This gluten-free sourdough starter begins with flour and water. As it develops, you can continue feeding it naturally or use an optional gluten-free culture to stabilize activity if fermentation stalls or your kitchen runs cold. The day-by-day schedule below outlines what to expect, how often to feed, and how to recognize normal activity versus signs of contamination.
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This post on gluten-free sourdough starter focuses solely on the wild yeast starter creation. I walk you through adding flour and water when you have an established starter. The separate sourdough bread recipes cover shaping, hydration, and the bake schedule. You can also see all of my gluten-free sourdough and discard recipes for more ways to use your sourdough starter.
My recipe includes starter options using single-grain flours, gluten-free blends, and the optional GF culture, so you can choose the method that works best for your kitchen conditions and experience level.
Sourdough Starter Instructions:
I share a lot of important tips and recommendations on making your gf sourdough starter. Everything from the best water to use and how to keep your starter warm. Please read the ENTIRE post before you get started.
Day 1:
- Mix equal parts of a gluten-free flour blend and water (1:1 feed ratio) in a clean bowl or quart-sized mason jar. I start with 1/4 cup of flour to 1/4 cup of water. You want the starter to have the consistency of a slightly thick pancake batter. Do not use pure starch sources such as tapioca and potato. If you are using the Cultures for Health Gluten-Free Culture, add it to the jar. Mix well.
- Cover loosely with a breathable cloth and keep at 72–79°F for best growth.
- You will feed the starter 2-3 times a day. Later in the day, feed it with 2 tablespoons of flour to 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well.
Day 2:
On day two, feed the starter 1 TBSP of flour to 1 TBSP of water 2-3 times a day. Keep the 1:1 flour-water ratio. Again, be sure to use filtered water and stir the starter well.
Days 3-4:
After 3-4 days, your mixture should begin to smell sour and have some bubbles. Keep feeding your starter twice a day until it is full of bubbles and doubles in size within a few hours of feeding it.
Time to discard! As the amount of starter in your jar grows, I recommend discarding some. It is too young to use in discard recipes at this point. The discarded starter can be placed in the trash or in the compost. In the early stages, I discard 2-3 tablespoons each day.
By discarding some of your starter, the remaining starter can continue to strengthen and establish itself with the feeds.
👀 Sandi Says: Do not dump the discard down the drain. It is sticky and can cause a lot of plumbing issues.
Day 5 and Beyond:
This is what the starter should look like now! Look for lots of bubbles. It should still have the consistency of thick pancake batter. Sometimes it takes a few extra days, so keep repeating the steps of feeding and discarding.
If your starter is not full of bubbles, here are some things to check:
- Check the temperature: How cold is it where you are growing your starter? Yeast needs warm temperatures to activate and grow.
- Are you feeding it often enough?
- Are you using a gluten-free flour blend? Sometimes this can slow things a little because of the starches and xanthan gum.
Start with the right tools; read My Favorite Sourdough Tools for a full list of equipment.
🔑 Sandi says: If you see clear liquid on top of your starter, this is called hooch. This means you need to feed your starter. You will want to drain off that liquid before feeding the starter.
Planning to Make the Starter:
It is important to plan before you begin to make your starter. Decide whether to make your starter with just flour and water, or give it a jump-start using Cultures for Health Gluten-Free Culture. I have made starters using both methods, and I find my readers have a higher success rate with the flour-and-water plus culture.
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- I always use purified water when making sourdough or baking with yeast. Chlorine and chemicals in our tap water can kill your yeast and inhibit the rise. To get the best rise, you must use purified water that doesn’t contain these chemicals.
- You need to plan how you want to keep your starter warm, between 72-79ºF. It will not ferment or establish if it is cold.
- Lastly, choose what flour you will use to grow your starter. Years ago, I used a gluten-free flour blend, but over the years of making starters, I’ve found that a single-grain flour is best. I have seen folks grow successful starters with brown rice flour, millet flour, buckwheat flour, and other types. My favorite is brown rice flour.
