I have never baked a gluten-free bread before. Neither my husband nor I do have celiac disease. And truth be told, I don’t know much about baking gluten free. But when Amy Chaplin, who is one of my favorite vegan/vegetarian chefs, posted this recipe on her blog I was intrigued.
To be honest, I wanted to read more about it not because it was gluten-free, but because it was made with using millet and buckwheat (both of which are super healthy grains) instead of all-purpose flour. Even though there are many similar bread recipes out there on the Internet, I usually have a hard time figuring out where to start when it comes to baking bread using ancient grains.
But when she posted this recipe, I knew that it would be a good one to start with. Luckily as suspected, it didn’t disappoint. This bread is so easy to make, even for someone like me, who is learning her way around the world of vegan/gluten-free baking. It also is foolproof.
To make it, in addition to millet and buckwheat Amy uses an ingredient called psyllium seed husk (or also called psyllium husk). The first time I read about psyllium husk was a year ago, when David and Luise of Green Kitchen Stories posted a recipe called Cashew Rawgurt. It was basically yogurt made with cashews instead of milk.
They used psyllium husk to give it a creamy consistency that was similar to the consistency of yogurt. But then, more and more I read about gluten-free and healthy baking ingredients, I realized that it is a much more of a common ingredient than I thought.
After some research and surfing through the Internet, I found out that psyllium husk (the photo above is what it looks like after it was mixed with water):
- Is a natural source of soluble fiber that doesn’t include wheat, and therefore it is gluten-free.
- Has multiple health benefits, because when mixed with liquids it turns into gel, which acts like a sponge and absorbs toxins in the digestive tract. Because of this reason, people with constipation and irregularity issues are advised to incorporate it into their diets.
- Is used in gluten-free baking, because due to its gel-like structure (when mixed with water/liquida), it acts like gluten giving body to baked goods. It is mostly used when baking gluten-free bread, pizza dough, rolls, pasta, etc.
- Is sold in the gluten-free baking section of the supermarkets as either in capsules or in powder form. (This recipe uses the powder form. In particularly, this brand.)
With all that being said, there are many resources on the Internet cautioning people as some allergic reactions to pysllium husk have been recorded. Therefore, if this is your first time consuming it, I recommend trying in a small dose before using it to bake bread.
You could also do what I did; simply add a tablespoon of it in a smoothie (another popular way of incorporating it into your diet) to see if you react to it in a negative way. Luckily, both my husband and I were totally fine after we drank our smoothies.
About This Millet Buckwheat Recipe
In her blog post, Amy posted a halved version of this recipe. However, she suggested that it would be fine to double it, which is what I did. To make the dough, you use a food processor. If you have a regular 9-cup food processor like mine, you may find that when all the ingredients are placed in it, it may look like it is too much. For this reason, on my first try I made two separate batches, mixed them in a bowl, and then baked them together.
But on my second try (which is the bread in the photos), I placed everything in the food processor at the same time. It was quite full, but I stopped every 8-10 seconds to scrape the bowl during the process to make sure that everything is mixing evenly. Either way, they both turned out nicely. So it is totally up to you and your preference. Also if you want, you can half the recipe for a smaller loaf.
On a final note, it is imperative to score the bread twice- once before it goes into the oven and an additional time after it has been baking for 40 minutes. Doing so lets some air into the dough for it to cook properly. Since it is better to score it in the same place, I suggest sprinkling it with the seeds prior to scoring it for the first time. That way when it is time for you to score it again you can easily see the marks.
Other Gluten-Free Recipes You Might Be Interested In
- Almond-Kasha Porridge with Ginger and Pineapple
- Overnight Coconut Buckwheat Porridge
- Sorghum Pilaf with Lentils, Feta, and Grapes
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Fresh Peas and Ricotta
- Gluten-Free Almond Flour Bread
- Need more inspiration? Check out all our bread recipes
Millet and Buckwheat Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat groats
- 1 cup millet
- 3 cups filtered water
- 1/2 cup psyllium whole husks (I used Yerba Prima brand), 1.5 oz.
- 1 1/2 + 1 cups, (9 oz.) rolled oats, divided (Gluten-free type)
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 tablespoons walnut, coconut or olive oil would work too oil
- 2 teaspoons ground flax seeds
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Place buckwheat groats and millet in a large bowl. Pour enough water to cover at least 2 inches from the top. Allow it to soak for 10 hours or overnight.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Drain the buckwheat and millet combination in a strainer. Rinse well and set aside. (Buckwheat will be slimy so it is important to wash it well.)
- Place psyllium whole husks in a bowl and add the 3 cups of water. Mix and set aside. 5-10 minutes should be enough.
- Place rinsed buckwheat groats, millet, and 1 1/2 cups oats in the bowl of a food processor. Process until completely combined and grains are almost completely broken down, 45-50 seconds. You may have to scrape the bowl 1 or 2 times.
- Add in the soaked pysllium husks, rest of the oats, baking powder, sea salt, and oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process until everything is combined, 30-45 seconds. Make sure to stop and scrape the bowl a couple of times.
- Transfer the dough into the prepared loaf pan. Spread it out using the back of a spatula.
- Combine flax, chia, sesame, and sunflower seeds in a bowl.
- Sprinkle half of the seeds on top of the bread. Using a sharp knife, score the top of the loaf in several places. (For a visual, see the photo above)
- Sprinkle the rest of the seeds and place it in the pre-heated oven.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Remove and re-cut the places you scored earlier to let some of the air in for the inside of the bread to fully bake. Return it to the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out slightly sticky.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes on the kitchen counter and remove it from the pan.
