Warm the water in a microwave-safe glass dish for approximately 60 seconds.

Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl.

Add the sugar and gluten free yeast and stir gently.

Cover the bowl with a dish towel and allow the mixture to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

The mixture should become foamy and bubbly. This tells you the yeast is active and ready to use.

Once the yeast has foamed, add:

Gluten free all purpose flour

Xanthan gum

Salt

Baking powder

Eggs

Apple cider vinegar

Optional cinnamon and cardamom

Mix on low speed for about 1 minute.

The dough should begin pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

Don't worry if it looks different from traditional bread dough. Gluten free bread dough is naturally wetter and stickier. In fact, it should resemble thick cookie dough.

Pour the olive oil into your hands.

Carefully remove the dough from the bowl and gently shape it into a ball.

Return the dough to the mixing bowl.

Cover with a clean dish towel and allow it to rise on the counter for about 45 minutes.

The dough should visibly grow, although it likely won't double in size like traditional wheat-based bread.

While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 450°F.

Place your Dutch oven, including the lid, inside the oven while it preheats.

Lay a piece of parchment paper on your counter and lightly sprinkle it with gluten free flour.

Turn the risen dough onto the parchment paper.

Gently shape it into a round loaf.

Using a sharp knife, score an X or a plus sign on the top of the dough.

Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven.

Using the parchment paper as a sling, lift the dough and place it directly into the Dutch oven.

Be careful, as the Dutch oven will be extremely hot.

Cover with the lid.

The crust should be deeply golden and beautifully rustic.

Carefully lift the bread out using the parchment paper and transfer it to a wire cooling rack.

Now comes the most important step.vAllow the bread to cool completely before slicing to prevent a gummy texture.