oats (or quinoa flakes) have been mostly ground down.
- Pour ground flour mixture into the bowl of your mixer. Dump the proofed yeast mixture over the top. Add the eggs, xanthan gum, brown sugar, and melted butter. Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved water.
- Mix together on low or medium until the batter is even. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Mix again on low until the batter becomes an even consistency.
- Beat the batter on high for 5 minutes (no longer than 7 minutes).
- Prepare a standard loaf pan by spritzing the bottom and sides/corners with olive oil.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and push out evenly with a wet spatula.
- Set aside in a warm place and allow to rise until the dough rises just over the top of the pan (10-30 minutes, depending on your yeast).
- Preheat oven to 350F. Bake bread for 30 – 45 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 205F. (NOTE: Check the bread after 10-15 minutes to see if the top is getting too brown. You may need to cover the top of the bread with a piece of foil draped loosely over while it finishes baking.)
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool undisturbed for 5 minutes. Then remove from the loaf pan and place on a wire rack. (I lay it on it’s side so as not to lose the height.) Allow to cool for 30 minutes before cutting.
Enjoy!
-Kate
PS. This bread would also *look* great with a few pumpkin seeds and oats gently crushed an laid across the top prior to rising/baking.
Gluten Free Gobsmacked 
Oh I’m so making this ASAP. This looks soooooooo good and soft and can you tell I’m hungry?
Are you sure you didn’t buy that at the store and just put it on the plate for your photo!? That looks like the one store bought GF bread that I actually like. This will definitely be on my “to bake” list for when the weather cools a bit more.
Wow, yum… I definitely need to try this. You don’t need to toast it huh? That sandwich looks amazing…
One question — do you think it would still work out if you substituted the Tapioca Flour for a different flour??
Thanks!
Allie –
I much prefer the texture/flavor of tapioca flour for my starches over the other starch options. However, I think if you needed to, you could use potato starch (not flour). It will make a denser bread, but it will work. Cornstarch can also be substituted but will make for a thicker, gummier bread too.
-Kate
Kate,
this looks really good! I love pumpkin seeds too, but I generally toast mine. I’m going to buy some more raw seeds and give this a whirl soon. Am wondering how well it holds up? My family won’t touch my gluten free bread unless it is fresh out of the oven, hence, I get no help eating the bread and end up wasting too much of the loaf. I do freeze slices, but am hoping that the decreased starch makes this a bit more counter friendly! Let me know! Thanks for being so adventurous!
Gina
Gina –
Today is day three, and my sandwich bread is uncut and stored on the counter in a Ziploc bag. And my sandwich at lunch? OH MY – GONE before I even knew it! I was working/eating at my desk and thought about taking a picture, but looked down to see that I had just gulped down the last bite. LOL Yes- the bread is holding up VERY well. The edges (the ones that poofed over the edge of the pan while baking) are a bit flakier, but the bread as a whole is NOT crumbling. I happily ate a turkey sandwich today WITHOUT crumbling bread. I ate it just like all those gluten-eating, sandwich munchers! (And I even ate it over my keyboard… shame! shame!… without a crumb hitting the desk/keyboard.)
-Kate
That looks just beautiful! I have a bread that I love, that’s not too expensive, but I greatly miss variety! I may try this one.
What do you think of switching Teff for all or some of the Tapioca? It’s full of nutrients & good flavor. I’ve used Teff in a few items lately (like your Oatmeal On The Go), and really like the results.
Hi Stephanie
I would not switch teff for tapioca as the tapioca is acting as a starch. The starch in this recipe is quite limited, so I wouldn’t take it out altogether. However, if you wanted to add teff, you could replace the oats/quinoa with the teff or even 1/4 cup of the millet.
Good luck! You’ll have to come back and let us know how it works out!
-Kate
This looks so delicious! I’m on a mission to produce a loaf of gluten-free bread that I could pass off as “normal” – and this sure looks like it comes close from the pictures!
Actually, I was just tinkering with a recipe I found on an old web forum from about 12 years ago. It came out great – I made a mock rye bread that I’m really happy with. Take a look at the recipe on my blog if you’d like: http://mykueche.blogspot.com/2008/09/mission-accomplished.html
Thanks again for all the killer recipes!
