Easy Gluten Free Artisan Bread

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with a spatula to combine and beat everything together with a dough hook on a medium speed for 10 minutes stopping midway to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.  If you do not have a mixer, just stir with a wooden spatula or dough whisk for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the dough hook and gather the dough into a ball inside the mixing bowl. The dough will be very sticky.  Let the dough rest inside the bowl covered with a dish towel for 30 minutes.
3. After resting, prepare your work surface by lining your counter with a plastic wrap or by placing a large silicone mat on the counter. Oil the surface of the plastic wrap or silicone mat with vegetable oil.
4. Transfer the sticky dough onto the oiled surface or silicone mat. Oil your hands and fingers so the dough doesn’t stick.  Round the dough into a ball by folding and pressing it over onto itself 2 times.  It doesn’t need to be tightly shaped.  The proofing basket or bowl will shape the dough as it proofs.
5. Place the dough seam-side up onto a floured 9” proofing basket or a towel lined bowl (2.5 qt) sprinkled with gluten-free flour. Cover with plastic wrap or dish towel.
6. Let the dough rest and rise in a warm room for 1 hour. You can also skip the warm room rise and stick it immediately into the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours before baking.
7. When you are ready to bake, invert the dough onto a parchment paper and smooth out the flour on top. Use a bread lame or a sharp knife to cut slashes (score) the top.
8. If you are using a Dutch oven (for a crustier bread), make sure the Dutch oven is inside the oven while the oven is preheating. Use oven mittens and remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven and remove the lid.  Lift the parchment paper with the dough and carefully place into the preheated pot; cover with the lid.  Bake at 470ºF covered with the lid for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, remove the lid and reduce oven temperature to 440ºF and bake for additional 25 – 30 minutes or until internal bread temperature reaches 210ºF.
9. If you are using a baking pan, baking stone or baking steel, position it on a middle rack while the oven preheats. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan on the lowest rack and have 1 cup of hot water ready.  Place the parchment paper with the bread onto the baking pan, stone, or steel and carefully pour the 1 cup of hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath,  it’ll bubble and steam, quickly close the door. Bake at 470ºF for 30 minutes and then reduce temperature to 440ºF and bake for additional 30 minutes until internal bread temperature reaches 210ºF.
10. Let baked bread rest and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Keywords: gluten free artisan bread, gluten free french bread