Making a gluten free sourdough starter couldn’t be easier. Start with a few simple ingredients, a little time and patience, soon you’ll be making delicious homemade gluten free sourdough, pancakes, and waffles! This recipe is vegetarian and vegan.
My Gluten Free Journey
I started my gluten free sourdough journey in the summer of 2018. At the time I had just recently become proficient at sourdough bread when my doctor declared she wanted me to give a gluten free trial a go. And so the journey began.
I am eating gluten again, but through the development of this gluten free starter, and consequently gluten free multigrain sourdough bread recipe, the Vanilla And Bean community has shown interest. Also, I’ve created gluten free sourdough pancakes recipe and waffles with this sourdough starter, using whole grain flours, that taste over the top!
Gluten free sourdough starter is simple to make, but it took a bit of trial and error for me to get me to this point. While it’s similar to developing a glutenous sourdough starter, I found some gluten free flours to be more reliable than others in producing a consistent result.
How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR SPECIFIC MEASUREMENTS
This simple recipe generally takes about 5-7 days to complete, but it could take longer. You’ll think about it more than the time it takes to make it: checking on it periodically, looking for bubbles, taking a whiff for a bit of that sweet and sour aroma we’re after. The key is patience and consistency.
- DAY 1: In a medium glass bowl or jar, whisk buckwheat or brown rice flour with sweet rice flour and water. Lid or cover with a damp tea towel and set aside at room temperature 24 hours.
- DAY 2: Take a portion of the previous days mix (discard the leftover), and in a clean jar or bowl whisk in previous days mix, water and buckwheat and sweet rice flour. Lid or cover with a damp tea towel and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours.
- DAY 3 through 6…or 7 (or beyond): Repeat day two until the mixture becomes puffy, has a pleasant sweet-sour aroma and bubbles begin to form under the surface. How many days it takes to complete to get to this point depends on ambient temperature and available, naturally occurring yeast and bacteria. Six to seven days has been my experience.
- NOTE: Time mentioned here is a guide rather than a determining factor for when the starter is ready. Use the cues and your senses to determine when it’s ready. It may take longer than seven days.
It’s ready when it’s ready.
- Once the starter is puffy, has a sweet-sour aroma and bubbles are present under the surface (see pictures below), your initial starter is ripe or ready.
- Last, to keep your starter healthy and strong, you’ll need to refresh it, or feed it before using it in a recipe.
How to Refresh a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter
Refreshing a gluten free starter keeps it healthy and strong. I refresh mine at least every other week, once a week if I remember, when stored in the fridge, but always 8-12 hours before I’m ready to mix the sourdough. Also, I keep the starter in a glass jar with a rubber band around the starting level (after I refresh it) so I can track its progress as it develops.
To refresh your gluten free starter:
- First, in a clear jar you’ll add part of your sourdough starter (throw out or save the leftover to make gluten free sourdough pancakes or sourdough waffles using your discard). Then you’ll whisk in the water and add the flours. Mix well until the flours are hydrated.
- Next, loosely lid and wrap a rubber band around the jar at the height of the starter. This will give you a visual indication of how much the starter has grown as it grows to double in size.
- Last, allow the starter to develop at room temperature for about 8-12 hours. The time will vary due to ambient temperature.
How do I Know When My Gluten Free Starter is Ready
Once the starter has doubled in size, is bubbly and has a sweet-sour aroma, it’s ready to use in your gluten free sourdough bread recipe. After measuring out the portion needed for your recipe, refresh the starter, as indicated above and store in the fridge until your next feeding.
The starter will not stay in this doubled in size state for long. At some point after doubling in size, it will begin to lose its strength and fall. The exact amount of time will vary from starter to starter but I’ve typically observed a few hours window, at room temperature, where the starter will remain doubled in size. On warm days, it’s shorter. But in the refrigerator, it’ll hold for quite a while. I’ve observed at least over eight hours! Once it starts falling back down after doubling in size, you’ll need to refresh (or feed) it and allow it to double in size again before using it in a sourdough bread recipe.
