25 May Gluten-Free Crusty Olive Bread with Caraway Seeds

Gluten-Free Crusty Olive Bread with Caraway Seeds

For my gluten-free friends, here’s a delicious, crusty loaf with a soft crumb that’s simple to make.

This was adapted from Aran Goyoaga’s Gluten Free Bread Recipe to be more Ayurveda-friendly and with a streamlined cooking process. If you’re new to baking with psyllium husk, note that it thickens to a gel consistency very quickly, so be sure to follow the timing closely when mixing. A link to Aran’s original recipe is included below.

In Ayurveda, caraway seeds are known for their strong galactagogue and carminative properties, helping to improve digestion by easing bloating, gas, and constipation. Traditionally used as an appetizer and in weight management, these benefits are supported by modern clinical studies.¹

Nyons olives are small, wrinkled black olives from southern France, prized for their rich, mildly bitter flavor and meaty texture. Dry-cured and brined, they hold an AOC certification that guarantees their quality and regional origin. Like other black olives, Nyons offer medicinal benefits including anti-inflammatory and heart-protective effects, digestive support, and essential nutrients, thanks to their healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants.²

Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
7g/1 packet Red Star Active Dry Yeast
330g warm water (110⁰F )

105 g stone ground rice flour, plus more for dusting
105g millet flour
90g potato starch (not potato flour)
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
¾ teaspoon Himalayan salt
50g pitted Nyon olives (French black olives), rinsed, quartered

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
15g psyllium husk powder

Prep the Pan: Grease the bottom and sides of a round LeCreuset-18 (2-quart ) cast iron enamel Dutch oven with butter

Bloom the yeast: In a spouted measuring glass, mix the sugar and yeast. Stir in the warm water and set aside to let the yeast activate and become foamy, about 10 minutes.

Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, millet flour, potato starch, caraway seeds and salt. Stir in the olives.

Form the Dough: Add the apple cider vinegar and psyllium husk to the yeast mixture, stirring briefly until it starts to thicken (about 30 seconds). Quickly transfer this mixture into the dry mix. Stir with a fork until the dough comes together. Gently knead a few times, shaping into a circle.

Let it rise: Transfer to prepared pan. Cover with a damp linen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Bake: Preheat oven to 425⁰F. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Remove lid, then bake an additional 30 minutes.

Cool: Remove from oven. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing (another 30 minutes).

Storage: Wrap in clean kitchen towel, parchment paper, or store directly in the LeCreuset pan. Keeps well for 3 days.

Variation: If you want a plain sandwich bread,  omit the olives and caraway seeds, then bake in a 9×4 loaf pan.
 

References:

1 Mahboubi, M. (2018). Caraway as Important Medicinal Plants in Management of Diseases. Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 9(1), 1–11. PMC

2 Bucciantini, M., Leri, M., Nardiello, P., Casamenti, F., & Stefani, M. (2021). Olive Polyphenols: Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties. Antioxidants, 10(7), 1044. NIH

Aran Goyoaga’s Gluten Free Bread Recipe – Original Recipe.