Delicious gluten free bread does exist. Here’s a simple artisan-style gluten free sourdough bread that you can make for yourself at home.
NOTE: Recipe update January 2021. If you’ve been making this bread before then, you’ll notice that I’ve tweaked the recipe in order to get my loaf to be a bit more sour. Try it. It’s so good!
Sourdough is such a craze this year. Many of us have been baking away during the 2020 quarantine. Before last March, I had never baked a loaf of bread in my life. Now it’s a regular occurrence in my kitchen, and I’m obsessed.
But not all breads are created equally. After months of experimentation, I’ve come up with this simple gluten free sourdough bread recipe made with just a few basic ingredients.
It’s very similar to whole grain artisan bread you’d find at a good bakery with a mild sourdough flavor. A nice crusty outside with a soft texture inside. Unlike many other gluten free breads, it is not too dry, dense, or too gummy. Simply delicious!
And you don’t have to be a master baker to make it.
Intimidated by the thought of Sourdough?
Don’t worry. I’m here to break it down for you into digestible pieces. Even if you’ve never baked bread before, you’ll be able to do this.
What is Sourdough?
Sourdough is a bread made from the natural occurring yeast and bacteria in flour. Flour is slowly fermented in water to create a sourdough starter. The wild yeast in the sourdough starter become the natural leavening agent that makes the bread rise. The sourdough starter and the fermentation of the flours in the bread give sourdough bread its signature taste.
Benefits of Sourdough
❤️ taste… is the first obvious benefit of of making bread with a sourdough starter. The slightly sour and tangy flavor is what makes sourdough bread so dang delicious.
❤️ more available nutrients and better digestion… the long fermentation process required for sourdough bread helps break down much of the phytates/phytic acid and other “antinutrients” in the flours used, making the minerals more easily available and digestion of the starches in the bread much easier. The natural bacteria working with the natural yeast in the starter predigest the starch a little bit for you.
❤️ less glucose… sourdough lowers the glycemic index of the bread. The natural enzymes in the sourdough starter break down the starches in the flours into glucose. This glucose is used as fuel by the wild yeasts in the starter, meaning some of the glucose in the flours is eaten up by the yeast during the fermentation process. The benefit of this is less of a spike in blood glucose when eating sourdough bread.
What do I need to make Gluten Free Sourdough Bread?
❤️ gluten free sourdough starter… is the first thing you will need to start baking. If you’re lucky enough to know someone with one, simply ask them for a bit and start feeding it. You can also make your own. It’s a good idea to learn how to take care of and maintain your starter so you can use it again and again.
My gluten free sourdough starter was originally given to me from a local GF bakery. It was a combination of sorghum, rice, and millet. I feed mine mostly sorghum flour and sometimes a bit of brown rice flour.
❤️ gluten free flours…the best gluten free sourdough bread is made with a combo of flours to get just the right flavor and texture. After much experimentation, I’ve settled on my favorite combo of:
- sorghum flour
- buckwheat flour (I make my own from THIS)
- brown rice flour
- tapioca starch
❤️ salt… because salt is life and is the best flavor enhancer.
❤️ psyllium husk… acts sort of like a gluten substitute and gives the dough elasticity and flexibility. Use ground whole husk not the fine powder. Do not leave out the crucial ingredient.
❤️ 1 tbsp honey… You can use 1 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup instead if you want to keep the bread 100% vegan.
That’s it. No weird ingredients. No eggs, dairy, or xanthan gum. I told you that you can do this.
My recipe is not a light and fluffy white bread. I’ve worked on this recipe to get the flour ratios just right: least amount of starchy flour without being too dense. I love a heartier loaf made with buckwheat flour. You can definitely experiment with other flours like millet and oat and also try subbing out some of the denser flours for more starchy flours like tapioca, arrowroot, and sweet rice if you like a lighter loaf.
Why I grind my own buckwheat flour
I have found that if I grind my own buckwheat flour from hulled buckwheat grouts, I get a much lighter and better tasting flour. It’s super simple to do. Just grind the groats in a food processor until you get a nice flour, about 2 minutes.
Store-bought buckwheat flour will have a darker appearance and will have a stronger flavor. It also makes a slightly denser loaf. If that’s what you have, it will still be absolutely delicious. The loaf in the right upper corner of the image below is made from store-bought buckwheat flour.
Do I really have to weigh my ingredients?
I HIGHLY recommend weighing your main flours and water with a kitchen scale. It’s the best way to ensure reliable, accurate, and precise results in bread baking. If at all possible, measure in gram measurements.
In my experience, measuring by volume (in cups) has given inconsistent results.