If your starter is struggling to double in size, you’ll need to go through a few cycles of refreshment to build strength in the starter. You can even refresh twice within a 12 hour period if needed. Doing this builds flavor and will help later in the development of your gluten free sourdough bread. I do a series of refreshments after freezer storage or a long period of neglect in the refrigerator before using it in a recipe.
How Do I Maintain my Gluten Free Sourdough Starter?
Think of your sourdough starter as a refrigerator pet that needs regular attention. There’s yeast and bacteria that make up the starter so it needs to be fed (refreshed) on a regular basis. Your starter can be stored at room temperature if you’re baking daily.
However, I use mine about once every two weeks, so I store my starter in the refrigerator. I’ve gotten away with refreshing it only before and after I bake and this system of an every other week feeding/baking schedule works well for me. In a perfect world, it should be fed weekly.
What is That Layer of Liquid?
Occasionally you may notice a layer of liquid that forms on the surface. This liquid is called hooch, a naturally occurring alcohol which indicates that it’s a little past time to feed your starter and is an indication of a weak starter. Hooch should have a pleasant sweet-sour aroma. You can pour it off or stir it into your starter and carry on with refreshment.
If you’ll be away from baking for a while and need to store your starter longer than a few weeks, it can go in the freezer. When ready to use it again, thaw it out in the refrigerator and refresh it a few times prior to baking with it.
Remember, your starter is ready when it doubles in size, is bubbly and has a pleasant sweet-sour aroma.
A Few Gluten Free Sourdough Starter Notes
- Time is a guide rather than a determining factor for when the starter is ready. Use the cues and your senses to determine when it’s ready. It may take longer than seven days. It’s ready when it’s ready.
- For leftover sourdough starter (discard), you can keep it in a jar for use in other recipes, give some away or throw it out. It can be used in gluten free sourdough pancakes and waffle recipes without having to double it in size… and it’s absolutely delicious! I keep a jar in my refrigerator and refill it as I discard the leftover starter at refreshment time. The discard can be frozen too.
- If you see any mold or a layer of pinkish/orange/white slimy color on the top of your starter, throw it out and make a new starter. This can be avoided simply keeping your starter happy and well fed, refreshing it weekly in the fridge or daily at room temperature.
- Through testing this recipe, I found sweet white rice flour or AP 1-1 gluten free baking flour to be an essential component in developing a strong and consistent gluten free sourdough starter. Mixed with another whole grain flour such as buckwheat or brown rice flour yields consistent results. These are the only two whole grain flours I’ve tried when making this starter. If you use something different, please let us know how it goes in the comments!
- Float Test: If you’re a glutenous sourdough baker and have used the float test in the past to observe when your sourdough starter is ready, the same idea doesn’t work for gluten free sourdough starter. So, you’ll need to go on observation alone. Remember: the starter doubles in size, smells of a sweet-sour aroma and has air pockets within the starter (or is bubbly).
UPDATE (2/20): If you’re on Instagram, I’ve recorded a day by day video so you can see how the starter progresses over time! Link to my profile on Instagram, then look for GF SD Start… in Highlights!
Gluten Free Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
- Buckwheat Flour or Brown Rice Flour
- Sweet White Rice Flour or AP 1-1 gluten free baking flour
- Water room temperature **see note
Instructions
- Day One: In a medium glass bowl or jar, whisk together 2 T (20g) buckwheat or brown rice flour, 2 T (20g) sweet rice flour and 1/4 C (60g) of water. Cover with a damp tea towel and rest at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Day Two: In a medium glass bowl or jar, whisk 2 T (40g) of mixture you made yesterday (throw out the leftovers), 2 T (20g) buckwheat or brown rice flour, 2 T (20g) sweet rice flour and 1/4 C (60g) of water. Cover with a damp towel or loose fitting lid and rest at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Day Three Through Day Six or Seven (or beyond): Repeat step two using the previous days starter until the mixture becomes puffy, has a pleasant sweet-sour aroma and bubbles begin or air pockets are visible under the surface. This process takes about six to seven days (as this has been my experience) - but it may take longer. Time is not a determining factor for when the starter is ready, it's simply a guide. It's ready when it's ready. Use the cues and your senses to determine when your starter is ready. This is the nature of sourdough. Before using your new starter in a recipe, you'll need to refresh (feed) it.
