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I’ve had an embarrassing number of sourdough starters fail before finally finding a recipe that I can make work and this one is so easy! Let’s jump right into my favorite gluten free sourdough starter recipe.
What You’ll Need
- Using a kitchen scale is much more accurate than measuring with cups. Here is the link to the kitchen scale I use.
- A large glass jar or wide mouth mason jar. I prefer something with a lid but that’s optional. I have used this one for large starters and this one when I don’t need something quite so big.
- A wooden spoon or rubber spatula. This one is really cute, though I typically use whatever small spatula happens to be clean at the time.
- Your whole-grain gluten free flour of choice. I like to use an organic brown rice flour, but you can use whatever you’d like that is NOT a blend because they contain additives you don’t want in your starter.
- Filtered water, but I use my well water just fine without any additional filtering.
How To Make A Gluten Free Sourdough Starter
Days 1 & 2
I start by writing the weight of my jar in grams without the lid on the side of the jar so I’ll always know my starting point. You will combine 50g of flour and 50g of water in your jar twice each of these days. I like to do one first thing in the morning and the second right before bed. Scrape down the sides of the jar so all of your starter is in the bottom. Look for a thick paste consistency but it’s okay if your starter is looking a little on the watery side in this beginning stage. Loosely cover with the lid or even a clean paper towel held on with a rubber band. Place in a warm draft-free area. If you’re seeing some bubbles after the first two days then you’re ready to move on, but if your starter is taking a little bit longer you can repeat one more day of this step.
Days 3 Through 14
We’ll start discarding here but it’s still too early to use your sourdough discard in any recipes as there is still quite a bit of the bad bacteria lingering and maybe even an alcoholic smell, which is totally normal. Discard down to 100g of starter each feed and keep doing the twice per day feedings of 50g of flour combined with 50g of water. For example: If my empty jar without the lid weighs 435g but is measuring at 651g on the morning of the third day, then I will remove 116g of starter so I am left with 535g before feeding. That’s my empty jar plus 100g of starter.
Use a rubber band or dry erase marker to keep track of how much your starter rises. The sourdough starter discard can be used in recipes once you see your starter rising and having good bubbles. This will also be the time when we change to maintenance feedings. It is possible to get to this point before the 14 days or it might even take a little longer depending on the environment your starter is in and the type of flour you are using.
The rubber band marks the level the starter was after feeding it. That beautiful rise makes me so happy!
Gluten Free Sourdough Starter Maintenance
There are a few options when it comes to maintaining your gluten free sourdough starter. I bake with mine every day so I store it on my kitchen counter and feed once each day. You can store your starter jar in the fridge if you aren’t planning on using it daily and only feed about once a week.
Regular Feedings Once per day, discard down to 100g of starter then feed 100g of flour and 100g of water, making sure to mix well, scrape down the sides of the jar, and cover lightly.
What’s The Big Deal With Sourdough Starters?
It is so much more than those pretty loaves of bread you see on Instagram! A sourdough starter is a dough filled with natural yeast and bacteria through fermentation. While other bread recipes require active dry yeast, sourdough bread uses a starter. Sourdough is also naturally lower in gluten than other bread types because the main protein in wheat flour is broken down during the fermentation process. I still use a gluten free flour for my family to make absolutely sure there isn’t any gluten, but many people with gluten sensitivities are able to eat sourdough baked goods without any problems.
Here’s an interesting article on The Science of Sourdough Starters if you’re interested in learning more.
Soon you’ll be on your way to making delicious recipes from your sourdough discard like this banana bread that my kids just can’t get enough of!