Tips for baking gluten free sourdough bread
❤️ feed your starter… making sure your gluten free sourdough starter is nice and active before making your preferment is key to getting your bread to rise in a good way. I like to feed my starter twice before baking. This means if I want to bake on Monday, I will take my starter out of the fridge on Sunday morning to feed it, and I will feed it again just before dinner time. I’ll wait about 3 hours, until it’s nice and bubbly, to make the preferment. (example: Feed at 8am. Feed again at 530pm. Make preferment at 830-9pm.)
❤️ weigh your ingredients… I cannot emphasize this enough. You will be much happier with the results. If making flour substitutions, be sure to sub by weight not by volume measurement.
❤️ use a Dutch oven… OR make sure to add ice cubes to the bottom pan if baking on baking sheets (instructions including in recipe card). The steam helps the bread rise better.
❤️ grind your own buckwheat… trust me. It’s worth it. If you use darker store-bought buckwheat flour, you may need to wet your hands a bit while kneading the dough as it is a bit drier.
❤️ be patient… learning to bake sourdough can involve some experimentation. It’s part science + part art. It won’t always turn out the same. Sometimes the weather will be different. Sometimes your starter will be thicker or more runny. Every kitchen has a different temperature, oven temperatures vary, and all flours are different. You may need to learn the vigor of your starter. You may need to learn how to keep it healthy. It’s all part of the process.
❤️ flour substitutions… I have successfully made this bread with millet flour (in place of the buckwheat.) I’ve also used brown rice flour in place of the sorghum. Feel free to experiment with your favorite gluten free flours. Just be sure to keep the weight measurements the same.
What is a preferment
A preferment (sometimes called a levain) is a mixture of fresh flour, water, and some active starter left to ferment before mixing everything into a final dough. Preferments help adjust the flavor balance by making it more or less sour.
There’s a whole science to it. You can make alter the flavor of your sourdough loaf with the strength of your starter, the choice of flour you use in the levain, the temperature of the ferment, and the amount of time you let it ferment.
Step by step for making gluten free sourdough bread
To make the preferment: mix together active starter, water, and rice flour. Cover and place in warm place overnight (ideal temperature = 75-78’F). In colder weather, I leave mine in my oven (turned OFF) with the light on to produce a bit of warmth.
In a large bowl, whisk together psyllium husk, honey, and water. Let sit for about 5 minutes until a thick gel forms.
In another bowl, whisk together sorghum, buckwheat, tapioca, + salt. Set aside.
Scape preferment into psyllium husk mixture and gently mix to combine.
Add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together then knead by hand for about until dough is smooth and elastic and pulls off the sides of the bowl nicely. Dust with a bit of extra sorghum flour if it feels too sticky. Wet your hands and knead if too dry.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and continue kneading for about a minute, shaping it into a smooth ball. Transfer dough ball, smooth side down + bottom seams up, to a tea towel-lined soup bowl dusted with flour (about 6 inches in diameter), fold towel over and place into a plastic bag. Place in a warm area to rise for 3-4 hours until dough has noticeably increase in size. It will not double in size.
Thirty minutes prior to baking, preheat oven to 450’F. Place large Dutch oven with lid into oven to preheat. (*see note in recipe card if you do not have a Dutch oven)
Once dough has risen and oven and Dutch oven is HOT, turn dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Dust the top with flour, wiping off excess with your hand. Use a sharp knife or razor to score the top of your loaf.
Carefully remove preheated Dutch oven from hot oven. Lift loaf with the edges of the parchment paper, place into Dutch oven, and place lid on. Bake for 25 minutes covered. Remove lid and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until bottom is brown and loaf sounds hard and hollow when tapped with a wooden spoon.
Cool on a rack for 4 hours or overnight before slicing. Cooling sets the crumb. Slicing bread before it is cool can affect the texture. It’s worth the wait, I promise.
How to tell loaf is ready to bake
Learning to tell when loaf is proofed enough can be a bit tricky. This is mainly because every sourdough starter differs in strength and every kitchen differs in temperature. Be sure your starter is nice and active before using. The warmer a kitchen is, the faster the dough will proof. The cooler it is, the slower it will proof.
I have found that 3-4 hours is good in my kitchen. The dough will look noticeably bigger but will NOT double in size. It will be soft and airy. When you touch the loaf with your finger, it should spring back just a tiny bit but leave a little indent. The more you bake this bread, the better you’ll get at telling when your dough is proofed enough.
In cooler weather, I leave my loaf in the oven (turned OFF) with the light no to produce just a bit of heat. I’ve read that the ideal temperature for proofing is 75-78’F.
Don’t have a gluten free sourdough starter?
You can still make delicious GF bread with my Everyday Gluten Free Bread recipe made with yeast.
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Gluten Free Sourdough Bread (Artisan Style)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (+ 3-4 hour rise time)
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: one loaf 1x
Description
Delicious gluten free bread does exist. Here’s a simple artisan-style gluten free sourdough bread that you can make for yourself at home.
