Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread

This gluten free Honey Oat Bread is so soft and light.  The touch of honey and oats give it that earthy, homemade texture and flavor.  There is no gluten free bread taste here.  It is so amazing, hot out of the oven, slathered in melted butter.  I have to stop my son from eating half the loaf when it is done!  I feel like a real pioneer woman making this homemade bread...and it is so easy to make...who knew?

Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread

You want to know something weird?  Sure you do. I never used to make fresh homemade bread.  It took me going gluten free to have the smell of fresh bread baking in my kitchen.  I mean, I had to find out I can't eat bread to get myself making my own bread!! Now is that ironic or what? It makes me want to jump with delight each time I pull one of these fresh baked babies out of the oven (and sometimes I actually do).

I was intimidated in the past with the idea of homemade bread.  All that working with yeast, letting it rise just right, kneading it,  punching it down...I don't know...it just seemed overwhelming.  This Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread is so easy to make, it's like pouring a bowl of cereal to me now!  I can't believe how it comes out.  Not only is it easy to make, but you will not think you are eating a gluten free bread.  Everyone I have served it to is in awe.

If you are one of those brave people who have made homemade bread in the past that was not gluten free (I look up to you and applaud you, by the way), don't expect the same look of the dough as you go through the steps of making this gluten free Honey Oat Bread.  In the beginning, it will be more like a thick cake batter, than a stiff dough.

Then after the first rise, it won't double in size like a traditional bread.  It will rise, but only slightly.  It's more like it gets fluffy.

After the first rise, you will put it in the bread pan to rise again.  It is important you don't let it get over the top of your pan as it rises, but just to the top, because if it does rise too high, it will drip and "melt" over the pan when baking and not only make a mess, but not look so good when baked.  It should look something like, after the second rise, just before putting it into the oven to bake.

Your final masterpiece should look something like this beauty. Golden brown on the outside, tender on the inside (I'm not talking about fried chicken here, so don't get confused).

Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread

Don't let making gluten free bread at home intimidate you.  You will be so happy when you make it.  Do a happy dance for me when you do, okay?

GLUTEN FREE HONEY OAT BREAD
Recipe from: Barefeet in the Kitchen
Shown on: Goodies Gone Gluten Free
click here for Printable Recipe

1 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cups GF oat flour (I grind up my GF oats)
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 tapioca starch
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 cup warm milk
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soft butter
3 large eggs

Place the flours, starch, yeast, salt and xanthan gum in a mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer.  Warm the butter and honey in a glass bowl or cup until the butter is melted.  Whisk or stir it together and set aside.  Using an electric mixer (hand mixer, or stand), gradually beat the warm milk into the dry ingredients.  The mixture will be crumbly at first, but once all the milk is added, it will come together.  Add the melted butter and honey to the mixing bowl and beat until thoroughly blended.

Add the eggs, one at a time.  Beat the mixture till each egg is thoroughly integrated before adding the next one.  Once you've added all the eggs, beat the mixture at high speed for 3 minutes.  This adds air to the thick batter, which helps take the place of the missing gluten as far as structure is concerned.

At the end of 3 minutes, the batter will look like thick, heavy butter cream icing, or cake batter; smooth and silky.  The dough will also be very sticky, and feel a bit gritty if you rub some between your fingers.  Leave the batter right in the mixing bowl and cover the bowl with a light cloth or plastic wrap.  Let the thick batter rise for 60-90 minutes.  This batter won't double in size, but it'll definitely puff up.

Gently stir the batter down.  Scrape it into a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.  Use your wet fingers, or a wet spatula or bowl  scraper, to smooth the top, eliminating any "wrinkles."  The smoother your loaf is before you put it into the oven, the smoother it'll be once it's baked.  Lightly sprinkle the top of the loaf with oats and press lightly into the loaf.

Loosely cover the pan and let the dough rise till it barely crowns at the rim of the pan, 45-60 minutes.  Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the bread for 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove it from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack.  Lightly brush with melted butter to help keep the crust soft, being careful not to brush off sprinkled oats.  Enjoy!