It’s getting cool enough to bake in the mornings… maybe I will make a loaf! Thank you!
Thank you for posting this. Visually this bread reminds me of my pre-gluten-free favorite, Seeduction (from Whole Foods). Oh my gosh, if it tastes remotely like it, I’m in heaven!
Another bread that I have to try. It looks delicious!
I wanted to ask, by the way – is the 1.5 Tbs of yeast more than comes in one little packet? Is that the trick to getting it to actually rise over the edges of the pan? Or is it because of a thinner dough? This looks so good, I can’t wait to try it.
Ohh.. good question, Kristal. I’m sorry to say I just don’t know the answer. I have always bought my yeast in jars or large packages (like from Costco). Sorry I can’t answer that! Maybe someone else knows? -Kate
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It looks wonderful, and I plan to try it as soon as I can get some pumpkin seeds.
This bread is amazing. My wife baked some yesterday, and we ate it all the same day. She did another today and it came out a bit firmer, which made it even better.
This looks, feels, and tastes better than that regular bread stuff. Truly amazing. Thank you!
I’ll be passing on the link to your site to a few other GF people we know, with much praise!
Thanks, Dave!
I’m happy you both are enjoying this bread recipe as well. It’s been my sandwich bread for the week – and today was the last of it. It was flexible and delicious even through today. No need for the toaster in my classroom any more! HOORAY! 🙂
-Kate
Hey Kate,
I’ve had trouble getting the calorie and fat grams down on my recipes too. With all of the flax meal, I wonder if you could leave some or all of the eggs and butter out of the recipe?
I was thinking the same, Mary Frances.
I think the next loaf I make will use only egg whites (as the flax seed is a great binder too.) I’ve also considered taking the butter out and subbing apple sauce.
I was first going to just experiment with the flour/starch ratio since I was lowering the starch significantly over the other bread recipes I enjoy.
Thanks for the tips! I will test out the ideas on the next loaf! =)
Hi Kate-
This bread looks really good…..
I want to try it, but I have 2 questions for you. First, is there something I could sub for the millet flour? (sorghum prehaps?) & second, where do you get pepitas? Thanks!!!
Hi Kimbery –
Yes, you could substitute sorghum flour for the millet. The texture might change a bit (I predict a little more dense, but it will still be good!).
I buy pepitas at the grocer – near the nuts. I also buy them at the local food co-op. You can find them at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods as well (if these stores are near you).
=)
Kate
Kate, do you think almond flour could sub for the quinoa flakes, and oat flour for the millet flour? You don’t need the brown sugar, right? Also, how is the yeast you use typically labeled? I have some packets of Active Dry in the cupboard.
I’m definitely going to give this recipe a shot with some tweaks. Thanks for sharing. What a beautiful bread! 🙂
Kate, I’m fairly new to this whole GF stuff and have not found a bread that I like yet. I’m not that accomplished in the baking department but I did try this recipe on the weekend. I used the sorghum flour as I didn’t have millet. I put the dough in my 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and it raised and went over the edge. While it was baking it continued to overflow!! Anyway, I have the funny feeling I didn’t bake it long enough as it was very “sticky” when I tried to slice it and it stuck to the knife. Not sure if that’s suppose to happen or not. As far as flavor, it was very good but I had a hard time getting past the “sticky” feel. Any suggestions for this baking illiterate girl!! I’m assuming it’s not suppose to stick to the knife and probably should slice like an “ordinary” loaf of bread.
Hello Yvonne!
Welcome to the GF World. It takes a bit of practice, but you’ll soon be adept! No worries. 🙂
As far as the bread recipe goes, I think I would lessen the yeast a bit. (Yours seem a bit more potent/powerful than mine.) And I would make sure to cook it to an internal temperature of 205F. I found that to be MUCH more reliable than actual cooking/baking time.
I hope this helps!
-Kate
Kate,
I want to thank you a thousand times over for this recipe. I had been looking for a recipe w/ less rice flour. (I think rice is pretty high on the glycemic index) This bread is amazing! It does not need to be ‘refreshed’ in the microwave before making a sandwich & my 2 year old loves it too! Thank for making our daily GF eating more heathful!!!