Ingredients
- 140 grams active sourdough starter (*see note)
- 110 grams water
- 80 grams brown rice flour
- 20 grams psyllium husk (like this)
- 245 grams slightly warm water
- 1 tbsp honey (or sugar or maple syrup to keep it vegan)
- 110 grams sorghum flour (like this)
- 130 grams buckwheat flour
- 100 grams tapioca starch (like this)
- 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- To make the preferment: mix together 140 grams of active starter, 110 grams of water, and 80 grams of rice flour. Cover and place in warm place overnight (ideal temperature = 75-78’F)
- In the morning, in a large bowl, whisk together psyllium husk, honey, and 245 grams water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to gel.
- Meanwhile, in another bowl whisk together sorghum, buckwheat, tapioca, + salt.
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Scape preferment into psyllium husk mixture and gently mix to combine. Add in dry flours and stir with a wooden spoon until it starts to comes together then knead by hand until dough is smooth and elastic and pulls off the sides of the bowl nicely. Dust with a bit of extra sorghum flour if it feels too sticky. If it feels too dry, wet your hands while kneading to help bring the dough together.
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Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and continue kneading for about a minute, shaping it into a smooth ball. Transfer dough ball to a tea towel-lined soup bowl dusted with flour (about 6-7 inches in diameter), fold towel over and place into a plastic bag. Place in a warm area to rise for 3-4 hours until dough has noticeably increase in size and feels and dough springs back a bit when touched. It will not double in size.
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Thirty minutes prior to baking, preheat oven to 450’F. Place large Dutch oven with lid into oven to preheat. (*see note if you do not have a Dutch oven)
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Once dough has risen and oven and Dutch oven is HOT, gently turn dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Dust the top with flour, wiping off excess with your hand. Use a sharp knife or razor to score the top of your loaf.
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Carefully remove preheated Dutch oven from hot oven. Gently lift loaf with the edges of the parchment paper, place into Dutch oven and put lid on. Bake for 25 minutes covered. Remove lid and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until bottom is brown and loaf sounds hard and hollow when tapped with a wooden spoon.
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Cool on a rack for 4 hours or overnight before slicing. Cooling sets the crumb. Slicing bread before it is cool can affect the texture. It’s worth the wait, I promise.
Notes
Be sure that your starter is active before making your preferment. I like to feed mine twice before using it, meaning I feed it in the morning. Then before dinner time, I feed it again. I then wait about 3 hours until the starter is nice and bubbly to make the preferment. (example: Feed at 8am. Feed again at 530pm. Make preferment at 830-9pm.)
If using darker store-bough buckwheat flour, the dough may feel dry. You may need to add a bit more water to the dough.
I have found that if I grind my own buckwheat flour from hulled buckwheat grouts, I get a much lighter and better tasting flour. It’s super simple to do. Just grind the groats in a food processor until you get a nice flour, about 2 minutes. Store-bought buckwheat flour will have a darker appearance and will have a stronger flavor. If that’s what you have, it will still be absolutely delicious.
Don’t forget to be patient with yourself when baking bread. It’s part science + part art. It won’t always turn out the same. Sometimes the weather will be different. Sometimes your starter will be thicker or more runny. It’s all part of the process.
I prefer to bake bread in a Dutch oven with a heavy lid. My bread always turns out better. If you do not have a Dutch oven, you can bake bread in a large cast iron skillet, adding another smaller cast iron skillet or baking sheet (do not use glass) on the bottom shelf for water to create a bit of steam. When preheating oven to 450’F, place large skillet and smaller skillet (or baking sheet) into oven. Once ready to bake, remove skillet from oven, lift parchment paper and loaf onto skillet and place back into oven. Remove smaller skillet (or baking pan) from oven and quickly add 8-10 ice cubes to it. Place back under bread loaf. Close oven quickly. Bake for 20 minutes then remove lower skillet with water. Bake for another 25-35 minutes, until loaf of golden. Each skillet and oven are different so you will have to experiment with the ones you have.
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Hi there! Just wondering what size of dutch oven you’d need for this recipe! I started some starter tonight and am so excited to try this bread! My little guy is allergic to wheat/dairy/eggs/peanuts, and I’ve been looking for a decent loaf of bread for years….this may be the one!
I have several different sizes that I use from 7 quarts to 4 quart. As long as the loaf fits inside with a bit of room to bake up, you’re good.If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can bake it in a skillet. I added instructions in the recipe card. Let me know if yu have any other questions. 🙂
How do you build your starter? I have a wheat sourdough starter but it seems counterproductive to use a gluten base for gluten free sourdough!
