Foolproof Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter

Dreaming of a classic artisanal sourdough with wild yeasty aromas and flavor? It all starts with learning how to make an easy gluten-free sourdough starter that actually works. My beginner-friendly guide breaks it all down with a GF starter recipe that delivers real, active, bubbly growth. I've been right where you are, and trust me - your made-from-scratch dream boule is closer than you think.

Prep Time 5

Resting Time 5

Total Time 5 5

Servings cup

Author Melissa Erdelac

Ingredients

gluten-free single grain flour brown rice, buckwheat, teff, sweet rice flour, see recipe notes for recommendations
water

Instructions

Day 1 - In a large glass jar or medium glass or ceramic bowl add 50 grams gluten-free flour and 60 grams water. The mixture should be slightly thicker than pancake batter. Otherwise adjust either the flour or water amount to achieve that consistency. Cover loosely (coffee filter with a rubber band, paper plate, or breathable cloth works) and set it on the counter for 24 hours.
Day 2, 3, and 4 - Add 30 grams more flour and about 30-40 grams more water and stir. You are looking to achieve that same day 1 consistency every day. Loosely cover again and sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Around days 4 or 5 is where I will incorporate another flour, something I didn't use to begin the starter.

Day 5 – Discard about half the starter. Feed the remaining with 30 grams more flour and about 30-40 grams more water. Stir to combine and loosely cover and sit at room temp for 24 hours.

Try to keep the top edges of the jar as clean as possible. I use a silicone spoon to scrape down all the mixture into the jar or bowl. Then wipe around the edges with a damp cloth before recovering.

Day 6-10 – Alternate with feeding only one day and discarding half then feeding the following day. This helps so you don't end up with a massive amount of starter.
By day 10 you should have an active, bubbly starter with a yeasty aroma each time you're ready to feed. If it activates before day 10, just stay with the process until you reach the full 10 days so you have a nice, strong starter established.
Now you're ready to bake this amazing loaf of gluten-free sourdough bread or transfer the starter to a lidded glass jar and store in the fridge until ready to bake. See recipe notes for storing.

Notes

Recommended GF Flours

When I tried different starch options using a dehydrated GF starter with brown rice flour worked best for me. Without the kit, I liked using buckwheat, adding in a little sweet rice flour after a couple days, and then mostly adding brown rice or buckwheat after that. Using buckwheat only or teff only didn't activate for me, but I know it has worked for others.

Storing

If you are a frequent baker, store it loosely covered at room temp, but it will have to be fed once a day and discarded regularly.

For longer storage, refrigerate in a lidded glass jar. It's said you still have to feed it once a week, but I don't. When ready to bake again, either use it straight from the fridge or, if it's been stored a long time, discard, feed, and let it to reactivate before adding to your bread dough.