Gluten-free sourdough might seem intimidating and it was to me. There were times I wanted to give up on GF sourdough but I am glad I did not. Now I prefer baking GF sourdough to any other type of GF bread! You only need to make it right once and you will never go back. This brown rice flour sourdough starter is an easy way to start!
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What is a Sourdough Starter (Wild Yeast)?
Not that long ago people did not have the type of quick yeast we have in stores today. So, how did they bake bread? With wild yeast! If you mix water with flour and let them sit for some time, the natural bacteria that is present in the flour will start growing and multiplying. That bacteria is essentially what serves as yeast and a rising agent in sourdough bread.
To maintain wild yeast you need to continuously discard some of the starter and add fresh flour and water. That discard is good for adding in gluten-free sourdough starter pancakes, gluten-free sourdough muffins, sourdough discard banana pancakes, gluten-free sourdough cookies, and gluten-free sourdough pizza dough or you can just make a fried starter pancake which is the easiest sourdough recipe to make! To find more discard recipes check out my collection of the top 15 GF discard recipes.
Is Sourdough Starter Naturally Gluten-Free?
No, generally sourdough starter is not gluten-free if you are using all-purpose flour. However, if you use gluten-free flour, your starter will be gluten-free and you can make gluten-free sourdough bread with it (which is way easier than regular sourdough)!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Day 1
Mix 20 grams of brown rice flour with 20 grams of water. We will start with very little flour and water to avoid excessive discard! You will grow your starter slowly. The rule of thumb is to have 80% hydration for brown rice flour starter. I found that 80% is where it will thrive best.
Day 2
Check your starter for activity. If you don’t see any bubbles whatsoever, give the starter a stir and let it sit for another 24 hours to activate. If your starter is showing activity already on day two, proceed to the next step!
Day 3
Once your starter started showing some little activity, add 20 grams more brown rice flour and 20 grams of water. Give the starter a stir and let it sit for 24 hours.
Days 4-14
If the starter has bubbles, remove half of it into a separate jar or container. You can use it right away for sourdough discard recipes or keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use. It will stay good until it gets moldy (mine would stay good for up to a month).
Now, add 20 grams of brown rice flour and 20 grams of water to the jar with the remaining starter, give it a good stir, and let it sit for 24 hours.
Continue the discarding/feeding process for 7-10 days before making bread with it. Remember, your starter doesn’t need to double to be ready for baking, it needs to show activity.
Gluten-free starters rarely double in size, most often they rise by half their size. However, my brown rice starter did double when I fed it 2-3 times a day. So, if you want to boost your starter to its maximum capacity, increase feeding to 2-3 times a day!
IMPORTANT: a starter goes through an initial active stage where you might see a lot of bubbles and rise but that will go down in a day or two. Then the starter will show little activity for a few days. That is ok! Wait for at least 10 days before making bread with your starter.
Expert Tips
– Once your starter is established and shows a consistent rise after feedings, you can experiment with adding a little bit of honey or sugar to the jar to boost the bacteria. No need to do it every single time, once every 1-2 weeks should be enough!
– It is ok to mix in other flour types as time goes on. I recommend feeding your starter 1 type of flour for at least 2 days before baking but it is only optional. You can make good sourdough bread with any active gluten-free starter.
– The best time for using your starter in bread is when it is at its peak activity (when it is at its highest rising point). However, you still can make great bread with a starter that has already deflated. If you use discard from the fridge, your bread might turn out gummy but it might not depending on how strong your starter is.
– If you are not going to bake anything with your starter for some time, place the starter in the refrigerator and feed it 1-2 times a week. Take it out of the fridge and feed it a day before you want to bake with it (ideally).
– Sometimes life happens and we forget to take care of a starter. To avoid having to throw away moldy starter and begin from scratch, dry some of your starter to rehydrate later in case your current one dies. To dry it, just spread a thin layer of starter onto parchment paper and leave it out on the kitchen table for a day or two to dry out. Once dried, keep in an airtight container or a bag until ready to use again! To use again just add some water, wait for it to absorb, and resume the process of feeding and discarding.
FAQ
Some people recommend feeding your starter twice a day to strengthen it but I only feed mine once a day and it is doing great! If your starter is showing very little activity after 2 weeks of feeding and discarding, try increasing the feedings to 2 times a day.
When you see that your starter rises after every feed. It doesn’t have to double in size. A 1.5 times increase is good enough to bake bread with! I often read that people say it must double in size but mine rarely does, yet, I make gorgeous and delicious bread with it!
