This vegan gluten-free sourdough bread is soft, fluffy, nutritious, and perfectly crusty! Once you master the skill, you will never go back to the store-bought gluten-free bread.
Jump to:
- Sourdough vs. Commercial Yeast
- Gluten-Free Starter
- Psyllium Husk
- Sourdough Terminology Explained
- 🍽 Tools You Might Need
- The Best Flour for GF Sourdough
- A note on flour types
- 🥘 Ingredients
- 📖 Substitutes
- 🔪 Step-by-step instructions
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Gluten-Free Sourdough Recipes to Try
- Get my GF sourdough recipes eBook
- Gluten Free Vegan Sourdough Bread
- 💬 Community
Sourdough vs. Commercial Yeast
Sourdough bread uses naturally grown yeast with wild bacteria that is naturally found in the air around us and in water and flour used to make a starter.
Commercial yeast is a single strain of bacteria created in a lab to speed up the fermentation process.
While commercial yeast is easier to use, sourdough will provide a unique flavor, more nutrients, and an authentic experience of artisan bread baking.
New to gluten-free sourdough? Watch my 16-minute video tutorial for beginners!
Gluten-Free Starter
You will need an active starter for this recipe, if you don't have a starter yet, make sure to read my minimal waste starter guide.
You can use any starter you have, I personally find sorghum flour starter and brown rice starter work best, but you can experiment with other types (like millet) as well.
Psyllium Husk
While some recipes use xanthan gum, I prefer using psyllium husk as a binder in gluten-free sourdough bread. I wrote more on this wonderful ingredient in my psyllium 101 article!
If you can't have psyllium, you might be able to use Konjac instead, although it makes the dough more crumbly, less shapable, and less stable.
Sourdough Terminology Explained
🍽 Tools You Might Need
- A Dutch oven. You can also use a cast iron pan/baking sheet with a dish filled with water at the bottom to create extra steam during baking.
- A digital kitchen scale. I don't provide the cup measurements because it is so important for gluten-free sourdough to be measured by weight and not by volume!
- A banneton basket allows for a pretty pattern and better breathing of the dough. You can use a mixing bowl lined with a kitchen towel instead if you need to!
- A bench scraper. This tool is amazing when it comes to cleaning up the doughy mess off of the kitchen counter!
The Best Flour for GF Sourdough
Almond and coconut flours are not the best for making sourdough bread because of their low carb content. You can, however, add some starter to my almond bread recipe if you need a keto sourdough recipe!
A note on flour types
It is important to add starches like potato, corn, tapioca, or arrowroot to the dough for a fluffier crumb. If you can't have starches, check out my 100% millet, 100% sorghum, and 100% brown rice flour sourdough recipes.
🥘 Ingredients
Gluten-free sourdough starter - use a mature starter that is at its peak activity, meaning when it is at its highest point of rising. Check out my gluten-free sourdough starter recipe if you don't have one!
Psyllium husk - you can use whole husks or powder. I prefer baking with whole husks as they are very easy to handle. But if you only have powder, then try avoiding very fine powder and opting for the coarser variety instead. For more information refer to my article about psyllium husk in baking.
Water - use room temperature water for the best results. I use tap water with no problems but if your tap water has chlorine in it, you will need to use filtered or bottled water.
Sorghum flour - European brands tend to be lighter than the US ones. You can use either sorghum flour, the results will be the same!
Starches - tapioca starch adds softness and chewiness to the texture while potato starch adds lightness to the loaf.
Baking powder - optional, but it helps raise the loaf and get more air in the bread.
Sugar - it is used for bacteria to feed on.
📖 Substitutes
Flour - feel free to experiment with other flour types keeping in mind that some of them might need more water than others!
Psyllium husk - I don't recommend substituting psyllium husk. You can use psyllium powder instead but keep in mind it might clump and/or turn your bread purple.
Sugar - use the same amount of maple syrup or honey in place of sugar.
🔪 Step-by-step instructions
Step 1
Combine psyllium husk, sugar, and room temperature/warm water in a medium-sized bowl, whisk to incorporate, and set aside.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients (sorghum flour, starches, baking powder, and salt) and whisk to incorporate.
Step 3
Once psyllium forms a gel, add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Add mature gluten-free sourdough starter to the bowl and mix the dough thoroughly.
I like to use an electric mixer for this step but you can also do it by hand if you prefer.
Step 4
Once the dough is well incorporated, turn it over onto a lightly floured working surface and flatten it into a disc.
Fold each side of the disc onto its middle, flip the dough, and shape it into a ball (refer to the pictures for visual instructions).
Step 5
Flour the proofing basket or bowl lined with a kitchen towel and place the dough in it. Press the dough into the basket to create a flat top.
Cover the basket with a kitchen towel and leave to rise at room temperature for about 5 hours or in the refrigerator overnight (12-18 hours).
The dough should puff up during rising but it won't double in size. Don't worry if the dough doesn't rise a whole lot, it will do most of its job in the oven.
Step 6
Once the dough has been proofed, gently turn it over onto the working surface.
