Schar Flour Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

This gluten-free sourdough bread with Schar bread flour is vegan, large, easy to make, and ready on the same day! If you don't have Schar flour blend accessible, check out my other vegan gluten-free sourdough recipe instead.

I normally never bake with premade blends partially because we only have a few available here in Europe. The blends I see in stores have simple ingredients and I never want to overpay for something I can mix at home!

However, this flour blend is special in that it yields soft breads with a large open crumb that I haven't been able to achieve with homemade blends.

This bread has the least amount of ingredients as opposed to my personal favorite gluten-free sourdough recipe, so if you are in a pinch, this recipe is for you!

Ingredients & substitutes

• Schar bread flour - this is a German bread flour available in Europe. I am nor sure of its availability in the US. The blend contains psyllium husk and a couple of other binding ingredients, so if your blend doesn't contain those, don't substitute!
• Gluten-free sourdough starter - you can use any kind of starter (millet, sorghum, buckwheat, etc.). If you don't have one, check out my gluten-free starter guide.
• Sunflower oil - you can use any other neutral vegetable or seed oil.
• Baking powder is not necessary but I find it helps create a larger crumb! Don't substitute for baking soda.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Variations

You can make cinnamon raisin loaf by adding ¼ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of raisins, and 1-2 tablespoon of cinnamon to the dough!

Make cheddar jalapeno loaf by adding 100g of cubed cheddar cheese (red or white) and 40g of chopped jalapenos (pickled or fresh).

How to make this sourdough bread

1. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to incorporate.
2. Then add the water and gluten-free sourdough starter to the dry ingredients and mix using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer with dough hooks. The dough will be sticky but thick enough for you to knead. Don't add any extra flour even if the dough seems too wet.
3. Turn the dough over onto a lightly floured working surface and shape into a ball or a batard.
4. Prepare the proofing basket/bowl. If you are using a mixing bowl, line it with a kitchen towel and dust with some gluten-free flour to prevent sticking. If you are using a banneton, simply dust it with flour.
5. Place the dough into the proofing basket/bowl seam side down, cover with a kitchen towel, and leave to proof for 5-7 hours at room temperature or 12-18 hours in the refrigerator. You can place the dough into the oven with the light on to create the perfect proofing temperature.
6. Keep in mind that the bread will puff up during proofing but won't double in size.
7. Once the bread is done proofing, carefully turn it over onto a piece of parchment paper and score. Scoring means cutting the top of the bread with a bread lame or a sharp razor to create a path for steam to escape during baking.
8. Lower the parchment paper with the bread into a cold Dutch oven, close the lid, and place the Dutch oven into a cold oven. Start preheating to 450F/230C. Once the oven has preheated, start the timer for 40 minutes.
9. Then, remove the Dutch oven lid, lower the temperature to 350F/175C, and continue baking for another 30 minutes.
10. Once the bread is done baking, take it out of the Dutch oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let the bread cool until no longer warm to the touch before cutting. If you cut the bread too soon, the crumb might be slightly gummy. Enjoy!

Storage

• This gluten-free sourdough bread will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days. Store it in a bread box or a bag to prevent drying out but keep an eye on the bread as it can go moldy if the humidity is high.

• Freeze this bread for up to 3 months. To freeze, slice the bread, line each slice with a piece of parchment paper, and place them into a freezer friendly bag or container.

• To defrost you can either let the bread thaw at room temperature or heat it up in the microwave.

FAQ