Sorghum flour, brown rice flour, and buckwheat flour are generally the best options for starting from scratch. I tried white rice flour, corn flour, sorghum flour, and brown rice flour, and in my experience, brown rice flour performed far better than any other type.
I read that some people find sorghum flour very good for starters, so I used it at first but did not see much activity. Then, I switched to brown rice flour with the same starter and it helped a lot. Now I only feed my starter brown rice flour! Whole-grain flour is generally a better choice, so pick one type and see what works best for you.
I use tap water and my starter is thriving. However, it will depend on your location. If you can’t drink your tap water, then it is better to give your starter the water you would drink yourself. If your tap water has chlorine then you should use bottled or distilled water as chlorine can kill some of the natural bacteria.
Glass is the best option because you will be able to track how much the starter has risen and see the bubbles on the bottom. Plus, glass is non-interactive, so it won’t affect the natural processes. But feel free to use stainless steel or a plastic container if you prefer!
The liquid on the top is called hooch and it is a sign that the bacteria is hungry. Just do the regular feeding and mix the liquids in. If you forgot to feed the starter for many days in a row and you noticed a back liquid in your starter, then it is a sign that the starter is going bad and is getting moldy. It is safer to start all over again if that is the case.
You can freeze the sourdough starter for later use. Place your starter into an air-tight container or a bag, then freeze it. To defrost, place the starter at room temperature and wait for it to thaw. Then, feed and discard as normal. Note, that it takes longer to revive a frozen starter than the one right out of the refrigerator. So, it is better to keep a starter in the fridge unless you know you will not use it in the coming months!
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Brown Rice Flour Sourdough Starter (Gluten-Free)
Equipment
- 1 digital scale (not necessary but beneficial)
- 1 glass jar
- 1 stirring tool (a spoon or a knife)
- 1 Rubber band (to keep track of how much your starter has risen)
Ingredients
- brown rice flour
- water
- 1 tsp honey/sugar/maple syrup optional
Instructions
Day 1
- Mix 20 grams of brown rice flour with 20 grams of water. We will start with very little flour and water to avoid excessive discard! You will grow your starter slowly. The rule of thumb is to have 80% hydration for brown rice flour starter. I found that 80% is where it will thrive best.
Day 2
- Check your starter for activity. If you don’t see any bubbles whatsoever, give the starter a stir and let it sit for another 24 hours to activate. If your starter is showing activity already on day two, proceed to the next step!
Day 3
- Once your starter started showing some little activity, add 20 grams more brown rice flour and 20 grams of water. Give the starter a stir and let it sit for 24 hours.
Days 4-14
- If the starter has bubbles, remove half of it into a separate jar or container. You can use it right away for sourdough discard recipes or keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use. It will stay good until it gets moldy (mine would stay good for up to a month).
- Now, add 20 grams of brown rice flour and 20 grams of water to the jar with the remaining starter, give it a good stir, and let it sit for 24 hours.
- Continue the discarding/feeding process for 7-10 days before making bread with it. Remember, your starter doesn’t need to double to be ready for baking, it needs to show activity.
- Gluten-free starters rarely double in size, most often they rise by half their size. However, my brown rice starter did double when I fed it 2-3 times a day. So, if you want to boost your starter to its maximum capacity, increase feeding to 2-3 times a day!
what can you use instead of honey to make vegan?
You can add sugar or maple syrup!
Where do we keep the started while it is growing? In a cupboard? Or Fridge?
Hi Annette! As your starter is growing it is best to keep it at room temperature away from direct sunlight. So, a cupboard will be ok while the fridge would not be. Thank you for your question, I will add this info to the post!
In your instructions, when you say feed, do you actually mean discard then feed or do you just mean feed in each step?
When discarding, how much do you discard in each step?
It’s been a LONG time since I’ve used any type of starter. 🤷♀️
Thank you for your question! When I say feed I mean discard and feed. You discard about half of the starter every time you feed (you can eyeball it, no need to be super exact). If you discard about a half every time you feed, then add 20g of flour and 20g of water, you will keep your starter fed and happy while keeping the discard to a minimum. Hope this helps!
Do we cover the jar from day 1?
Worried about dust getting in.
Yes! Cover the jar with a cheesecloth or loosely with a lid.
How long will this last in the fridge if I’m not able to use it for a bit? I love sourdough recipes!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will share this with my gluten-intolerant friends!