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Learn how to make a gluten free sourdough starter from scratch and bake delicious gluten free sourdough bread in just 5-7 days!
Because of high demand, we have created this tutorial for those that have wheat sensitivities, gluten intolerance or celiac disease to be able to make your own gluten free sourdough bread.
And don't worry about bland, dry, crumbly bread. The gluten free sourdough bread recipe that we have developed makes the most soft, sliceable and delicious gluten free bread!
The process is very simple so let's get started!
What you'll need
The ingredients needed to make this gluten free sourdough starter are:
brown rice flour
water
We choose to use brown rice flour because it is inexpensive and readily available, but you can use any gluten free flour of your choice.
You will need measuring cups, a glass jar with a loose fitting lid and a rubber band to mark the level of starter in the jar.
How to make a gluten free sourdough starter
Day 1: Add ½ cup brown rice flour and ¼ cup of water to a clean jar. Stir, cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 2: Stir the starter, cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for another 24 hours.
Day 3: Add ½ cup brown rice flour and ¼ cup of water to the jar. Stir, cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
The photos below were taken on day 3 before the starter was fed. You can see lots of bubbles on the sides of the jar with very little bubbles on the surface of the starter.
Day 4-7: Discard half of the starter from the previous day and add ½ cup brown rice flour and ¼ cup of water to the jar. Stir, cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Use a rubber band to mark the level of the starter right after it is fed.
You should expect to see bubbles on the sides of the jar, but little to none on top of the starter.
The starter is ready to use for baking when it rises by 25-30% in the jar after a feeding. Depending on the temperature, this could take anywhere from 6-12 hours. Warmer temperatures will cause the starter to grow faster.
TIP 1: Sourdough starters grow best at room temperature. Somewhere around 70°F is great. If it's colder than that in your kitchen, your progress will be slower. Be patient, I promise that it will take hold if you trust the process.
TIP 2: You don't need to purchase special rice flour to feed your starter IF you have a high speed blender or a grain mill. I used my high speed blender to make flour from brown rice to get my gluten free starter going. Just blend until it is as fine as possible!
TIP 3: Cover the jar loosely. I lay the lid on the jar without securing it. The starter needs to be able to "breathe" so don't screw a lid on too tightly. You can also use a piece of thick fabric with a rubber band to secure it in place.
TIP 4: Pick morning OR night to feed your starter to make it easy to remember.
TIP 5: Save the discarded starter in a separate jar in the fridge. When there is enough, you can make gluten free sourdough discard crackers! (recipe coming soon)
How to maintain a gluten free sourdough starter
Keep the gluten free sourdough starter stored in the fridge until you are ready to bake. The night before you plan to mix your dough, remove it from the fridge and feed it the amount needed to make your gluten free sourdough recipe with. Once a week, discard half of the starter and refresh with ½ cup gluten free flour and ¼ cup water and place back into the fridge until you are ready to bake.
How to make Gluten Free Sourdough Starter
Learn how to make a gluten free sourdough starter from scratch and bake delicious gluten free sourdough bread in just 5-7 days!
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4.94 from 16 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutesminutes
Author: Amy Duska
INGREDIENTS
6cupsbrown rice flour
water
INSTRUCTIONS
Day 1: Add ½ cup brown rice flour and ¼ cup of water to a clean jar. Stir, cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 2:Stir the starter, cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for another 24 hours.
Day 3:Add ½ cup brown rice flour and ¼ cup of water to the jar. Stir, cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 4-7:Discard half of the starter from the previous day and add ½ cup brown rice flour and ¼ cup of water to the jar. Stir, cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Use a rubber band to mark the level of the starter right after it is fed. The starter is ready to use for baking when it rises by 25-30% in the jar after a feeding. Depending on the temperature, this could take anywhere from 6-12 hours. Warmer temperatures will cause the starter to grow faster.
NOTES
How to maintain going forward: Keep the gluten free sourdough starter stored in the fridge until you are ready to bake. The night before you plan to mix your dough, remove it from the fridge and feed it the amount needed to make your gluten free sourdough recipe with. Once a week, discard half of the starter and refresh with ½ cup gluten free flour and ¼ cup water and place back into the fridge until you are ready to bake.
