8 strand plaited loaf
Serves 8
- Gluten free & vegan

200g Doves Farm gluten free plain flour
100g cornflour
100g ground almonds
2tsp xanthan gum
1tsp salt
2tsp caster sugar
4tsp (2 x 7g sachets) dried yeast
30ml dairy-free margarine, melted
360ml plant-based milk, lukewarm
Preheat the oven to 220°c / 200°c fan oven / gas mark 7
Stick a sheet of baking parchment onto a baking tray with a little vegetable oil.
Weigh the gluten free flour, ground almonds, cornflour, xanthan gum, salt, caster sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Place the yeast on the opposite side of the bowl to the salt and sugar as they can make the yeast inactive. Stir together.
Weigh the dairy free margarine in a small bowl and melt in a microwave. Measure the plant-based milk.
Pour the margarine and plant-based milk into the flour and beat until smooth. The mixture should just be able to fall from the spoon.
Spoon the batter into a large piping bag fitted with an inch wide round nozzle.
If you look at the 8 strand plaited loaf, it looks like one plait sitting on top of a wider plait. So I piped a wide plait onto the baking tray, then a smaller neat plait on top.
leave in a warm place to prove for 45 minutes.
Stir a pinch of paprika into 1 tablespoon plant-based milk and brush over the top of the bread.
10 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 220°c / 200°c fan oven / gas mark 7.
Bake for 25 – 35 minutes until brown on all sides. Carefully lift and tap the bottom. If it is cooked it will sound hollow.
Cool on a wire rack. This is best eaten on the day of baking.
I made this bread for a blog post in 2012 when I made a gluten and dairy-free version of the technical challenge from The Great British Bake Off each week.