How to Refresh your Gluten Free Sourdough Starter:
- Once you have an established starter, you'll need to feed it.In a clean lidded jar, add 1/4C (60g) of sourdough starter (throw out or save the leftover 'discard'). To the starter, mix in 1/3 C (80g) room temperature water. Add 3 T (30g) buckwheat flour and 3 T (30g) sweet white rice flour to the water mixture. Mix well until the flours are hydrated. Wrap a rubber band around the jar at the height of the starter. This will give you a visual indication of how much the starter has grown. Put a lid on the jar (it doesn't need to be loose - just regular) and allow the starter to develop at room temperature for about 8-12 hours* or until it doubles in size. The time will vary due to ambient temperature.If your starter is struggling to double, place it somewhere warm, like inside a turned off oven with a light on. Once the starter has doubled in size, is bubbly, and has a sweet-sour aroma, it's ready to use in your gluten free sourdough bread recipe.After measuring out the portion needed for your recipe, refresh the starter, as indicated above and store it until ready to use again.
How to Store Your Starter:
- Room Temperature: The starter can be stored at room temperature if you bake daily, which also means it will be need to be refreshed daily. Store it in a glass jar with a lid. Refrigerator: Ideally, you'll want to refresh your starter (feed it) each week if stored in the refrigerator. When preparing for mixing, and after pulling the starter from the fridge, you may need to refresh it twice within a 12 hour period to get it going again. This is not always the case, but sometimes the starter can be sluggish. Store it in a glass jar with a lid. Freezer: For longer storage, place your starter in the freezer. It will revive after it thaws in the refrigerator and goes through a few refreshments. Store it in a glass jar with a lid.
How to Store Your Discard if Saving:
- Once you have an established starter, your sourdough discard can be used for pancakes, waffles and other recipes to add that tangy sourdough flavor. Store it in the fridge, in a lidded glass jar, for up to two weeks. You may see a layer of hooch, and this is not unusual. You can pour it off or stir it in. If you see any white, orange or pink film or mold, toss it. You can also store your discard in the freezer for longer storage. Thaw it in the fridge before using in a recipe.
Hi Traci – thank you for your recipe tips and support. My starter was slow to take off, so I increased to 12-hourly feeds and made additional efforts to keep it warm, and eventually on day 12 it rose to double in size … so exciting! But it hasn’t done the same since. It still rises a little each day, and has a pleasant yeasty smell – I’m just not getting that full rise and have not attempted bread with it yet. Any thoughts on what is happening? On the plus side I’ve used discard to make some fabulous pancakes and muffins. Thanks.
Hi Judith! Ah, finally, you got it to double. Hooray! Okay on not getting a full rise. I’d feed it twice a day and put it in a turned off oven with the light on until you get what you’re after. Yessss to pancakes (and I’d love to hear more about those muffins!). Keep in touch!
You may be sorry you asked about the muffins :) … it’s a bit of a long story as they were a rather imprecise version of the Apple & Cinnamon Muffins on lowtoxlife.com, making it up as I went along and without exact measurements for converting to adding the starter. I used a few tablespoons of starter mixed with the melted butter, rice malt syrup & egg (I only used 1 egg), then added sufficient buckwheat/brown rice flour mix (and coconut flour reduced proportionately) and a little milk until I had a muffin batter consistency. Except I ran out of the flour, which I normally grind up in the Thermomix but this was now full of batter, so I topped up with a little millet flour. Didn’t include the coconut. Doubled the cinnamon. And used pear instead of apple. Turned out really well!
You mention about keeping the discard to use in sourdough pancake and the like. Is the discard a) the leftover developing starter when you actually progress to the starter stage and/or b) the discarded starter that you have to refresh if it wont double in size?
Hi Elizabeth… the developing starter is thrown out. A discarded starter that has doubled in size and removed to refresh the starter can be used to enjoy in pancakes. LMK if you have any more questions!