That is correct, you do not want to use a regular sourdough starter to make GF bread. You can make your own GF starter like this—> https://wholenewmom.com/gluten-free-sourdough-starter/ Hope that helps. 🙂
Do I love you… if this works out (bearing in mind i have made sooo many loafes that havn’t turned out .. or rather have, but as door stops!)
You will be my saviour.
A lot of sour dough recipes use a stretch and fold method and a good 12 hours in the fridge. Would that work here as well?
Hi, Rob… I haven’t tried it so hard to say. Gluten free dough is a bit different than regular sourdough. I would love to hear if you try it.
Need to know what 200 grams of sour dough starter is equivalent to in cups
It’s roughly about 2/3 cup, but I do recommend weighing your ingredients to get consistent results. 🙂
Thank you Katja for helping me on this exciting journey! I made one loaf and it turned out a bit gummy, and wondered why that may be. Starter is not active enough? Psyllium husks got too gelled? Didn’t bake long enough? It did have a nice crust, sounded hollow and was crusty brown on the bottom when I took it out. (I used a Dutch oven) Another question I have is, would it be ok for the dough to rise longer if need be? Sometimes scheduling 6 hours ahead can go awry!
Hi, Darlene- Not baking long enough could leave the inside a bit wet.You may need to experiment with your bake time in your oven since all ovens are a bit different. Did you weigh all of your ingredients? Was your dough really sticky? If so, you could dust it with a bit of flour. Did you let it cool completely ? And you could also use a tiny bit less psyllium husk to see if you prefer that.I have found that 6 hours is the perfect rise time if my house is a nice temperature. You could let it go just a tiny bit more if your house is nice and cool but if you leave it too long, it eventually runs out of its food source (the starches and sugars in the dough), and over ferments. There’s a bit of a learning curve with sourdough. Dough proofs faster in warm weather and slower in cool weather.
Thank you for all that Katja. I baked another loaf which was still a bit gummy at first, but it lost the gumminess completely over the course of a few days that it took to eat. I have been weighing my ingredients and waiting the four hours or more to slice, and the dough hasn’t been too sticky. I’ll try your suggestion of using a little less psyllium husk for my next loaf I’m now getting ready to make. I really appreciate all the info ~ and I am really loving this bread despite it not being “perfect” ~ yet ~ as well as the learning experience. Making my own starter has been challenging and rewarding ~ I get so excited about fermented foods, they’re so alive!
Yes, bread baking is a personal thing. We all like different flavors and textures. And we have to experiment to see what we like. Adding the psyllium husk gives it the flexibility it needs but you may like less. Also, I would try cooling it overnight to see if that is better for you. 🙂 So glad you are sticking with it.
I’m new to baking bread and this turned out so good. Thank you. I want to try adding in a bit of millet flour next time. Do you think I can use millet instead of the buckwheat?
Yes, you can experiment with millet flour. I’ve found that some are drier than others so you may have to adjust the water content a tiny bit. Please keep me posted.
I’ve been making this bread for a few months now. My family loves it. I love your new version even better. Thank you for introducing us to gluten free sourdough. It’s good to eat yummy bread again.
Yay! So glad you like it. 🙂
Hi, I am loving your recipe and have tweaked it to include chickpea and Hemp flour instead of sorghum which is hard to get. This makes it a premium nutritional bread! I am keen to know if it is possible to increase the rising. I have tried doubling the yeast and sugar and increasing proving time. No real success with that. Thanks.
Gluten free dough only rides so much. It tends to be more of a denser loaf.
You usually need to replace a flour with another that has a similar density for it to work with the recipe. Chickpea and hemp are much denser than sorghum. Try using more buckwheat, millet, or brown rice flour in equal weight and you might find it rises a bit better. I also let this recipe rise a bit longer sometimes when it’s winter as I find the dough has enough structure that you can rise it longer with a lower risk of it falling flat.
THIS is the ultimate gluten free sourdough bread. I was looking for something that used as much buckwheat flour as possible and found that I can easily adapt this recipe with some of the flour I have on hand. Since I can’t digest sorghum very well I substitute it with millet or more buckwheat and it still turns out perfectly. Each loaf you make will continue to get better and better as your starter improves. I’ve even used this dough to make cinnamon buns and they are so heavenly that a lot of gluten-consumers in my life have asked for the recipe. 10/10
Yay! I’m so happy to hear this. I’m finding that I’m getting better and better at making substitutions. and every time the loaf turns out a bit different. It’s so fun.
Hi thank you for the recipe making this right now dough is waiting to get in to the oven???????????????? hoping to get it right. But for future times I wanted to know what flours are a good subtitute for the buckwheat and sorghum? Can it be cassava?
I have not experimented with cassava flour. It tends to be very dry so you would want to use less, I’m guessing.