Keeping Your Starter Warm:
When getting your starter going, it must be kept warm enough for the bacteria to grow. I have found several ways to keep the sourdough starter warm.
Many of my readers keep their sourdough starter in the microwave or oven with the light turned on and the door closed. The light generates enough heat to keep the starter warm. The two cons of this method are that you can burn out the light, and if someone forgets your starter is in the oven, someone may preheat the oven and ruin your starter.
I used an old Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker base that my mother-in-law gave me. Plug in the base and place two folded dish towels on top to help prevent it from getting too hot. I place the jar on top of the towels.
They also make sourdough warming mats that easily fit a quart-sized mason jar. This is better than the option I used above because you can set the temperature.
How do I know if the starter has gone bad?
If you don’t see many bubbles or if something seems off, smell your starter and take a close look at it. Discard it immediately if you notice:
- rotten/chemical odor
- pink or orange streaks
- fuzzy growth
How To Store Your Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter:
The starter should be kept on the counter, warm for another week or two, feeding and discarding until it is well established. I do not recommend storing your starter in the fridge until it is at least 3 weeks old and established.
If you want to continue using your starter, keep it in the refrigerator. The refrigerator slows the fermentation process, and it puts your starter to sleep so you don’t have to feed it as often.
A good way to tell if your starter is ready to refrigerate is whether it doubles within 2-4 hours of feeding; it is ready to refrigerate.
- Do not store your sourdough starter in a metal container. Store in a glass or ceramic container. I store mine in a quart-sized mason jar. (These are my favorites because they have plastic lids!)
- Time to Store the Discard! You will want to continue to discard by taking out some of the discard before feeding the starter. The amount of discard depends on how much starter you have. If my jar has 1/2 cup total starter, I would discard 3-4 TBSP. (I keep the discard in a separate container to use it in gluten free discard recipes.) Feed the starter before putting it in the fridge.
- If the starter is on the younger side, feed it in the refrigerator every 4-5 days. As the sourdough starter ages, you can feed it less often, once every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. I feed mine by adding 2 TBSP of flour to 2 TBSP of purified water. Stir it well so the flour is incorporated. If your blend is starchy, you can use 3 tablespoons of water.
- Cover it with the lid and refrigerate.
When you plan to bake with your starter, remove it from the refrigerator the night before, discard some, feed it, and let it come to room temperature. Keep it covered with a clean, damp kitchen towel.
What to make with the discard:
Want more ways to use up your gluten-free sourdough discard? Don’t miss my full list of tested gluten-free discard recipes!
You can use the discard to make these Gluten-Free Discard Crackers or these Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Biscuits if you choose to discard. We also love these Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Muffins.
We named one of our past starters “Freddie,” and it became a running family joke about who remembered to feed him. You don’t need to name yours, but if it helps you feel connected to the process, go for it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
My opinion has changed over time. I no longer use a gluten-free flour blend. I use only brown rice flour to make and feed my starters. It is cheaper than a 1:1 blend and activates and remains active much better because there is no starch or gum to slow fermentation.
Yes, you can switch flour types. Fermentation may slow for a day or two, depending on whether you use a blend or single-grain flour, but it will pick up again!
The liquid that forms on top of your sourdough starter is known as “hooch.” When you see hooch in your starter, it indicates the sourdough needs to be fed; the development of hooch is normal and not a cause for concern.
Drain off the hooch before you feed the sourdough starter. You may notice the hooch smells like alcohol, which is also expected.
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.
Don’t forget to check out the next step…making the sourdough bread!
When I first interviewed Sadie at Bread Srsly, she was so generous to share an older version of her famous sourdough recipe with me to share with my readers. I have streamlined Sadie’s original recipe and tested a few different gluten free flours and blends to make it easier for you to recreate this recipe.
If you want to try Sadie’s original recipe given to me, you can use 1/4 cup of millet flour or 1/4 cup of sorghum flour. (Check out Rachel’s comment in my Gluten-Free Sourdough post to see her comments on how she uses the millet flour!)