Wonderful! Thank you for stopping by and letting me know that you enjoy this recipe too. I was quite happily surprised to learn that I didn’t have to put as much starch in to my bread recipes too. -And even better news to hear that the Little One loves it too! 🙂 That bodes well for my future then! LOL – Kate
Hi Kate! Thank you for your site! I was just diagnosed this summer and need to be gluten free and casein free. I’ve been trying to make my own breads as the simple white rice breads in the stores are so plain and so expensive. What temperature do you raise your dough at? In the oven? With the door open or closed? The dough doesn’t bake at this stage?
I’m having troubles in the rising process – sometimes it rises, sometimes it doesn’t. I put a warm wet cloth over the bowl and let it sit out on the counter – advice from my mother who used to make her (gluten) bread all the time. It’s not consistenly working, and I’m hoping to find a better method.
Thanks for any help,
Tania
Hi Tania –
I think rising is a bit finicky. When I lived in Chicago (warmer, more humid than here in the summers and much colder in the winters), I found that I could preheat the oven to 200F while I mixed up the bread. Then I would shut off the oven and pop the bread in to rise before baking. Out here in the PNW where it may rain more frequently, but it seems that the air is much less humid; I set the loaf pan on a folded towel and the place it in a warm corner of the kitchen and I aim a plant light at it. 🙂 I tend to drap a sprayed plastic wrap sheet over the dough to stop it from drying out. Otherwise, I use the oven like the Chicago preheating trick. I think it depends on your kitchen and yeast proofing temperatures, to be honest!
Hope these ideas help – maybe someone else will jump in here with ideas too?
-Kate
Wow, this bread looks great. I have been looking for something lower in carbs and this one qualifies. Love it! I may have to sub the tapioca (my girl has eaten it before but had her first, and so far only, anaphyaltic reaction in Aug and tapioca is top on the list). But the real issue is eggs. If anyone reading this (or Kate) has given it a try egg-free, please comment about how it worked out and what you used. I figure I can sub sunflower, coconut, or palm oil for the butter. Thanks again!
Kate! I have to tell you I tried baking this bread Saturday and I am totally amazed! I had given up trying to bake my own GF bread because it was such a laborious process that inevitably turned into disappointment. I thought I’d give this one a go, given your reviews of it, and it turned out fantastic!
Thank you for posting it and sharing with all of us!
To answer the yeast question: the typical packet contains 2.25 teaspoons of yeast. This recipe calls for double that, so you could measure out the 1.5 TBSP if you have jar yeast, or just use two packets.
Now for my question: can I use the pumpkin seeds that we scooped out of jack-o-lanterns tonight, or are pepitas prepared in some special way (or a certain variety)??
I have known I was a Celiac for three months. I have made many a gluten free loaf of bread but have always been disappointed in the results. Your bread looked just like what I have been wanting. It even drapes down on your sandwich. Today I made the bread just as your recipe says and tested to a 205 internal temp. It sank dreadfully and was gooey in the middle, so I am baking another loaf and it has done the same thing. What do you suppose has gone wrong? Maybe too much water? I ate a pinch from the side, and it has a wonderful taste, but is unusable due to the wet texture inside. I have cut it in chunks and will toast it to use in dressing, etc., but I wanted a good sandwich.
I’m so sorry to hear that the bread sank/fell.
I absolutely think it is the moisture/liquid.
Depending on how much it fell, I would suggest reducing the liquid at least by 1/4 cup, if not 1/2 cup.
I would also suggest baking the bread to 210F as well. And letting it cool slowly in a warm place before cutting.
I always find the my breads sink if they (1) have too much liquid and (2) cool too quickly (or I cut them too impatiently!).
I’m so sorry!
Please let me know how it works out if you do try it again.
Moisture/humidity are the biggest variables for me too.
-Kate
This has become our weekly bread.
When I made it this week, for the sake of variety I subbed almond meal / flour (Bob’s Red Mill) for the ground pepitas & it came out wonderful! Thank you Kate for this recipe! I don’t think I can ever use a mix again b/c this bread is so good, healthy, fast & easy!
Oh great, Kim! I’m so glad you like it too. I don’t think I’m going back to another bread for a while either. If there’s a loaf of bread in my house, it’s usually this kind! And thanks for coming back to let me know you like it! I appreciate that!
