What does “feel-good food” mean? It depends on whom you ask. That’s why each month our Feel-Good Food Plan—with delicious recipes and a few wild cards—is hosted by someone new. This month Aran Goyoaga shares her journey back to bread.
I was raised in my grandparents’ pastry shop in Spain, among sacks of flour and the hum of mixers. It was there that I was trained to trust in the power of gluten. Elastic and reliable wheat flour was the foundation of nearly everything they created. It was the basis of our family’s livelihood and how we cared for our community. I never imagined I would have to leave it behind.
But bodies have their own wisdom and mine eventually asked for something different. After moving to the US, attending culinary school, and working in professional kitchens, the answer to my chronic suffering was revealed. I could no longer digest gluten. Cutting it out began as a necessary change for my own health, but it grew into a profound feeling of relief and joy. Understanding my intolerance led to deeper knowledge about what I could control, how I could make myself feel better.
The change shifted more than my diet. Baking without wheat meant letting go of everything I thought I knew. I had to start over with curiosity as the old rules no longer applied. My relearning happened slowly, often messily. I played with and observed ingredients that behave differently than wheat—oats that add chew yet no stretch, psyllium husk powder and chia seeds bind more gently than gluten does. But I learned that fermentation (and thus sourdough) can thrive without gluten, and that bread made without wheat can still be deeply textured and full of flavor.
This one-bowl, no-knead oat and chia bread is a reflection of all of those experiments and the mental shift that came along with them. It’s practical and forgiving and represents how limitation can become an opening. I found a new way to connect with people who are also simply trying to feel better in their bodies without giving up the pleasure of good food. For me, that is the heart of feel-good cooking: a meal that meets you where you are and quietly supports where you’re going next.
Gluten-Free No-Knead Oat Chia Bread
An easy one-bowl recipe, no shaping or scoring required.
View RecipeThe Key Ingredients
Stocking a gluten-free baking pantry might mean changing what you think of as baking staples. Xanthan gum and psyllium husk are the two essentials you should start with.
Xanthan Gum
In gluten-free bread, xanthan gum acts as a binder that replaces gluten by giving the dough elasticity, structure, and a soft, cohesive crumb. Bob’s Red Mill’s xanthan gum is my go-to for its consistency and quality.
Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum
Psyllium Husk Powder
Psyllium husk powder makes or breaks a good gluten-free bread recipe. It is often the critical ingredient in my bread recipes and one I turn to when troubleshooting recipes. I’ve called for xanthan gum in this loaf, but psyllium husk can easily be substituted (just use 15 g psyllium husk powder instead). TerraSoul is the best brand on the market.
Terrasoul Superfoods Psyllium Husk Powder
Dining and Cooking