Gluten Free Plait Bread

Gluten Free Plait Bread is a delicious alternative to traditional Guyanese plait bread. With a similar flavor and texture, this gluten free bread is perfect for sopping up pepperpot this holiday season.

Gluten Free Plait Bread

If you are looking for a gluten free alternative to the plait bread we know and love, this is it!

This gluten free bread has been a real labor of love, with many trials and errors. The final results is a buttery bread with the perfect tender crumb. Have any bread lover take one bite and I bet they wouldn’t be able to tell it’s gluten-free!

But if you don’t have an issue eating gluten and want to make traditional plait bread, here is a great wheat-based plait bread recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Gluten Free Plait Bread Recipe

• The Best Gluten Free Bread: It has taken about two years for me to get here. I’ve tried many combinations of gluten free flours and while the results have been good, nothing would hold the braid/plait I wanted to achieve to mimic Guyanese plait bread, until now!
• Versatile: This tastes amazing on its own but also pairs well with a variety of saucy Guyanese dishes.
• Very Few Additives and Preservatives: While making an effort to meet dietary needs, we often compromise in other ways. Luckily, this recipe has limited additives and preservatives but still tastes really great. This has been a quest of mine for so long and I am happy to be here!

Ingredients for Gluten Free Plait Bread

Wth the exception of the gluten free flours, the ingredient list is typical for most homemade bread recipes.

• Gluten Free Flours: I use a combination of King Arthur’s measure for measure gluten free flour and potato flour. I added some potato flour to this measure for measure flour to get the dense texture of Guyanese home made bread perfect for sopping up pepperpot gravy. I found that the other gluten free bread flours produced a doughy and heavier bread than what I wanted. But this combination seems to be the key to many flour blends that mimic wheat products. It does not have the grainy consistency of most gluten-free breads and cakes.
• Salt: Salt not only adds flavor but also has preservative properties that can help extend the shelf life of bread by slowing down the staling process.
• Butter: The fat content in butter helps tenderize the crumb of the bread, giving it a softer texture. It also contributes to a finer and more delicate crumb structure.
• Dry active yeast: This leavening agent causes the dough to rise. Ensure you use a gluten-free yeast.
• Warm water: The water should be 110°F. Warm water activates the yeast, promoting faster yeast fermentation.
• Brown sugar: this activates the yeast, sweetens the bread, and contributes to the browning of the crust through the Maillard reaction.
• Warm milk: This enriches the dough, for a softer and more flavorful crumb.
• Eggs: Adding eggs enriches the bread, adding flavor and moisture.
• Baking powder: This leavening agent contributes to the texture, ensuring the dough rises properly.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Gluten Free Plait Bread

The right mix of flour

Dissolve sugar in warm water, then add yeast and allow to activate. Then add measure for measure gluten free flour and potato flour to the bowl of your stand mixer and add salt. Mix in 1/4 cup of butter using your paddle attachment until a crumbly texture forms

Blending the flour together with the butter came together quickly using my paddle attachment, but I’ve also done it in a bowl using a fork or my fingertips. Use the method that you are most comfortable with because all produce similar results.

The right consistency in the gluten free dough

Most sandwich type gluten free bread recipes I’ve seen on the internet have a dough that is more like a batter. That makes it tremendously difficult to form the bread into a braid or plait. For this recipe, the dough is soft and spongy. It is slightly sticky but not to the point where you can’t work it. Add some oil to your fingertips if it is too sticky to work and of course, you can always dust it with some of the measure for measure gluten free flour.

After letting the dough rise for 45 minutes, it expands and sometimes it cracks a little. This is normal. I’ve made this gluten free plait bread quite a few times and every time it cracks. But don’t worry we will pull it back together when we are forming it into the braided loaf.

Braiding the gluten free dough

The dough is very soft and must be handled with care. Instead of using my regular pastry board, I am using a silicone baking mat and a light dusting of gluten free flour. When braiding I simply crisscrossed the three strands of dough until it was braided from end to end. Then I gently lifted the dough onto a greased baking sheet. It is important to let the dough rest and rise for another 45 minutes before baking for the best results.

This gluten free plait bread is best served warm

When the gluten free plait bread is done baking, I remove it from the oven and immediately brush it with butter. Then cover it and let it cool down just a bit.

The bread has a slightly rough exterior because the gluten free dough was not a smooth dough. I’ve tried many different methods to try to smooth the dough and always end up with the same results. It’s not the most perfect or prettiest dough but it is yummy!

Look at that beautiful texture

The texture of the dough is soft, but dense. It has a nice crumble and the folds of the plait are perfect for pulling apart to sop up pepperpot. I had a piece fresh out of the oven with butter and it was heaven.

Storage

If you have leftover bread, reheat it in the microwave or toast it before serving.

Tips for the Best Gluten Free Plait Bread

• Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough from your mixing bowl if it is too sticky.
• I recommend using a silicone mat to work the dough when braiding. If you don’t have one, liberally dust your surface with gluten free flour.
• This is not a quick bread and really takes time to come together. It is important to let the dough rest and rise for another 45 minutes before baking for the best results.
• Serve this bread while it is still warm from the oven. The first time I made this bread, I let it cool all the way before slicing and trying it and I noticed it became a bit stiff.
• Put freshly baked bread in a large ziplock bag or bread bag before it cools completely to keep it moist.

Frequently Asked Questions