Learn how to make a gluten-free sourdough starter in 7 days and how to maintain a gluten-free sourdough starter to make gluten-free sourdough recipes like gluten-free sourdough bread.
If you have always wanted to bake sourdough bread or sourdough recipes, but are gluten-free - you have come to the right place. Gluten-free sourdough bread and gluten-free sourdough recipes are easy to make with a gluten-free sourdough starter.
Making a sourdough starter is very simple to do and requires few ingredients and tools. After a week to 2 weeks of dedicating a couple minutes a day to growing your starter, you will be ready to bake with your active and bubbly gluten-free sourdough starter.
Jump to:
- What is a Sourdough Starter?
- Are all sourdough starters gluten-free?
- What is the best gluten-free flour for a sourdough starter?
- Ingredients & Tools for making a Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
- How to Make a Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
- How to Maintain a Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
- Recipe FAQ
- Gluten-Free Sourdough Recipes
- Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
What is a Sourdough Starter?
A sourdough starter is an active culture of beneficial bacteria and yeast used to leaven sourdough bread and other sourdough recipes. It is made through the process of fermenting flour and water.
Through the process of fermentation and utilizing the wild yeast and beneficial bacteria in the environment, water triggers yeast and bacteria to begin breaking down the flour into sugars and starches. This produces lactic acid, acetic acid and carbon dioxide. You will notice the effects of carbon dioxide when your starter begins to bubble. The acids give sourdough its sour taste and also help preserve the starter.
Are all sourdough starters gluten-free?
No! Traditional sourdough is not gluten-free because it is made with regular flour. To make a gluten-free sourdough starter, you must use a gluten-free flour.
What is the best gluten-free flour for a sourdough starter?
To choose the best gluten-free flour for sourdough, it is important to remember that gluten itself is a protein. Proteins provide structure, so when we remove gluten from a recipe, we lose structure. We must also note that most gluten-free flours are heavier than regular all-purpose flour. This can make it difficult for water to be absorbed.
For these reasons, it is important to choose a gluten-free whole grain flour that is high in protein and absorbs water well. Our go-to high-protein, whole grain flour of choice is brown rice flour.
Ingredients & Tools for making a Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
- Brown Rice Flour - Brown rice flour is a whole grain that is high in protein and absorbs water well. It is also one of the main flours used in gluten-free baking making the starter very versatile.
- Water - Filtered water at room temperature is best.
- Glass Jar - We recommend using a mason jar or weck jar.
- Spoon - A silicone spatula is best for mixing the flour and water together. Do not use a metal spoon as metal can react with the beneficial bacteria and yeast negatively impacting the growth of the starter.
- ¼ Cup Measuring Cup - Measuring cups are necessary to mix equal parts water and flour.
- Towel - A towel is necessary to cover the top of your jar. You can use a tea towel or a paper towel.
- Rubber Band or Scrunchie - This will secure the towel on top of the jar.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make a Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
It takes about 7 days or a week to make an active and bubbly gluten-free sourdough starter. Follow the steps below to create your own gluten-free sourdough starter.
On day 1, add flour and water to a glass jar.
Use a spoon to mix the flour and water together.
Cover the jar with a towel and set aside on the counter for 24 hours.
On day 2, discard or remove half of the mixture from the jar.
Feed the starter by adding flour and water to the jar.
Mix to combine the starter, flour and water together. Cover the jar and set aside for 24 hours. Repeat this process for days 3, 4 and 5.
On days 6 and 7, discard and feed the sourdough starter every 12 hours (in both the morning and evening).
Remove half of the starter, then feed with flour and water, mix together well and cover.
On day 7 the starter should be active and bubbly and ready to use for recipes.
For the next 7 days (week 2 of the starter) store the starter on the countertop and continue to discard and feed the starter every 24 hours. This will help the starter to mature and become more lively and active. By the end of week 2, the starter should be bubbly, have a slight sour smell and be ready to bake Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread.
How to Maintain a Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
A sourdough starter needs to be fed in order to keep the beneficial bacteria and yeast growing. For the first month of developing your sourdough starter, I recommend storing it on the counter and discarding half then feeding it every day.
This is my recommendation, because the regular feedings help to produce more beneficial bacteria and yeast and mature the starter. The more mature the starter is, the better it will be able to leaven bread.
Once the sourdough starter is established (about a month old), you can choose to store it in the refrigerator (occasional use) or on the countertop (daily use).
- Refrigerator for occasional use - storing the starter in the fridge slows the fermentation process, so you only need to feed the starter once a week.
- Countertop for daily use - storing the starter at room temperature requires more maintenance and the starter must be fed once a day.
Recipe FAQ
It takes a week (7 days) to create an active sourdough starter. It can about 2 weeks to have a mature enough start baking with the starter.
A sourdough starter should have a slightly sour smell but it should not smell "bad". If the starter smells bad, do not bake with it. First check for the presence of mold. If there is no mold, continue to discard half and refeed the starter until a sour smell develops.
When first establishing the starter, it is important to discard before every feed. The more starter you have, the more flour and water you need to add to feed the bacteria and yeast. If you do not discard, by the end of a week you will have a large amount of starter and will have gone through a large amount of flour to keep all of the bacteria and yeast fed.
All purpose gluten-free flour or a gluten-free flour blend contains multiple types of gluten-free flours, starches, gums and additives. The extra ingredients can disrupt the proper development of a sourdough starter. Whole grain flours are best as they contain natural strands of yeast.
Follow your gut instinct - throw it away and start over.
This is called "hooch" and it is an alcohol byproduct of fermentation. Pour the liquid off before feeding your starter.
For the first week I recommend tossing the discard. This is because it is not mature and doesn't have enough beneficial bacteria and yeast to leaven recipes. After a week, you can use discard in many recipes including gluten-free sourdough pancakes.
Gluten-Free Sourdough Recipes
Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
Learn how to make a gluten-free sourdough starter in 7 days and how to maintain a gluten-free sourdough starter to make gluten-free sourdough recipes like gluten-free sourdough bread.
Ingredients
- brown rice flour
- water
Instructions
- On Day 1, add ¼ cup brown rice flour and ¼ cup room temperature water to a glass jar. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to mix the flour and water together. Scrape the sides of the jar and mix everything together well. Cover the jar with a towel. Set aside and allow to sit for 24 hours.
- On Day 2, remove the towel from the top of the jar. Discard half of the mixture by removing half of the water and flour mixture from the jar. After discarding half, add ¼ cup water and ¼ cup flour back into the jar. Mix vigorously to combine the everything well. Cover with a towel and set aside for 24 hours.
- On days 3, 4 and 5 repeat the process of day 2 by discarding or removing half of the mixture then feeding the starter by adding ¼ cup flour and ¼ cup water. Stir to combine, cover and set aside for 24 hours.
- On days 6 and 7, discard and feed the starter twice during the day, about 12 hours apart. In the morning, discard half of the starter then feed with ¼ cup flour and ¼ cup water. Mix to combine, cover and set aside. In the evening, repeat the process of discarding and feeding the starter,
- By day 7 there should be enough beneficial bacterial and yeast present in the mixture to begin making gluten-free sourdough recipes like gluten-free sourdough pancakes. Before baking with the starter, make sure the starter is bubbly, active and has a slight sour smell.
Katie
Can you store this in the fridge after the initial 7 days like you can with a traditional sourdough starter? How often would it need to be fed?
Ally Tjoelker
Hi Katie!
You can store it in the fridge and feed once a week after the initial 7 days but I HIGHLY recommend keeping the starting on the countertop and feeding daily for the first 3-4 weeks. This will help mature the starter so it will make great bread!