Looking for a sandwich loaf with a little more character, with neat slices and cranberries that add just the right touch of tang? The crumb stays soft and lightly sweet, while the dried fruit balances that sweetness without overpowering it.
It’s just as good toasted as it is in sandwiches. The recipe is measured to the gram, with everything given by weight for accuracy from start to finish. You’ll find the rest of my gluten-free breads and pastries in one place.
What is gluten-free, lactose-free cranberry bread?
It’s a gluten-free, lactose-free yeasted bread baked in a loaf pan, with a crumb designed to stay tender even without gluten. The dried cranberries add a sweet-tart note and a slightly chewy texture that holds up well in the oven. The result is neutral enough for toast or sandwiches, but with more character than a classic white sandwich loaf.
In this version, the structure comes from a blend of gluten-free bread flour, psyllium, and a little baking powder alongside instant yeast. The psyllium absorbs water, creates a gel-like texture, and helps the dough retain moisture. It also provides the elasticity and stretch that gluten would normally bring, while reducing crumbliness.
Bread made with psyllium also turns out better than bread made without it. The baking powder works alongside the instant yeast to give the loaf more lift and a lighter crumb.
The main ingredients
Store-bought gluten-free bread flour is the easiest place to start if you don’t want to mix your own blend. This type of flour is designed to perform consistently across different uses, and choosing a reliable brand helps avoid failed batches. Brands like Schär or King Arthur offer dependable blends, with multiple flours and starches that keep the crumb tender without sacrificing structure.
Oat milk adds a mild sweetness that doesn’t overpower the other flavors, along with a creamy texture that works well in a lactose-free dough. Use it at room temperature, just like the beaten eggs. The plant-based butter should be well softened; it adds richness to the bread, and you can use any good store-bought lactose-free alternative.
Psyllium is essential here. Beyond helping the dough retain moisture, it also helps hold the cranberries evenly throughout the loaf, which matters in a gluten-free dough. Without that support, and if the dough is too wet during proofing, the cranberries can sink to the bottom.
The instant yeast helps the dough rise quickly, while the baking powder gives it extra support. In this loaf, it adds volume and helps keep the crumb lighter, since gluten-free dough is often denser than a classic one. Finally, dried cranberries hold their texture well during baking, which makes them especially well suited to this kind of sliced bread.
As for the pan, a Pullman loaf pan gives the bread a square shape that looks wider and works especially well for sandwiches. If you don’t have one, a standard loaf pan will work too.
Technical tips and pitfalls to avoid
Start by mixing the dry ingredients together: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the oat milk and psyllium, then let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes so the gel can form. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oat milk with the instant yeast, then add the eggs and psyllium mixture.
Mixing
Add the dry ingredients and softened plant-based butter to the wet ingredients, then mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Scrape down to the bottom of the bowl so no pockets of dry flour remain. The dough will be sticky; that’s normal.
If you’re making it by hand, use a wooden spoon. Mix, then knead very gently, just until the dough is uniform. Once it’s smooth, transfer it to another bowl.
Resting and shaping
Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or until it has doubled in volume. This chilling step is part of the method, so don’t shorten it. Then deflate the dough on a cool, floured surface.
Add the dried cranberries, then fold the dough to distribute them evenly. If it’s too sticky while shaping, add a little more flour. Shape it to fit the pan well, then place it in an oiled Pullman pan.
Proofing and baking
Cover the pan with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, then let the dough rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until it has roughly doubled. If the dough is too wet at this stage, the cranberries may sink to the bottom, which is why it’s important to keep the texture described above.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Once the dough has risen, put the lid on the Pullman pan and bake for 28 to 30 minutes. Depending on your oven, it may be closer to 27 to 30 minutes; use the same visual cue either way: the top should be golden.
When the bread comes out of the oven, let it rest in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
You’ll find the rest of my gluten-free recipes here.
Recipe developed by chef Rommel Reyes. Find his work on Instagram, his Substack newsletter, and his YouTube channel.
Ingredients
- 330 g Schar gluten-free bread flour
- 3 g salt
- 40 g sugar
- 9 g baking powder
- 250 g oat milk at room temperature
- 9 g blond psyllium husk
- 10 g instant yeast
- 175 g eggs beaten, at room temperature
- 65 g Flora+ lactose-free butter softened
- 180 g dried cranberries
Instructions
Mixing the dough
- Whisk the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
- Stir together the oat milk and blond psyllium husk, then let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the instant yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer with the oat milk mixture, then add the eggs.
- Add the flour mixture and softened butter to the wet ingredients, then mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl well to make sure all the flour is incorporated.
- If mixing by hand, use a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients, then knead gently until the dough is smooth and even. The dough will be sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl once it is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until doubled in size.
Shaping, resting, and proofing the dough
- Deflate the dough, then fold in the dried cranberries. Dust with a little more flour if the dough is too sticky. Shape it to fit the loaf pan, then transfer it to the greased Pullman loaf pan.
- Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until the dough has roughly doubled in volume.
Baking in a Pullman loaf pan
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Once the bread has risen, slide the lid onto the Pullman loaf pan and bake for 28 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and let the bread cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