-Kate
This recipe’s combination of flours looks good. I’ve been baking gluten free ever since my diagnosis 8 years ago. Good bread is one of the hardest things to get right and I’ve developed my own, usually successful, technique by blending many ideas from others over the years. One of the things I’ve found is that many GF bread recipes use too much liquid, so I cut it down in most recipes. I also bake my bread in a covered casserole at a higher heat than usually called for, 400 or 425. This results in a crustier loaf that doesn’t tend to collapse, collapsing loaves being one of the more frustrating problem with GF bread. And, I don’t use the larger loaf pans. For me, a smaller loaf bakes more evenly, and again doesn’t fall as readily. I have a rectangular-shaped covered Corning casserole that makes the perfect shape for slices of bread for sandwichs.
I do two other things with most recipes. One is that I start a sour sponge the night before I want to make bread. I put half the flour ingredients in a bowl with the yeast and enough water to wet the flours. This, covered with a plate, sits in a slightly warmed oven (with the oven turned off) overnight or until the next evening. The result is a lovely bubbly sour-yeasty smelling mass. Then I finish the recipe (cutting down on the liquid ingredients). I’ve seen recipes for gluten-free sourdough starter that works in the same way that gluten-ed sourdough starter works. This overnight technique gets the sour flavor without the work of keeping a jar of starter going.
A drier dough is essential if I’m going to knead the bread, which I usually do unless I’m in a hurry. I like to knead, first of all because it’s such a nice kinesthetic experience, and second, because I think kneading turns out a bread with a good crumb and a smooth top. It’s a bit tricky, because a too dry dough leads to a dry bread. My silicone baking mat makes a good kneading surface for a sticky GF dough.
Although I get pretty good results with this technique, I’m still tweaking it, finding ways to make it better, which flour combinations work best.
This post got longer than I intended! Sorry for going on and on. I hope that by sharing ideas and techniques as much as possible people will find what works for them. Not every idea will work for everyone, but everyone deserves to eat good GF bread!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I attempted my first gluten-free bread making this weekend with your recipe and had great success. I was glad to find something that had some protein and fiber to the mix. I will be making this again and looking at your other bread recipes as well!
Have you tried making this in a bread machine? have 2 celiac kids so making bread a couple times a week but hard to do without machine as I work full time.
My son is sensitive to millet. What is a good substitute for this?
Hi Dawn –
I would use sorghum in place of millet. 🙂
-Kate
I made this bread today, and the kids loved it. I didn’t have any millet, nor did the local stores, so I used a four flour bean mix, and it was still a hit. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Kate, what size is your “standard” bread pan? I am Soooo disappointed as I made this today and once again my bread is collapsed in the center and promises to be a gluey, expensive, inedible mess. It rose beautifully. It looked fine baking. And now it’s a disaster. Any advice?
Gaile – I have no idea what is happening. My standard bread pan is a 9″ by 5″ pan. I have also used this recipe in the larger professional pan with success (a 10″ long pan). i’m so sad to hear that it isn’t working for you. Maybe it’s about the moisture? I would suggest lessening your liquids by 1/4 cup of the water first.
-Kate
I am so glad I found this recipe. I made a few substitutions but for the most part I stayed true to the recipe. It is without a doubt the best homemade gluten free bread I have ever made. I have tried and tried to create or find a recipe that was easy to make, worked as it should, was not overly starchy, and was healthy. I have found my recipe. I cannot thank you enough.
This bread sounds absolutely fabulous. I’ve been gf since last July and find the choice of breads difficult. So I’d like to try this recipe – also I live pepitos.
Question: Can I make this recipe in a bread maker? I received a bread maker as a gift a couple of weeks ago, and it’s turned out better bread than I’ve made on my own, but I would like something a bit more adventurous.
Thank you.
Ann
Hi Kate, I am wondering if there is something I might be able to replace the Pepitas with, since I do not have any at the moment. I seen that someone had used Almond Flour in place of, but I do not have that on hand either. I do though have various amounts of different flours on hand. I do remember the lady at Whole Foods said I could use Coconut flour in the place of Almond Flour, but I am not quite so sure. Any suggestions would be wonderful as I would really love to try this recipe out!