Hi I’m just attempting my first starter…and I have a few questions. Firstly when you’re feeding it everyday should just keep 40g from the previous days mix and disgard the rest? Secondly, my jar is a 2ltr jar and I’m wondering is that too big as it seems the mixture is just spread across the bottom of the jar. Would it better in a smaller jar where it’s more condensed into a smaller area if that makes sense? And thirdly should I store it on a window so that it gets direct sunlight or is that bad for it? Thanks
Hi Aodhan… First – yes, keep 40g and discard the rest. Second – I would use a smaller jar. Third – I would store it in a turned off oven with the light on. I hope this helps!
This is my second time attempting this starter. The first time was a major fail, and I know why. I used the same large glass pyrex container and never moved to a clean dish. I had a lot of hooch each day and shortly after grew mold. Yuck. I made some other minor mistakes along the way that I thought I could fix – I should have just started over. I also couldn’t find Sweet Rice Flour so I used my normal go-to homemade GF flour blend plus more Brown Rice Flour
This second attempt has been much better. I’ve followed the instructions exactly – start each day with 2T starter, 1/4C water, 2T each Sweet Rice Flour and Brown Rice Flour in a clean glass jar. My starter was doing AMAZING for days 1-4, bubbly, would double in size, smelled sour, etc. However, day 5 brought no bubbles, no rising, and a thick layer of slimy hooch. I’ve continued on each day since with the normal routine, but still no bubbles or rising and has the layer of slimy hooch which I’ve been pouring off. I started double feeding. We were having some hot days but the weather has cooled off. I live on the Central Coast of California – our weather doesn’t change much here but +/- about 10 degrees.
So my questions:
Do I mix up the starter with the water and then add the addition flour? Does it matter?
Should I store it in the window/somewhere else to get some good warmth?
Should I just keep plugging away with the regular routine and hope the bubbles/rise comes back?
Anything else I should try? I’ve read through the comments and am just not sure.
When double feeding, I’ve been following the same instructions, just doing it both in the am and pm – is that right? Or do I only add more flour in one and discard the rest in another? So basically the whole process for one feeding, and only add flours to the second feeding.
Thanks for the recipe and instructions – I know I’ll get there soon!
Oh also, I watched your GF SD Starter highlight on instagram – it would be super helpful to see all of the days 1-7 (I only saw from day 3 or 4 onward I think).
Thanks again!
Hi Lindsay… patience is key. It takes time to develop a starter, even after you’ve seen it bubble and it falls flat again. Keep going! One thing you can do is place the starter in a turned off oven with the light on. This will help things get moving. It doesn’t matter how you add the flour, starter and water – just mix it up! I hope this helps. Keep in touch!
Thanks for getting back to me. Will try the suggestions, and get back to you.
I have tried to produce the stater for 3 weeks. Started with sweet rice four and brown rice flour. Got little bubbles after a week, but no rise in volume. then substituted buckwheat flour. A few bubbles, but no rise. Kitchen temp is in the 70’s. Not sure how to proceed. Wanted to make the multigrain loaf for my son, but can’t move forward. I have been using tap water. Should I be using unchlorinated bottled water? Help! Any help appreciated.
Neal
Hi Neal… I’m sorry to hear your starter is struggling. There’s a few things you can try. First, try filtered water. I use tap, always, and it’s never been an issue, but water quality varies widely, so start there. Next, try putting your starter in a turned off oven with the light on. This will really warm things up. Last, you can try feeding twice a day, but I’d start with the first two strategies before this one. I hope this helps. Please keep in touch!
Just Wow! My starter has just taken off! It’s doubled in size and has soooo many bubbles!
I’ve used it to make bread today. It’s in the “proving” stages I just don’t know what to expect with the bread. Should it rise, double in size? I’ve never made bread before but was so excited when my starter worked! Do you have a recipe for bread to follow?
Hi Rachel! So happy to hear your starter has taken off! I do have a few sourdough recipes: Seeded Multigrain Gluten Free Sourdough Bread. Use your discard in these Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes! I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipes!
Thank you for this recipe, and your guidance! I tried making the starter with buckwheat flour and BRM 1-to-1, and it didn’t grow happily. I switched to rice flour and 1-to-1, and it took OFF!! Just made my first loaf of bread and first round of pancakes today, and they’re all delicious. This is so cool and exciting. Thanks again.
