Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

Day 1:

• Mix together equal parts of a gluten free flour blend and water. I used ¼ cup flour to ¼ cup water ratio. If your gluten free flour blend is starchy, you will want to use ¼ cup flour to ½ cup water. (Stay away from pure starch sources such as tapioca and potato.) *NOTE: I highly recommend using filtered or bottled water. Chlorine and chemicals will kill the beneficial bacteria you are trying to grow.
• Leave it in a bowl at room temperature. Cover the bowl with a towel. (You can use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Blend , King Arthur Measure for Measure GF Blend., GF Jules Gluten Free Flour Blend), or individual flours like brown rice, millet, or sorghum.
• Use: I used ¼ cup King Arthur Measure for Measure and also GF Jules GF Blend for my test starters. My reader Dana used ¼ cup Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1.

Using the Starter:

Now, make the actual starter that you use to make the bread!! Once your mixture is bubbling, add some to your bread mix (see recipe card below).

Do not use any yeast! Don't forget to check out my instructions for making gluten free sourdough bread when you are ready to make your first loaf!

Step 1: Add your starter, filtered water, and bread mix as listed above to a large bowl.

Cover with a towel and let rise for at least 12 hours. (See the above photo; the mass should almost double in size.)

Step 2: Once the bread has risen, put aside at least ¼ cup as your new starter so you can keep making delicious sourdough things, like these gluten free sourdough bagels, and see how to feed your starter instructions below.

Use the rest to make a loaf of bread with this recipe:

Gluten Free Sourdough Bread recipe to use this new starter to make a loaf of bread! You can also use it to make this crisp, delicious gluten free sourdough pizza crust!

How to feed the starter?

If you love sourdough bread and want to continue making it regularly, your best bet is to keep a starter in the refrigerator. The starter will need to be fed for it to survive.

You will need to feed your starter in the refrigerator every 3 days to keep it going. I feed mine by adding 2 tablespoons of additional flour to 2 tablespoons of purified water. Stir it well so the flour is incorporated in. If your blend is starchy, you can use 3 tablespoons of water.

When you want to bake bread, take the starter from the refrigerator the night before. Feed it (2 tablespoons flour and 3 tablespoons of purified water) and cover it completely with a clean kitchen towel. You don't want it exposed to the sunlight. Use for baking sourdough the next day, then put the starter back into the refrigerator.

Can you switch flours mid-way?

I have been using the King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free blend for a couple of weeks, and I finally used the bag. I haven't been able to get more, so I added brown rice flour to feed my starter.

The starter exploded and almost overflowed over the sides of my jar. It tripled in size. I will be using some discard to make pizza tonight with it. I think moving to the brown rice flour fermented so quickly because it didn't have the starch that the King Arthur mix has.

Is it necessary to discard some starter?

Many people discard some of their starters as they add flour and water 3x a day to grow the starter. I understand this, as you will end up with a huge starter if you don't toss some.

There are definite benefits to discarding some of the starter as it makes the bacteria stronger. If you use the starter to make bread or other recipes more than two times a week, you don't have to discard it. If you only use the starter once, or a week or less, discarding it is a good idea.

I did not discard when making my starters. It wasn't in Sadie's original instructions, and I had great luck without discarding anything.

How do I know if it has gone bad?

If your sourdough starter has been exposed to bacteria, it can go bad. The easiest way to tell if your starter is still good is to open it and smell it before each use. Also, look at the starter to make sure it is still bubbling.

If it smells like unbaked bread, then, it is still good and can be baked. If you notice a foul odor, mold growing, or a pink or orange tint, it has gone bad and should be discarded.

What is the liquid on top of my starter?

The liquid that forms on top of your sourdough starter is known as "hooch." When you see hooch in your starter, that indicates that the sourdough needs to be fed; the development of hooch is perfectly normal and not a cause for concern.

Simply drain off the hooch before you feed the sourdough starter. You may notice the hooch smells like alcohol, which is also expected.

Can I freeze the starter?

Yes, you can freeze the sourdough starter. If you freeze the starter, you will not have to feed it. When you are ready to bake the bread, you must give the sourdough starter a week before the dough is active again. You must begin the feeding process once you remove it from the freezer.

Freezing the starter is an excellent idea if you don’t have the time and effort to keep feeding it. I recommend freezing the sourdough starter if you are going on vacation or aren’t going to be home for some reason for several days.