If you love sourdough like I do, but you’re celiac or gluten free and miss all of the joys of eating sourdough then look no further. Making a gluten free sourdough starter only requires a few simple ingredients - flour, water and time.
There are so many things to love about sourdough bread as opposed to traditional breads. Many people find sourdough easier to digest than regular bread, it is a source of prebiotics, and it contains the friendly bacteria lactobacillus. It also has a lower glycemic load than many traditional breads.
Making a gluten free sourdough starter isn’t any different from making a regular sourdough starter. The only difference is that gluten free sourdough requires us to play with a variety of gluten free flours. Your gluten free sourdough starter can be made in as little as seven days using gluten free flour, water and a large enough vessel such as a jar or bowl to contain the starter. I prefer to use a mason jar!
Though this recipe calls for brown rice flour to create your starter, you can also successfully make a gluten free starter with white rice flour, teff flour, sorghum flour or oat flour.
Ingredients1/2 cup brown rice flour 1/3 cup filtered water |
MethodCombine brown rice flour and filtered water in vessel of choice Whisk until smooth (if too crumbly and not wet enough add a tablespoon of water at a time to reach a thick consistency but not runny) and cover the gluten free sourdough starter with a lid At least twice a day (or every 12 hours) for the next six to seven days, at regular intervals, add 1/2 cup of flour and 1/3 cup of filtered water to the existing starter >> Mix until smooth, and cover If vessel gets too full of starter simply discard some of your starter but keep adding water and flour in regular intervals When your gluten-free sourdough starter is very bubbly and rises about third of the way up the jar after 2-3 hours of feeding you are ready use your starter to make bread |
Maintaining Your StarterOnce established, your gluten free sourdough starter needs to be fed daily (same ratio for when creating a starter) Tip: When feeding gluten free starter flour and water and mixing you should have the consistency of a thick frosting If you bake frequently (every day or a few times a week) you can store your sourdough at room temperature, and feed it with 1⁄2 cup gluten free flour and 1⁄3 cup filtered water once a day, discarding starter when needed to accommodate for expansion If you bake infrequently (once a week) just store starter in the fridge (up to a week) until ready to use When you are ready to bake, no need to bring it to room temperature>> Just take out of the fridge and start baking |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which flour works for a gluten-free starter?
Brown rice flour is used here, but white rice, teff, sorghum or oat flour all work.
How long does it take?
Six to seven days of feeding twice daily, until the starter is bubbly and rises about a third of the way up the jar within 2–3 hours of a feed.
How do I store it?
At room temperature with daily feeds if you bake often; in the fridge for up to a week if you bake weekly.
What can I make with it?
Lucette's Prash Cakes — gluten-free sourdough pancakes with Pearl and Reishi, topped with Prash.