Gluten-Free Sourdough Recipes To Try:
- This sourdough starter, aka levain, is used in my Gluten-Free Crescent Rolls recipe.
- Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Scones – Perfect for using up discard!
- Don’t forget to check out the next step…making the Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread! This recipe makes a sandwich-style loaf using 1:1 gluten-free flour blends!
- My new favorite is this rustic Gluten Free Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread recipe.
- Use this gluten-free sourdough starter to make this homemade Gluten-Free Sourdough Boule.
Love This Recipe?
I still have readers message me years later about the success they’ve had after finally getting their starter active. If that ends up being you, I would genuinely appreciate hearing it. Drop a comment below, and let me know how it turned out!
How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
- ¼ cup gluten free flour * see note
- ½ cup purified water * see note
Instructions
- It is important to read my entire post before making this gluten-free sourdough starter. This is one recipe where it is IMPORTANT to read my whole recipe post, not just this recipe card. I have a lot of experience with sourdough, and the tips I share are valuable to your success.
Day 1
- Mix equal parts of a gluten-free flour blend and water (1:1) in a clean bowl or quart-sized mason jar. I start with 1/4 cup of flour to 1/4 cup of water. You want the starter to have the consistency of a slightly thick pancake batter. Do not use pure starch sources such as tapioca and potato. If you are using the Cultures for Health Gluten-Free Culture, add it to the jar. Mix well.
- NOTE: I highly recommend using filtered or bottled water. Chlorine and chemicals will kill the beneficial bacteria you are trying to grow.
- You will feed the starter 2-3 times a day. Later in the day, feed it with 2 tablespoons of flour to 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well. Cover loosely with a breathable cloth and keep at 72–79°F for best growth. (See Notes)
Day 2
- On day two, feed the starter 1 TBSP of flour to 1 TBSP of water 2-3 times a day. Keep the 1:1 flour-water ratio. Again, be sure to use filtered water and stir the starter well.
Day 3-4
- After 3-4 days, your mixture should begin to smell sour and have some bubbles. Keep feeding your starter twice a day until it is full of bubbles and doubles in size within a few hours of feeding it.
- Time to discard! As the amount of starter in your jar grows, I recommend discarding some. It is too young to use in discard recipes at this point. The discarded starter can be placed in the trash or in the compost. In the early stages, I discard 2-3 tablespoons each day.
- Do not dump the discard down the drain. It is sticky and can cause a lot of plumbing issues.
- If your bowl or jar starts to get full, feel free to discard some of the starter. In Sadie's original recipe, she didn't write about discarding any of her starter. I do take out some disard because it helps your bacteria become stronger.
Day 5 and Beyond
- This is what the starter should look like now! Look for lots of bubbles. It should still have the consistency of thick pancake batter. Sometimes it takes a few extra days, so keep repeating the steps of feeding and discarding.
- Refer back to my post to troubleshoot any steps, or if you do not see lots of bubbles.
Notes
- I have used sorghum, brown rice, millet flour, and gluten-free flour blends successfully to make a starter. I prefer brown rice flour because it is a lot less expensive than a flour blend.
- I recommend considering getting the Cultures For Health Gluten-Free Culture to jump-start your starter.
- I found brown rice flour works the best, and it is less expensive to use compared to a gluten-free flour blend.
- In order to give your natural yeast a chance, I highly recommend using purified water. Chlorine in tap water can kill your yeast, not growing your starter.
- I include very detailed instructions for storing your sourdough starter in my article. Please refer back to that because it has a lot of important information.
- I include a very detailed troubleshooting section in my article. If your starter is having some trouble, please refer to the Recipe FAQ in the article.
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SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
I want to make a gf starter but what do u mean when u say Cultures for Health starter mix, because I thought u only use brown rice flour and water. please specify
Hi Sam, yes use brown rice and purified water. The Cultures for Health is like a jump start to getting the starter going. You use it and feed it with the brown rice flour and water. You can use either method.
