How To Make A Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

How To Make A Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

Learn how to make a gluten free sourdough starter. All you need is flour, water, and 7 days before you can begin making delicious gluten free sourdough bread at home.

a jar of bubbly gluten free sourdough starter on a white wood backdrop with a beige dish towel

I was an avid sourdough lover for years before I began making my own. Fresh baked sourdough bread has been a staple in our home on and off for several years, and like many, over this past year it became a ritual to bake a loaf almost weekly.

Unfortunately, I have recently had to give up gluten completely. The hardest part was knowing that I’d have to give up my beloved sourdough starter. Almost immediately, I figured out how to make a gluten free sourdough starter from scratch.

For many, long fermenting gluten containing grains is enough to allow them to digest the gluten. When you are celiac or just extremely gluten sensitive, this isn’t enough. This is where gluten free sourdough comes in. You can still get all the benefits of long fermented grains, without the gluten.

The process of making a gluten free starter is the same as making a regular sourdough starter. All you need is water, gluten free flour, and time. In fact, I found that my gluten free starter became active much quicker than my regular starter did.

Tips For Making A Gluten Free Starter

  • Make a small amount of starter. Gluten free flour tends to be much more expensive than wheat flour. In the first few days of your starter’s life, you need to discard daily. By making your starter with a smaller amount of flour, you will discard less. You can use the discard for any gluten free sourdough discard recipe, or add it to your compost.
  • Use filtered water. If you live in the city, your water is going to be treated. Chlorine can impact the success of your gluten free sourdough starter as it may effect the growth of wild yeast and good bacteria.
  • Choose a single gluten free flour over a blend. I used organic brown rice flour to make my starter and found it became active extremely quickly. Buckwheat is another great option. Often times purchasing single flours over a blend can be more affordable as well.

overhead shot of active gluten free sourdough starter in a glass jar on a white wood backdrop with a beige dish towel

What Flour Can I Use To Make A Gluten Free Sourdough Starter?

Teff, buckwheat, sorghum, rice, amaranth and millet are all gluten free grains that can be used to make a gluten free sourdough starter. I have heard of varied results using oat flour. Almond and coconut flour will not work, because they are not grains. From the research that I have done, rice flours seem to give the most bubbly result with a starter. I found this to be true, as my starter that I made with organic brown rice flour was very active, very quickly. In just a couple of days, my starter was bubbling up and rising very well. Alternatively, you could use a gluten free all purpose flour blend, and there are many tutorials to do so. You could also make your own blend with a combination of these flours.

Common Questions About Sourdough Starter

  • What is the liquid forming on top of my starter? The liquid that forms on top of your starter is called hooch, and it is nothing to be concerned about. If your starter has formed hooch, it is just telling you it needs to be fed. This happens when the temperature in your home is warmer, so your starter becomes more active, or if it has been too long since it was fed, or it wasn’t fed enough. When this happens, I just pour off the hooch, and feed my gluten free sourdough starter with water and gluten free flour.
  • Why do I have to discard my starter? It may seem wasteful, but it is necessary in the beginning stages to discard some of your starter. When your starter is first getting going, it is not active enough to provide the rise necessary in bread products. I like to set my discard aside in the fridge in a separate container to utilize in gluten free sourdough discard recipes. If you didn’t discard any starter, it would require more water and gluten free flour at feeding.

How To Make A Gluten Free Sourdough Starter in A Week

Day 1:

In a glass jar or bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour and 1 tablespoon of filtered water. Cover loosely with a lid, dish towel, or coffee filter. Set aside for 24 hours.

Day 2-4:

Discard half of the gluten free sourdough starter mixture, and stir in another 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour and 1 tablespoon of filtered water. Cover and set aside for 24 hours.

Day 5-7:

Discard half of the gluten free sourdough starter mixture, and stir in another 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour and 1 tablespoon of filtered water. Cover and set aside for 12 hours, then discard and feed again.

After 7 days, your sourdough starter should be ready to go! You will know your gluten free sourdough starter is ready to use in sourdough goods when it is very bubbly and doubles in size after feeding.

gluten free sourdough starter in a glass weck jar on a white wood backdrop with a beige dish towel

How To Maintain A Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

How often you need to feed your gluten free sourdough starter will depend on how often you plan to use it. If you plan on using your sourdough starter only occasionally, it will store perfectly in the fridge. Just remove your starter from the fridge and feed it once a week. Just remember to remove your starter from the fridge and feed it about 12 hours before you plan to use it.

The ratio for feeding your sourdough starter will always be equal parts starter, gluten free flour, and water.

If you plan on using your starter on a daily basis, you can keep it out on the counter, feeding equal parts every 12 hours.

If you find you have too much starter on hand, use it in discard recipes!

How To Make A Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

How To Make A Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

How to make a 2 ingredient gluten free sourdough starter in just a week!

Prep Time 2 minutes
Additional Time 7 days
Total Time 7 days 2 minutes

Ingredients

  • Gluten Free Flour (Teff, Sorghum, Buckwheat, White Rice, Brown Rice, Amaranth, or Millet)
  • Filtered Water

Instructions

    1. Day 1: In a glass jar or bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour and 1 tablespoon of filtered water. Cover loosely with a lid, dish towel, or coffee filter. Set aside for 24 hours.
    2. Day 2-4: Discard half of the gluten free sourdough starter mixture, and stir in another 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour and 1 tablespoon of filtered water. Cover and set aside for 24 hours.
    3. Day 5-7: Discard half of the gluten free sourdough starter mixture, and stir in another 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour and 1 tablespoon of filtered water. Cover and set aside for 12 hours, then discard and feed again.
    4. Your sourdough starter is ready to go when it is very bubbly and doubles in size after feeding.

Notes

You can store your gluten free sourdough starter in the fridge, feeding once per week. Remove from the fridge and feed 12 hours before using. Always feed your starter with equal amounts gluten free flour and filtered water.

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