Thank you for your note, Monica! Hooray for a starter taking OFF! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the bread and pancakes – a win-win(!!).
hello
I have been trying to establish a starter. I have been feeding it for 6 days now but it is quite liquidy..is it normal? what can I be doing wrong please? thanks for your time.
Hi Kirsi! Can you tell me a bit more about your starter? How does it smell? Are there any air pockets or bubbles when you pull back the surface?
Hi Traci – Thanks for your hard work and patience in testing this and letting us into your secret! You mentioned that any discard starter can be put into a jar and kept for pancakes and waffles. I have only managed to find the gf sourdough pancake recipe. Do you use the same for waffles?
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you for your note. Indeed, the GF Sourdough Pancakes are on the blog, but I’ve yet to blog about the waffles. It’s definitely on my list. The recipe is different than the pancakes, although I’ve not tried the pancake recipe in a waffle iron. :D Stay tuned!
Hello! So I’ve been working on 2 starters (using Almond Flour and GF AP Flour) for about the last 11 days (I’m losing track of time), and about 6 days in, I started doing twice a day feedings. Both starters are bubbly below the surface and a little on the surface. The smell is right. But they have never doubled yet. They grow about 1/4-1/2 the size but that’s it. There’s never any hooch on top. I’ve got them sitting in the same place in my kitchen, near a window. Do you think I should go ahead and try to make a loaf with one of them? Or just keep going with trying to build the starters? This is my first time making bread but since going GF in Oct, I’ve been desperate for sourdough bread since it’s my fave. I appreciate any advice in advance!!
Hi Darcy! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! Can you clarify for me…. two starters? Does one contain Almond and GF AP, together? If so, what is the other one? I’ve never tried Almond and AP, so I’m unable to speak say what’s going on there. But, what I would do, since you’re seeing some activity, is put it in a turned off oven with the light on and watch it closely for doubling in size. I’d wait until your starter is strong enough to raise the bread (double in size, bubbly) before mixing. Please keep in touch!
Sorry, I should’ve been more clear-I have 2 separate starters I’m trying and they both have the same mix. Just in case one dies or something I guess? lol I’m just nervous I suppose and trying to give myself the best chance of making this work so I won’t give up on it too easy…
Thank you for the suggestion, I will try that! I think it’s so close, it’s just not getting there for some reason.
I have tried making the starter several times but after 5 to 6 days it is close to doubling in size and I think it’s just about ready, so I give it one more day but then it won’t rise again… Even if I try to feed it it won’t rise again, it stays flat. I think there is a layer of hooch on top and it smells sour, but I just can’t get past the 5 to 6 day mark… Any thoughts on what night be going wrong?
Hi Greg… thank you for your note! Since hooch is appearing on top, it sounds like your starter is hungry, which means it’s struggling. Try feeding it twice per day instead of once. Also, for some makers, it takes longer for their starter to develop. This isn’t uncommon. One maker, a month! Instead of starting again after day 5 or 6, keep going! Since your starter smells sour, there’s something good going on! Patience, and double up on feeding …. please keep in touch!
I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but it is amazing bread! It only took a few days for my starter and used white rice and buckwheat flour. At the same time, I tried a starter using buckwheat and 1-1 GF flour. They both worked perfectly. I must say the timing of when they rise, when they fall, etc takes a lot of patience and trial, but bread is worth the wait! For the actual bread, I used the 1-1/ buckwheat starter. For the bread, I skipped the soaker and used 1-1 flour, oats, and half buckwheat & half white rice. Once dough was made, it didn’t quite rise as much as I thought overnight, but baked it anyways. So yummy! My son and husband can’t even tell it’s GF. Pancakes are delicious too! I’m sharing my starter with a neighbor and she’s going to try using glutinous flour, so we’ll see. Thanks for this recipe and great directions. It did take serious patience, but well worth it…got my second bread process starting already!
Hi Christine! Thank you for your note and sharing your tips! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the GF sourdough recipes – that’s amazing your son and hubs couldn’t tell otherwise! Indeed, serious patience, but so glad the wait and effort is worth it :D Hooray!
