Baking Gluten-Free Bread in Japan
Unlike lactose intolerance, which developed after I recovered from dysentery during travels in the Levant, I really don’t know when gluten became an issue for me. My brother, who has celiac disease, experiences far more severe consequences. I labored undiagnosed and uncomfortable for many years. In retrospect, we suspect many of the health issues that plagued our mother might have been linked to undiagnosed celiac or a gluten-related disorder, though we’ll never know for sure.
For years, I suffered a constant stomachache, chalking it up to anxiety or hunger. The pain lingered as I gained weight in my thirties. To make matters worse, swelling in my mouth and throat meant I often bit down on the sides of my tongue, as it no longer fit comfortably in my mouth.
Most people don’t have this experience, and quite a few dismiss gluten intolerance as a fad. But when I finally eliminated gluten from my diet, that gnawing pain vanished. I rarely bite my tongue anymore. Every now and then, if I unknowingly consume something with gluten, the discomfort returns, and I can always trace it back to the culprit.
Many times, people here in Japan have remarked that my diet mirrors that of their great-grandparents—rice, vegetables and a bit of fish. In ten years, I’ve lost fifty pounds. Without the stomach pangs my brain used to interpret as hunger, I find it much easier to eat only at mealtime.
Giving up bread wasn’t difficult, especially since I had already parted ways with dairy—cheese, wonderful cheese—without too much heartache. But what if there were bread that I could eat? Gluten-free options are expensive, and here in Japan, choosing non-mainstream foods often raises eyebrows. On the other hand, most grocery stores here carry some form of rice flour.
I started with pancakes, made with all-purpose rice flour and baking powder, though I added more sugar than I would have liked. Rice flour doesn’t brown like wheat, but with enough sugar, the pancakes develop a golden sheen from caramelization.
Next came muffins. To make rice flour rise, you need quite a lot of baking powder, which leaves a slightly metallic taste. The muffins could be made tasty with strong flavors—walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, coffee and black pepper—but I still felt I was starting the day with too much sugar.
Finally, I turned my attention to bread. My first attempts were plain versions of my muffin recipe, which resulted in loaves that resembled pound cake. Without the nuts and fruit, though, the center became dense; without spices, it tasted of baking powder.
Then I tried yeast-risen bread. We have a small oven, so recipes from the U.S. and Canada require modification. There’s an expensive Italian gluten-free bread flour that’s nearly impossible to find here but yields beautiful loaves. Japanese recipes, however, tend to be written for small ovens like ours and often recommend specific rice flours or yeast varieties available locally, which led to my current successes.
I began with a classic French boule, then progressed to a loaf for easier portioning, and eventually, I started baking individual rolls for breakfast—maximizing that lovely crust. The crumb is bouncy and stretches nicely, thanks to the psyllium. It’s slightly wet, reminiscent of rye bread, which makes it perfect for sandwiches and, of course, wonderful for toasting.
Someone who can eat wheat might find it’s not quite the same. And that’s fine—I’m happy for them, truly. I’m equally grateful to have found my own choice. The ingredients are of the highest quality, but it’s far more affordable—and, frankly, far tastier—than any gluten-free bread you’d find at the market here. After years of sacrifice, I can finally eat good bread again.
I typically double this recipe, which results in about a dozen rolls. I’ve found that doubling the recipe requires slightly more than twice the water, but be careful not to add too much, or the dough can become sticky and unmanageable.
Gluten-Free Rice Flour Bread Rolls
Makes six rolls, pre-baked weight of about 140 g (around 5 oz.) each
Ingredients:
• 400 g (around 3 cups) of rice flour for bread (Mizuho Chikara from Kumamoto)
• 20 g (around 4 tsp) of potato starch
• 12 g (around 1 tbsp) of sugar
• 8 g (around 2 tsp) of salt
• 12 g (around 1 tbsp) of ground psyllium husk
• 10 g (around 1 tbsp) of dry yeast (Shirakami Kodama)
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) of lukewarm water (for starting yeast)
• 320 ml (around 1⅓ cup) of lukewarm water (for mixing)
• Vegetable oil (for brushing)
Instructions:
Mix all dry ingredients (except yeast) in a bowl.
In a separate small bowl, add lukewarm water to the yeast, let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until lumps are incorporated.
Add the yeast liquid to the dry ingredients, along with the remaining water. Including the water used to start the yeast, the total amount of water should be 400 ml (around 1⅔ cup).
Mix for a minute or two until you can form it into a ball with your hands. Place the ball in a bowl, spray or flick water over it, cover with plastic wrap, and proof for 45 minutes at 40°C (around 100°F).
I set a mug of freshly boiled water in my oven along with the bowl of dough to help keep a consistent temperature and humidity. Your oven may require a different approach, but when it finishes proofing, the dough should have increased in volume by about 50% to 100%. Remove the risen dough from the bowl and retain the plastic wrap for the second proof.Line your baking tray with a sheet of waxed parchment paper. Divide the risen dough into six portions, form each into a ball, and arrange them on your baking tray.
Cut a lengthwise slit (around 1½ cm/½ in deep) in the top of each ball, ensuring the sides stretch slightly to open the slit. Brush each ball with oil, but there’s no need to brush inside the slit. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel to prepare for a brief second proof in a warm place while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 250°C (around 480°F). Start the oven after the shaping step is complete so the dough can proof for 10-15 minutes.
Bake for 45-50 minutes.
These rolls can be torn apart fresh out of the oven. If you plan to slice them for toasting, let them cool completely first. For the most consistent slices, leave them in a plastic bag overnight.