Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

In this post I show you how to make an easy gluten free sourdough starter. It's so simple to start the process with gluten free flour and water! This sourdough starter makes the best bread!

One of the things I missed most when I first went gluten free was bread. Just the simplicity of making a sandwich for dinner when I wasn't feeling like cooking or toast for breakfast. I tried a lot of different store bought gluten free breads but wasn't a fan of the gritty texture most had.

I originally purchased a gluten free sourdough starter from Cultures for Health. This recipe is based on their recipe. I liked the recipe, but made some tweaks so it's has a thicker crust and denser texture more like regular sourdough. In my opinion their recipe was too cake like.

I didn't realize when I purchased a sourdough starter how easy it is to start one on your own. It takes about seven days and then you can bake bread on the eighth day.

How do you make a gluten free sourdough starter from scratch?

It is so easy! I like to use a one quart, widemouth jar. You could use a leftover mayonnaise jar or whatever you have on hand. The most important part is you can either set a lid on top or put a coffee filter and rubber band over it. And that the jar leaves enough room for the starter to triple in size.

Make sure the jar has been washed and sanitized. I like to run it through the dishwasher with a hot drying cycle to make sure there aren't any bad bacteria in the jar.

Place ⅓ cup gluten free flour and ⅓ cup hot water from the tap. Put the lid over the jar (do not screw it down) or place a coffee filter and rubber band over the jar. Place a rubber band around the jar indicating where the top of the mixture is. This will help you to see when the starter begins to grow.

Put the jar in a warm place. I put mine on the mantle above our wood stove. You don't want it to be too hot. The room should be 70-74 degrees. If it's not warm enough the starter won't grow.

You will repeat this process for 6 days until you see the starter double in size. You will remove half of the starter and discard each day (I know it's hard to throw away flour, but it's not ready to use yet). If you aren't seeing the starter grow it may need to be in a warmer place or just need another day or two.

On the seventh day save the discard in a container and place in the fridge. Feed your starter the same ⅓ cup flour and ⅓ cup hot water. The next day add the discard with the saved container from the day before. Place on the counter to let it come back up to room temperature.

You should have one and half cups of gluten free sourdough starter and be able to make your first loaf of bread!

You can continue to feed the starter to have another loaf in two days or place the starter in the refrigerator. If you place the starter in the refrigerator you will need to get it out and feed it once a week to keep it healthy.

Can you eat sourdough bread on a gluten free diet?

I know that some people who have an intolerance to gluten can eat sourdough that is made from regular flour. That isn't the case for me and may to be the case for you. If you can't tolerate any gluten I wouldn't suggest eating regular sour dough bread.

This recipe shows you how to make your own gluten free sourdough starter. I love that you are in control of everything that goes into the starter and the environment it is processed in. You will know for sure that it's gluten free and safe for you.

If you like this recipe you might also enjoy:

Gluten Free Sourdough Bread
Gluten Free Cornbread
Easy Gluten Free White Cake
Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes
Gluten Free Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

I get my ingredients from Thrive Market. Thrive Market has been a game changer for me eating gluten free. They have so many options I can’t get at my rural grocery stores! Use this link to get 25% off your first order!

Print