- Before slicing it, allow it to come to the room temperature.
- You can store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is adapted from Amy Chaplin’s Gluten-Free Millet and Buckwheat recipe.
Should the buckwheat & millet soak up the water and expand? Mine didn’t and I’m getting a little nervous… Wonderful recipe btw!
No you should be fine. If they look like the second photo (after they are drained) you should be fine.
Hope this helps.
Looks so good! Would this bread work as bread for dressing? I have a lot of food allergies and I am the one cooking this year for Thanksgiving. I am making something I want!!
Hello Kim,
It is hard to say as it depends on what you are expecting from “Thanksgiving dressing”. I would say yes, but I think it would be more realistic to expect that your version of dressing would be very earthy and nutty.
And yes, I am all about making something you want. I hope you will like it. Cheers!
Oh Gosh! I made this bread so many times and it never failed. Such a solid recipe.
Thanks for sharing.
I am so happy to hear that Brittney. Thanks for letting me know.Cheers!
This looks and sounds delectable! Unfortunately, I don’t have a food processor to use raw millets/buckwheat. Does anyone know if I can use store-bought millet/buckwheat flour instead? And, if so, at what rate compared to the raw ingredients? Thanks!
Hi Barrett,
As much as I would like to say it would work with store-bought flours, I truly don’t think that they would.
I hate to say this, but you really need a food processor for this recipe to work.
I hope this helps.
Hi,
I have spent days and several hours trying to find a buckwheat/Millet yeast-free vegan bread recipe. I’ve read all comments here and I’m so excited to give a try but my only problem is the oats – I have an allergy to them and I’m wondering whether I can substitute them with something else or increase the amount of buckwheat /Millet?
Thank you very much in advance for your reply.
Mariya
Hi Mariya,
I am so happy to hear that you found this recipe.
Sadly, it is hard for me to say if it would be okay to increase the amount of buckwheat/millet in the recipe without trying. However, if I were to guess, I would possibly go with a combination of both. Another alternative could be to swap some of the oats with almond flour, perhaps? Though like I said, it is really hard for me to tell you that these would deliver the same results without trying the recipe.
Hope this helps.
Hi! Can I use yeastinstead of baking powder/soda?
Hi Nahisha,
Even though I have not tried it, I truly doubt that yeast would work as a substitute for baking powder in this recipe. If you do try it,I would appreciate if you could let me know your findings. I hope this helps.
This recipe is brilliant! Do you think it would come out okay if I tried brown rice instead of buckwheat, and eliminated the oat flour by increasing each the millet and brown rice equally?
Hi Brittney,
Thanks for your kind words about the recipe.
This recipe is one of those recipes that I don’t feel comfortable with changing ingredients. The answer to your question is that i do not know. It may or it may not. I have made it a few times with different ingredients and the results were okay, but what I know 100% is that this recipe is perfect and it works.
I know this wasn’t the most helpful answer, but I want to make sure you get good results.
Hope this helps.
Can I replace millet with millet flour and if so how much?
Hi Jenny,
I do not think that you can. Or I should say, I do not know for sure. What I know is that in the past I made changes to this recipe and it didn’t turn out as it should. Therefore I wouldn’t suggest changing any of the ingredients.
I am sorry.
This recipe is genius! I just made it for the first time, and it is so much fun! It is magical to watch the dough devolop!!! The bread came out dense and moist and delicious! Any other suggestion to use instead of buckwheat? Thank you very much!
I just want to clarify the baking soda, is it really two table spoons? I’ve just never used that much but all the comments say how nice the bread is and didn’t mention the soda ,but just wanted to clarify anyway. Thanks????
HI Sue,
Yes it is. I understand what you are saying. I was the same way when I first read it, but it works. Keep in mind this is a large bread.
However, I just want to make sure it is not baking soda. It is baking powder.
Please make sure to read the blog post for some tips on using food processor. Also, Olga’s review above is pretty helpful too. I will make sure to update the blog once I get a chance to try her suggestions myself.
I am here if you have any more questions.
Thanks.
Aha! Thanks so much! I read it wrong! ????although I used half the “baking soda” and wondered why it exploded like a volcano out of my bread dish! But it actually still turned out nice although with a slight soda taste. I’ll do it as it is written next time!????Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and clarify, although I see now i was just reading it wrong! I’ll for sure read the blog again and the comments you mentioned. Thanks again!
Oh no!! I am so sorry about that. Sometimes it happens to me too.
I am so happy to hear that you liked it. Hopefully, next time it will turn out better.
Cheers!
Thanks so much! I’m trying it again the correct way! It’s still one of my favorite bread recipes so thank you for it!
Hi, I just need some advice. I made it again, just as in thw recipe, and although it rises really nice it ends up with a big air pocket and it took an extra hr to bake utility the knive came out only slightly moist. It tastes great but I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong in terms of the bake time and the big air pocket under the nice crusty top. Is it to wet? Maybe I’m not draining or rinsing the soaked grains enough? Would I be scoring it to deep each time? Thanks for your time and ideas????
Interesting… I really do not know why, but I doubt that it has anything to do with the scoring or the amount of rinsing you do with the grains. Quite frankly, I have never had any of these issues so it is hard for me to speculate. The only thing I can think of is the temperature of your oven. Do you use an oven thermometer? I know sometimes mine fluctuates. So I always turn the dish/baking sheet around in the middle of the baking process to ensure even baking in all sides.
I really can’t think of anything else. Sorry, I am not much of a help.