My starter is made with brown rice flour only, it is bubbly and smells like yeast but it rises very little ( maybe 1/4?) I feed twice a day, 1:2:2.
Does it have to double before I can bake with it?
Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Cindy, Are you discarding before you feed it? How much is in the jar? Are you keeping it warm or room temperature?
I’m on day 3. What do I do now?? You didn’t give any instructions for days 3 to 5. All you said is, “You’re almost there.” But how do I GET THERE? Please help.
Hi Amber, you would continue as you are until day 5 and you have a bubbly starter. What does your starter look like right now? I am happy to give tips.
I had my starter looking very good and thought I could begin cooking with it by Tuesday of this week. I had it in the oven with the light on – then yesterday I was making chocolate chip cookies for Thanksgiving, but didn’t look in oven first- oh my when I saw my jar of starter inside a 375 oven I was afraid it would burst. It didn’t break, but now I start over after 12 days. So disappointed. Be careful!
Oh my gosh, that is awful, Kathye. I am so sorry. If you are in the California Bay Area, I can give you some of mine to use.
I want to make this GF starter. Don’t I have to put yeast in the starter?
Hi Laurie, there is no yeast added. The point of making the starter is to grow your own sourdough yeast. I hope this helps.
I really appreciate all the details you have included.
I am so glad it is helpful. You can also reach out if you have any questions while making the starter.
Is the starter flour and actual sourdough flour the same? Am I using GF bread flour for the starter and all purpose GF in the actual dough or vice versa? Or bread flour for the entire thing, or all purpose all throughout? thanks.
Hi Deb, no. I typically use a single grain flour to make and feed the starter. Brown rice flour is my favorite because it is inexpensive, and yeast love it. When you make a recipe with the sourdough starter, you use what flour blend the recipe call for. I hope this answers your question.
What are the baking instructions once it’s ready?
Hi Karen, Once the sourdough starter is ready and very active, I have a ton of recipes you can use, including recipes for using the discard. Here is a link to all of these recipes: https://www.fearlessdining.com/category/gluten-free-sourdough-recipes/
Excited to try new recipes!
It is nice to meet you and I am so glad you are going to start a sourdough starter. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions along the way making it.
I’m new to GF baking. I’m on day 2 and fed the starter 3x today. Do I continue the adding the brown rice & water on days 3-5. & if so how much flour & water do I use? Thank you.
Hi Esther, Can you describe what your starter is doing, the temperature you are rising it at, did you use the Cultures for Health starter mix, or are you just using brown rice flour and water. and where you are rising it? Day 2 is very, very early. Are you discarding some of the excess? (Be sure to put it in the compost or trash so it doesn’t clog kitchen pipes.) You can also reach out via my contact page, which goes to my email for more troubleshooting. Sometimes folks miss my responses to comments.
It’s day 5 now. I use brown rice and alternated with GF flax seed and ancient grain flour. Tonight is smells a bit sour, it’s bubbly & it’s in the oven with the light on. I also have discard I put in the fridge. I’d like to bake it tomorrow with GL Red Hill brown rice flour. When can I use the starter to bake GF sourdough bread?
Hi Esther, I have no experience using flax seeds in a starter. I don’t think that is something often used. You strayed from my recipe and it is hard for me to say when you should bake it. Usually you want the starter to be very established…and to make bread, you need to use more than just rice flour for the recipe to work. Baking bread with a single grain won’t hold up. That is why gluten-free flour blends have a combination of grains and starches to mimic the gluiness of wheat.
I have a sourdough starter that is about 2 weeks old, it smells as it should and there are bubbles but it does not grow in size, what am I doing wrong? I feed twice a day, I started it when it was quite warm but temperature has definitely dropped now. My UK oven doesn’t have the facility to just have the light on, is an airing cupboard too warm?
Hi Frances, Thank you for your note. Can you tell me what flour you are using for your starter, how often you are feeding it, discarding, and the temperature where you have it growing? I can help a lot more with this information.