Matthew Woolen is a master pastry chef and has worked in a variety of Seattle restaurants, including gastropub Old Sage, Zhu Dang, and a gluten-free restaurant called Capitol Cider.

Matthew Woolen

Mixing bowl

Digital scale

Mini loaf pan(s) (5 3/4-inch by 3 1/4-inch by 2 1/4-inch)

Breville Super Q™

Digital instant-read thermometer

Breville Joule® Oven Air Fryer Pro

Baking/Cooling rack(s)

Nonstick cooking spray

Jasmine rice

Water

Sugar

Instant dry yeast

Salt

Use any rice. Really? Yep. Any rice will work. Short grain, medium grain, long grain, jasmine, basmati, and even the black and red rice will work. We prefer jasmine rice because it is more flavorful.

Quick soak vs. long soak. The longer you soak the rice, the more water it’s absorbing. And something magical happens when you soak seeds and grains—it’s like you’re unlocking their potential. Trust us. 

Inclusions. This is where it can get fun. You can tweak the flavor any way you want by adding lemon zest, raisins, cinnamon, pumpkin, zucchini, bananas, nuts, carrots, onions, herbs, flavor extracts... you get the gist. This recipe is incredibly versatile. Just keep the additions on the lighter side so you don’t end up overloading the pans before baking. We recommend around 50 to 100 grams per mini loaf (or 100 to 200 grams for one large loaf). 

CHEF’S NOTE: If you prefer to use store-bought rice flour, use 350 grams each of flour and water. You can also omit the blender portion of this recipe, though an extra blend will result in a super smooth batter.

Before we begin

We recommend soaking the rice overnight for best results, but if you don’t have that kind of time, aim for at least 30 minutes. The longer the rice soaks, the less gummy the bread will be.

Soak the rice

Soak comparison

Preheat oven

Strain the rice and add to the blender. 

Add the remaining ingredients and blend at high speed for about 1 ½ minutes. The mixture should be no hotter than [f 105]. If it gets any hotter than that, you run the risk of killing the yeast (commercial yeast will die off starting at [f 130]). The optimum temperature for yeast is between [f 90] and [f 95]. 

CHEF’S NOTE: You want the weight of the strained rice and water to equal 700 grams for a quick soak. If you opt for a preferred longer soak, 210 to 220 grams of water is ideal.

Blend

Grease the pan(s) with nonstick spray. 

Divide the batter evenly between the mini loaf pans, if using (fill about ⅔ of the way, around 400 grams of batter per pan). Spray the tops with water after adding batter to pans to prevent case hardening.

The warmth of the batter will activate the yeast. Let proof for another 15 to 30 minutes before baking (the batter should rise up to just below the rim of the loaf pan). If the batter was not warm enough, the proofing could take up to 45 minutes.

Pan and proof

Spray the tops of the loaves with water again after proofing. Place pan(s) in center of the oven and add an extra blast of steam by spraying the oven base with water. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. If using a conventional oven, increase cooking time to about 35 to 40 minutes. 

As it bakes, add as much steam as you can by spraying water inside the oven and/or placing a dish of water on a rack underneath the pans. 

Bake until the internal temperature of the bread reaches in between [f 205] to [f 210].

Bake

After baking, remove the bread from the loaf pan and cool on a wire rack. 

The bread will slice best after completely cooling. Leftover bread will keep fresh for up to two days sealed in plastic wrap.

Use this bread just like you would any regular bread: You can rip it open and eat it warm, toast it, pan-toast sandwiches, slather it with spreads. Older bread is great for crostini or croutons.

Cool, slice, serve

Top row, left to right: red quinoa, red rice, lentils, yellow corn, emmer. Bottom row, left to right: cherry + hazelnut + black rice, brown rice, cinnamon raisin (made with white rice), oat + seed (made with white rice), banana walnut (made with white rice).

Absolutely, yes. You can use emmer or whole wheat (not GF), oats, millet or even lentils to make this recipe. 

CHEF’S NOTE: We made a loaf with emmer and it trumped all other whole wheat varieties. Just soak your alternative grains like you would rice, blend it, bake it—it’s an easy win!

Can other grains be used?

We can’t emphasize this enough: don’t overproof or underbake

Crostini

{activity:251c4mxBEtdfiElP6rcCp1}
{activity:5QVVh6pYOQJSxzohDY8b6t}
{activity:3cfXu8vUWMjVlSeKtv3Jkq}
{activity:3lwqqU1sorSANNqZV6d5Vo}
{activity:tcmX9WnGvSJZPq2ciQzUT}

The Physics of Blending — Cutting Food Down to Size

This is a hollandaise that is easy to make, fluffy, and requires only 4 ingredients. Rather than requiring a copper bowl and hand whisking, this hollandaise uses a blender and one bowl. It is just as delicious as traditional hollandaise, if not better.

An Instant Way to an Even Better Hollandaise

From dried corn kernel to a smooth and supple dough: it’s easy to make fresh masa for tortillas or tamales at home using a blender and stand mixer.

From Corn Kernels to Fresh Masa

The Physics of Blending — Cavitation

Here's how to make a delicious milk chocolate bar at home using only your blender.

The Easiest Way to Make Milk Chocolate Bars at Home

More blender things

Need bread in a hurry? Want a gluten-free variety that doesn’t taste like cardboard? Do you consider bread-making a hassle? Are you a neophyte baker who wants to take baby steps towards dough enlightenment? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, this recipe is for you.The best part about this bread is that it’s foolproof. Plus, you likely already have all of the required ingredients hanging out in your pantry. Made from white rice, this bread comes together quickly with the use of a blender. And with the exception of soaking the rice, it’s in the oven in less than 30 minutes. The result is a moist, spongy, delicious tasting bread with a surprisingly great texture. How does rice turn into bread? Rice is full of starch and fiber, and by soaking and blending it, you’re essentially turning it into flour. CHEF’S NOTE: You can also make this recipe with rice flour and water—it’s the same idea—but it’s best made directly from the kernel, soaked and blended.

Quick & Easy Flourless Blender Bread