Carefully shape the dough into a tighter ball by turning the dough around and tucking its sides under itself.
Don't push the dough too hard to avoid losing the air bubbles formed during fermentation.
Step 7
Score the dough with a razor, a lame, or a sharp knife (be creative and make a nice pattern!). Scoring allows for a better oven spring.
Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and gently lower it into the cold Dutch oven.
Place the Dutch oven with the bread into the oven and start preheating it to 450F/230C. Once the oven is heated, bake for 40 minutes with the lid on.
Then, take the lid off, turn the temperature down to 350F/175C, and bake for another 30 minutes.
Transfer the bread onto a cooling rack and wait until it is no longer warm to the touch to slice it. Enjoy!
Troubleshooting
Gumminess - if your bread is gummy it might be due to underproofing/overproofing or not baking long enough. If you used other flour types than indicated in the recipe, you might need to adjust the water amount next time.
Too dense - if the bread doesn't have any bubbles and seems way too dense it could be due to a starter that isn't active enough or the cold proofing temperature.
A large hole in between the top crust and the crumb - this is a sign of overproofing the dough. Bake the dough sooner next time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Gluten-free starters won't always double and depending on the consistency, it might rise very little. You can still use it in bread as long as it is at least 2 weeks old!
You can give it a try but your bread might turn out gummier/drier depending on the contents of that flour blend.
I don't recommend making gluten-free sourdough in a bread machine due to its proofing timing and specific baking needs. Instead, check out these gluten-free bread machine recipes for ideas!
More Gluten-Free Sourdough Recipes to Try
Get my GF sourdough recipes eBook
The top 16 recipes of 2024!
Gluten Free Vegan Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 20 grams (3 tbsp) psyllium husk, whole husks, if using coarse powder use 20 grams, fine powder - 17g. For more details check my psyllium husk 101 article
- 410 grams (1⅔ cups) water, room-temperature
- 15 grams (1tbsp + 1tsp) sugar/maple syrup, helps the sourdough bacteria
- 70 grams (¼ cup) active sourdough starter
Dry ingredients
- 85 grams (¾ cup) tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
- 95 grams (½cup + 1tbsp) potato starch or 95g (¾ cup) cornstarch
- 180 grams (1⅓ cups) sorghum flour
- 12 grams (2 tsp) salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder, check the package to make sure it is gluten-free
SAVE THIS RECIPE!💌
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Instructions
- Combine psyllium husk, sugar, and room temperature/warm water in a medium-sized bowl, whisk to incorporate, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients (sorghum flour, starches, baking powder, and salt) and whisk to incorporate.
- Once psyllium forms a gel, add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients.Add mature gluten-free sourdough starter to the bowl and mix the dough thoroughly.I like to use an electric mixer for this step but you can also do it by hand if you prefer.
- Once the dough is well incorporated, turn it over onto a lightly floured working surface and flatten it into a disc.Fold each side of the disc onto its middle, flip the dough, and shape it into a ball (refer to the pictures in the post for visual instructions).
- Flour the proofing basket or bowl lined with a kitchen towel and place the dough in it. Press the dough into the basket to create a flat top.Cover the basket with a kitchen towel and leave to rise at room temperature for about 5 hours or in the refrigerator overnight (12-18 hours).The dough should puff up during rising but it won't double in size. Don't worry if the dough doesn't rise a whole lot, it will do most of its job in the oven.
- Once the dough has been proofed, gently turn it over onto the working surface.Carefully shape the dough into a tighter ball by turning the dough around and tucking its sides under itself.Don't push the dough too hard to avoid losing the air bubbles formed during fermentation.
- Score the dough with a razor, a lame, or a sharp knife (be creative and make a nice pattern!). Scoring allows for a better oven spring.Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and gently lower it into the cold Dutch oven and put the lid on.Place the Dutch oven with the bread into the oven and start preheating it to 450F/230C. Once the oven is heated, simply bake for 40 minutes without opening the oven.Then, open the oven, take the lid off, and transfer the loaf onto the oven rack. Turn the temperature down to 350F/175C and bake for another 30 minutes.Transfer the bread onto a cooling rack and wait until it is no longer warm to the touch to slice it. Enjoy!*If the bottom of your bread tends to burn, place a baking sheet in the bottom of the oven once you take the bread out of the Dutch oven.
Adri says
This is such a hit in my family, my gluten-eater wife absolutely loves this bread over any other we can buy around here? So much healthier with the lack of gum etc and lasts forever in the freezer (I slice it in advance and pop it into the toaster when needed, like you recommended Natasha).
I so appreciate that it’s not just GF but also Vegan - incredibly hard to find GF & Vegan bread recipes!! I demand you create a gf&v croissant too - then my life will be whole again 😀
Seriously though: Thank you.
Natasha Levai says
Hi Adri! Thank you so much for your comment! I am so happy you like the recipe!
Amy Porter says
Have you tried a cold proof after shaping in step 6? If so, would you recommend baking straight from the fridge or allowing it to come to room temp?
