This Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Rosemary Bread will impress any gluten-free skeptic! It’s got a wonderful crumb and makes a fantastic edition to any (vegan) cheese plate. I promise, gluten-free bread has never tasted this good!
The best Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Rosemary Bread!
I love the combination of these flavours. It’s not your typical loaf of bread, it definitely has a fancier vibe to it. It might not be something you eat for breakfast every day, but it makes a great edition to a grazing plate or with some slices of vegan brie! It would make an amazing grilled cheese, too!
The instructions are a bit long because there are quite a few steps. I promise that once you get the hang of making gluten-free bread, it gets easier!
Please read all the instructions and follow the recipe to get the best results!
The Must-Use Ingredient to make this Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Rosemary Bread
The most important ingredient when making gluten free bread is the flour blend of course!I developed a Gluten-Free Bread Flour blend and that is what I have used in this recipe. Please, please, please use that blend. I cannot guarantee that any other flour blend will work. Gluten Free flour blends are all over the map — some are predominately bean flour, some are high in rice flour, some are mostly starch, some have xanthan gum and some do not. Sadly, if you want tasty gluten-free baked goods, you have to use exactly what the recipe says to use. If you use a different blend, you will not achieve the same results.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
My gluten-free bread recipes will start to sound like a broken record–but these instructions are very important!
Weigh the flour: Precision is key. We all scoop and measure things out different, and flour is one of the most consistently incorrectly measured ingredients. In order to ensure best results, I have indicated the flour and water in grams.
Hydrate the Flour: Gluten free bread is great in some ways — you don’t need to worry about gluten! Regular flour bread recipes often have very specific instructions because the way you work with gluten will effect the texture. Many people think that because there is no gluten in gluten-free bread, you don’t need to knead the dough or work it at all. But, you do. This dough is way too wet to knead, but you need to beat it for 5 minutes to ensure that the flours hydrate. I use a kitchen aid hand mixer with dough hooks, but my mom has had success using her food processor. You can do it by hand, but you’ll need some strong arm muscles! After 5 minutes of beating, your dough should almost look like butter cream frosting in texture.
Let the dough rise, then chill: Like most bread recipes, the dough will go through two rises. The first rise will be in the bowl you used to prepare your dough. You want to let it rise 1.5-2 hours, until double in size. The time will depend on your environment. If it’s a hot summer day and you have no AC, the rising time will be less. If it’s nice and cool, it’ll take longer. You’ll then put the dough in the fridge for 4-6 hours, or overnight. This helps make the dough easier to work with.
Bake:During the dough’s second rise, preheat your oven. You want to make sure it has heated properly. I turn my oven on to warm up when my bread is going through its second rise. Bake the bread in the middle rack, and have another rack at the bottom with an empty small roasting pan or something similar. When you put your bread into the oven, throw a cup of hot water into the pan, closing the oven door quickly after. This will create steam that helps the bread rise and get a crusty edge.
Other Vegan + Gluten-Free Bread + Baking recipes!
- Easy Sandwich Bread
- Sour Cream and Onion Biscuits
- Cardamon Scones
- Gluten-Free Cheese Olive Bread
MAKE SURE TO USE MY BEST GLUTEN-FREE BREAD FLOUR MIX FOR THIS RECIPE! YOU WILL NOTRECEIVE OPTIMAL RESULTS IF YOUSUBSTITUTE WITH ANOTHER BLEND.
4.6 from 5 votes
Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Rosemary Bread
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Rising and Chill Time
8 hrs 30 mins
This Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Rosemary Bread has a wonderful crumb and holds up beautifully! Gluten-free bread has never tasted this good!
Course:Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine:Bread
Keyword:Bread, Gluten Free, Plant Based, Rosemary, Vegan
Servings: 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 230grams My Best Gluten-Free Bread Flour mix, plus more for dusting - see note for link, no substitutions*
- 1 1/2 tspInstant Yeast
- 1tbspsugar
- 1tspsalt
- 210gramswater ( 3/4 cup + 2 1/2 tbsp)
- 1 1/2tbspOlive Oil
- 1/3cupdried cranberries
- 2tbspchopped fresh rosemary
- 1tbsporange zest
Instructions
Make the Dough
Whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the water and oil in a measuring up.
Using a stand mixer with the dough attachment, or a hand mixer with the dough attachments, slowly incorporate the liquid with the dry ingredients at a slow speed.** After you have added all the liquid, beat the dough for a full 5 minutes. You will notice the texture of the dough change. This step is very important to ensure that the flour hydrates properly.
Leave the dough in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours, until double in size. Rising time will depend on the temperature of the room -- if it's cold, it will take longer to rise. If it's warm, the rising time will be shorter.
Chill the dough for 4-6 hours, or overnight. This will help develop flavor but will also help you work with the dough as it will be very wet.
Prepare the Loaf
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle some flour on the centre of the sheet when the loaf will go.
Once your dough has chilled, fold in the dried cranberries, rosemary, and orange zest. The dough will be extremely sticky.
Using an oiled spatula (this helps prevent the dough from sticking), shape the dough into a ball in the bowl. Gently plop it onto the centre of the baking sheet where you have sprinkled some flour.
Wet your hands well and gently shape the dough into a ball. You must wet your hands or the dough will stick.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-45 minutes. It won't double in size this time around.
Bake the Loaf
Preheat the oven to 450 degreed Farenheit with one rack in the middle and one on the bottom. Place a small roasting pan (or somthing similar) to the bottom rack. When you put the bread in the oven, you'll pour hot water into the pan to create steam. You want the oven to be very hot and at temperature, so I like to have it running a good 30 minutes before I plan to put the bread in the oven.
Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the top of the loaf with flour (not necessary, but makes it look more artisinal!) Have 1 cup of hot taper water ready to use when you place the dough in the oven.
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack and quickly pour the hot water into the pan on the bottom rack. Close the oven door quickly. This technique creates steam which helps the bread rise and also get a nice crust.
Bake the loaf for approximately 35-40 minutes, it will be a deep dark brown.
Once the loaf has cooled slightly, remove it from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. Let the loaf cool COMPLETELY before cutting into it. If you cut it too early, the texture will not be as good.
Store the Loaf
After you have cut into the bread, store it in a paper or plastic bag. If using a plastic bag, do not seal it completly. You can also loosely wrap it in plastic wrap. It is best if eaten within 2 days, but I've kept it longer and it holds it's texture pretty well.
Recipe Notes
*I worked a long time to create a perfect flour blend and this recipe was designed specifically to work with thisblend. I have not tried this recipe with other blends and cannot guarantee you will achieve the same results. Thereare sooo many gluten free flour blends out there and they are all so different. I highly recommend using my blend,linked above and in the post.
**My mom has successfully used a food processor. You could also do this by hand but it will take a while!
If you make this recipe, let me know by tagging me on social media @theveganharvest or commenting below!
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