Ellen
hi kate!
it was your picture that made me write a comment. when i was in london last fall, there was this pret-a-manger store, where they serve sandwiches. oh i so fell in love with those.
but back in germany i could not find a good bread or toast, that can cope with my loss 😦
so i am really looking forward to bake this bread you proposed.
and if you ever go to london or an area where they have a pret store, try their sandwiches :)) i had a friend working in there, it make me feel home somehow 😛
thank you!
daniel
Hi Kate!
This bread looks great but I was wondering if you could leave out or substitute the flax seed meal for something else and the pumpkin seeds as my daughter is intolerant to many things but I would really love to make this for her. I have been looking through all your recipes and they look great. I’m going to make her the wraps to start with as she has not has bread or anything like that for about 6 months. She has trouble tolerating the commercial ones and they are really expensive. I have been searching for a while now and hope that this will agree with her. Thanks
Thanks for the recipe. I basically ruined the first two batches, but had success with the third. I live in the PNW and had to decrease the water by 1/3 cup. With my extra, soggy loaves, I made croutons and bread crumbs. Thanks again! Love your recipes 🙂
Hi, I live in Fiji and we do not have millet flour here. what can i Substitute for it?
Thank you
sorghum or brown rice are great substitutes for millet. 🙂
Vinaka ( thank you) Kate.
I am going to make this bread tomorrow . Will def post my results. Next question as I read the recipe properly. Can this be made by hand? I do not have a bread mixer or maker. I do know how to make normal bread. Same kneading techniques required here?
or is the mixer mentioned a ‘cake mixer’?
Lara – I use a stand mixer for all of my baking/cooking.
-Kate
Hi, I’ve made this recipe twice now and it’s fantastic! SO much better than the store-bought rice bread I’ve been eating. Thank you for posting this!
Christina
So I tried to make this bread egg free by using Ener-G Egg replacer and it didn’t turn out right:( As soon as I took it out of the oven it defalted immediately! My bread is all sunken in lol. Does anyone have any advice????
What did you modify to make it egg free? That will give us all a starting place. 🙂
I am obviously not egg-free, but maybe posting your modifcations can spark conversation with other more experienced egg-free bakers here.
-Kate
I used Ener-G Egg replacer for it…
Hi,
I need help. I have tried GF pepita-powered Bread now, for several times. Every time it comes out damp in the middle. I have measured and remeasured over many times and it still fails to turn out light and fluffy! It always sinks in the middle when cooling! I have baked it passed the recommended time deperately trying to allow the center to dry. Several times, I have had huge air holes in the bread and when I insert the thermometer into the bread it collapses. I need help because I have spent a lot of money repurchasing the ingredient in hope of succeeding! Do you have this recipe measured out in weight as opposed to cups?
Thanks,
Pen
Pen – The next time I make it, I will get the measurements in weights for you. For now, my only advice is to significantly lower the water in the recipe. I’m sorry it hasn’t work for you. =(
i am excited to try some of these breads!!! Can you tell me if any of these can be used in a bread machine?
Thank you
Dear Kate,
Many thanks for your blog. I think it is quite inspiring. We both share feelings because GF it’s really a great challenging in our life, discovering new products and also people with common interests. It’s not just food, it’s about the way we see our life.
By the way, I wonder if your Gluten Free Pepita Sandwich Bread doesn’t have salt in the recipe. I’ve added 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt to my Bread. Now it’s in the oven. I’ll let you know.
Many thanks.
Manuela -from Barcelona, Spain-
Hi Manuela –
I don’t always put salt in the bread. When I do, I use just a little (1/2 – 1 teaspoon). How did it work for you?
Espero que te haya salido bien!
-Kate
Your recipe looks amazing and I’m eager to try it. I’m just wondering what effect the raw pepitas have on the bread and would roasted work as well?
Good question, Annie. I’m not a food scientist – just an at home cook. I have not tried the roasted seeds because the raw ones are more tender and not salty. They are more like adding a nut meal rather than a dried powder. (If that makes sense!)
I made this bread today exactly as per recipe, it rose beautifully but when I took it out of the oven it fell and was queit moist. I did bake it for 40 min and checked the internal temp and it was higher than 205.I wonder where would be the best place to start tweaking. I’m thinking I should start with less water. Also, is there no salt at all in the recipe. I didn’t see any. I love the ingredients of this bread because it doesn’t have a truckload of starches. I was able to tell that the texture is great. .