Natasha Levai says
Hi Amy! you can bake straight from the fridge.
Tina Hawkins says
Thank you for this recipe! I'm just getting started....what is the standard size dutch oven? I found a Mueller on sale, but there are 3 sizes...4.5 qt., 6 qt., 7.5 qt. Thank you again!
Natasha Levai says
Hi Tina! 6qt is the standard size!
Virginia says
So far this has been the best GF sourdough recipes I have followed. I am SO happy to have found it. Currently have a loaf in the oven (10pm) so that I can cut into it for breakfast tomorrow!! Being Vegan is just a bonus!!
Natasha Levai says
Hi Virginia! Happy you like the recipe!
Amy Porter says
Can you clarify on the 2nd step of baking? In the longer written out directions you state to just take the lid off and lower the temp. In the shorter recipe you wrote “transfer the loaf onto the oven rack”. This sounded to me like I’m supposed to transfer the loaf out of the Dutch oven and onto the oven rack itself for the second bake. Am I reading that correctly? First time baking with GF sourdough!
Natasha Levai says
Hi Amy! Different bakers use different methods. You can either open the lid and keep baking that way, or you can remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and bake it on the oven rack. I find that removing the loaf from the Dutch oven prevents the bottom of my bread from burning!
Kristin says
What size Banneton basket do you recommend?
Natasha Levai says
9-inch round or a small/medium oval one are both good!
Kristin says
Can I use the brown rice starter with this instead of the one listed?
Natasha Levai says
Yes!
Wednesday N Sorokin says
My bread has been coming out with very large holes lately even though I don’t think I’ve changed anything. Do you have any trouble shooting tips? Thanks!
Cris Roberts says
I made 4 different recipes this weekend to gift a friend gluten free sourdough. Obviously, I made that many loaves because the 1st recipes all failed! This one seems to have turned out beautiful! It rose nicely, it doesn’t weigh 14lbs(lol one of my fails could break a window), and looks lovely! Thank you, your recipe is a keeper!
Pamela Kavanagh says
Can you use brown flour in place of the sorghum flour?
Natasha Levai says
Yes, you can, the loaf might be slightly more dense but it will work!
Courtney says
I appreciate you and your recipes! But I'm having troubles. I'm following this recipe to a T, I've watched the video 10 times, and my dough before proofing isn't as sticky as yours. I mix it with stand mixer and dough hook for a couple minutes and it's like playboy sticky equivalent. I've attempted the recipe twice now and dough wasn't sticky both times. I really enjoy scoring designs into my bread and so far with the recipe my boule has a crack on the top already as soon as I flip it onto the parchment paper like it's dry or something, so I just use that crack and incorporate it into the score mark. Should I add more water maybe??? I'm using a scale and weighing everything out.
Natasha Levai says
Hi Courtney! Yes, if your dough is not sticky add as much water as necessary! Sometimes different flour blends will act differently with water.
Rebecca says
Can you substitute some of the flour for cocoa flour and add in chocolate chips? I’ve only ever made this loaf and would like to try a chocolate loaf.
Frances Wickens says
I am currently waiting on my bread proving and not sure if it has risen enough to bake, so looked at comments and noticed someone was talking about a levain, what is it and should I have done this stage?
Natasha Levai says
Hi Frances! My old recipe used to have levain in it but the recipe had been modified and now the levain is not necessary anymore.
Annette says
Can this be baked in a Pullman pan? Are then any adjustments that would need to be make to the recipe other than shaping? Thank you
Natasha Levai says
Hi Annette! Yes, it can be, although the rise might not be as good and the crumb will end up denser.
You want to keep the baking temperautres/times the same, just add a dish with water to the bottom of the oven for the first part of baking. If the top of the bread starts to brown too much, cover it with foil.
For a better bake through I recommend taking the loaf out of the bread pan for the second part of baking!
Wednesday N Sorokin says
I've been making gf breads for years and gave up on sourdough because it always came out sticky - until now! This is great bread. Thank you so much!
used Caputo gluten-free wheat mix and it was amazing.
Roberta Jones says
I tried this and it turned out somewhat gummy inside, but edible. Difficult to cut because of the gumminess and the bottom crust was very tough even with a bread knife. It toasts up OK, nice chew, crispy outside, the crumb is just too gummy for a good slice.
It was proofed in the fridge overnight, rose a little, but not much. The outside appearance was beautiful and it tastes good. When I baked it it sank in the middle between the two relief scores.
I think either the DO lid should have been removed sooner, or the bread baked a little longer, maybe 10 minutes in either scenario, and it might have come out less gummy.
This batch probably won't last long once hubby gets home, so I'll try one of the two changes mentioned above and repost.
Jaya says
I don't like to use baking powder, I prefer to use baking soda. Would it work to use 1/3 the amount of baking soda and would I need to add vinegar to activate it? Or can the baking powder be left out?
Natasha Levai says
Hi Jaya! Sourdough starter is sour enough to activate baking soda. You can attempt, I have never substituted them for each other but I think it should work.