Discarded sourdough starter can be kept in a separate container in the fridge and used to make gluten free sourdough discard recipes.
*Whole grain gluten free flour options include brown rice flour, millet flour, sorghum flour, buckwheat flour, and teff flour to name a few. **See the sourdough starter recipe post for more details about how to work with the starter and get it going. Ripe starter is starter that's been fed within the past 12 hours.
Once your starter is reliably doubling, switch to feeding it a 50:50 blend of brown rice flour and Breadtopia gluten free bread flour. This made my starter thrive. I typically keep about 75 grams of starter going so I have enough to create what I need for my gluten free bread recipe.
Most commonly, the issue here has to do with temperature (which is very important). If your sourdough starter is kept at a low temp, even 70°F (21°C), it will slow fermentation activity and appear to be sluggish, taking longer to rise and progress through the typical signs of fermentation. The solution: keep it warm.
Beyond Celiac does not recommend that those with celiac disease eat sourdough bread unless it is clearly labeled gluten-free or has been made safely at-home with gluten-free starters/ingredients.
Sourdough is not gluten free, but we know that many people with IBS, gluten intolerance, or gluten sensitivity can tolerate sourdough bread. This is because the methods used to make sourdough break down some of the gluten in the flour so it is easier to digest. Think of sourdough as low-gluten rather than gluten-free.
Feed starter with GF flour and water every 4 hours by using one of the following methods: If using a scale to measure ingredients, combine equal amounts by weight of starter, water, and GF flour. For instance, 50 grams of starter, 50 grams of water, 50 grams of GF flour.
Although Ezekiel bread is technically flourless, it is not a gluten-free product. Those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance shouldn't eat it. There are other flourless breads that do not contain gluten.
This is definitely possible. While it would still contain trace amounts of gluten, eventually after enough feeding with gluten free flour, a regular starter would be transformed into a “gluten free sourdough starter.” But, then again may have traces of wheat still contained in the gf starter.
If you plan on baking gluten free sourdough often, just keep your starter on the counter and feed it at least once a day. If you don't plan on baking as often, you can store your starter in the refrigerator and feed it once a week.
First Discard: If you're seeing bubbles and have a sour smell, you're ready to discard. Day three you'll want to remove half of the starter. Later on in the process, you can keep the starter to use for other recipes.
Traditional bread bakers would do a bulk rise of their bread dough and then a second rise in the tin. Without gluten to manage the activity of the yeast and to add structure, doing that first bulk rise may cause your loaf to be dense (more so for gf/vegan bread).
Sometime between days 5 and 10, you'll notice that within several hours after feeding the starter will have grown in size to between 2 1/4 and 2 3/4 cups. At this point it's ready to use in your recipe.
Those with a gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance may have less symptoms with wheat-based foods in Europe. This is likely because of the types of wheat used in the EU and how they're processed. But this isn't a guarantee. So when you're traveling, your best bet is to stick to foods that are naturally gluten-free.
Put in the fridge for a couple of days. Long-Fermentation Rise in Fridge: For the longer fermentation process to eliminate 97% of gluten, keep your floured bowl or proofing basket in the fridge for 48-72 hours.
The best bread to reduce gut inflammation is bread made from whole grains. Refined grains, such as the grains found in white bread and white pasta, are known to increase inflammation across the whole body. Sourdough bread and rye bread are both good options for an anti-inflammatory diet.
Glutenous flours, such as spelt, einkorn, rye, and wheat, tend to work best. However, it's possible to use gluten-free flours, including buckwheat, amaranth, brown rice, and teff, but these may need a little help at first, known as a boosted starter.
For making sourdough bread, it's best to use a “hard” variety of wheat, such as hard red wheat or hard white wheat. Hard wheat is high in gluten, a protein that becomes stretchy when you knead it.
If your gluten free bread turned out dense, you didn't have enough liquid in the dough. It is critical to measure your dry ingredients accurately. Measure for weight when you can. If you don't have a digital scale, I recommend using either the spoon or the leveling method to measure your flour.
Sourdough bread can be a tasty addition to the low FODMAP diet! However, you need to check that it is made from white, wholemeal wheat, or spelt flour and that it is made using a traditional sourdough bread process. Also, remember to keep an eye on your portion sizes.
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