Success! My starter worked great (as mentioned earlier) and I made a loaf. Had a few issues as I couldn’t find all the flours you used so improvised. Batter was runny to added more flour. Took about 16 hours to rise to the right amount but it baked up quite nicely. My quesiton is with feeding my starter. I fed it as suggested right after making my loaf and then popped it in the fridge. It hasn’t risen which I guess is understandable. However, when I go to feed it in a week, what proportions to I mix if it hasn’t doubled in size? Did I do something wrong? Maybe this is a dumb question. Help.
Hi Launa! So happy happy to hear you improvised and it work! Yay! Not a dumb question… To feed your starter next week, you use the same process/proportions, even if it hasn’t doubled in size. Save the discard for pancakes!
Thanks Traci! Pancakes are on the menu for this weekend.
I started a jar using sprouted buckwheat and sweet rice, and a jar using brown rice and sweet rice.
After the first 24 hours, the sb/sr jar doubled and had all the indicators you say to look for when it’s ready to use… is that even possible?? Four days in, I’m still following the recipe as you described but it always looks the same the next morning; doubled, bubbly, sweet-sour smell…should I be looking for something else or more specific??
Hi Natasha! Wow! That’s amazing! I’ve not heard of this before nor do I experience with sprouted buckwheat… so I’m not sure about there being anything in addition to the cues that the starter is ready. Maybe give it a few more days, just to continue building strength in the starter before you use it in a bread recipe. Hows the br/sr jar doing? Sounds like you’re off to a great start!
Hi! Just curious, what do I need to make my loaf after this starter? You don’t have a full GF sourdough recipe. Just wondering how what to mix in with my starter.
I’m also wondering this????
Hi Jami and Carlos! My GF sourdough recipe is here (linked in the blog post) and there are other GF Sourdough bread recipes to explore online through Google. I hope this helps!
I’ve seen a lot of starter guides that promote a 1:1:1 mass ratio (e.g. 100 g starter from previous day + 100 g flour + 100 g warer). Is there generally a need for more water mass with GF flours? You seem to need 50% more water than these other recipes that use wheat-based flours.
Hi Zac! Through my testing I found when working with gluten free flours, higher hydration allows for improved sourdough activity (and better rise). For my glutenous sourdough I use 1:1:1, but with GF it didn’t work for me after much testing. I don’t know of there’s a general need, but this is what works for me consistently. I hope this helps!
Hi Traci. My starter is going along well — despite the fact that I realized (in reading another comment) that I’m using White Rice Flour and not Sweet White Rice Flour. In any case, I think it’s looking good and I’m on day 4. My question is this — it doesn’t seem to be a ton of starter. I know when I do the leaven it may get to be more, but I have some recipes I want to try that call for more starter. How can I bulk this up if I wanted to?
Hi Ashley! Simply increase your feedings by quarter or double. That’ll bulk it up!
Hi! Super excited to try this – I’m on day 2 now! Can you clarify, on days 3+ do I continue to only keep 2 TBS of the starter or do I keep half? Thanks :)
Hi Jax… you got it. Use 2 Tbs of what you made the day before and toss the rest. Then add your water and flours. I hope this helps!
You’re a genius! LOL But seriously….the thought of sourdough always intimidated me. I LOVE to bake, and have been making gluten free bread for the last 2 years. This worked beautifully with your bread recipe; hands down, most delicious GF bread I’ve ever had. There’s no going back to. my old recipes (and those were pretty tasty too).
Anyway, a little tip for anyone having trouble getting their starter to double. After 8 days of feeding and establishing the starter, it appeared it was ready to use, so I was refreshing and waiting for that double. I was leaving it on the counter in the kitchen. Our kitchen can be pretty frosty, especially at night. I was not getting the rise needed. On a whim, I decided to house the starter in the microwave overnight, and BOOM, just like that, we got our double rise. So, if you know that your starter is ready but are having trouble with the rise, consider placing it in a warmer, more humid spot in your house. You will not regret being patient :).
Side note that the sourdough pancakes are delicious as well, and so happy not to have to throw away the discard. Planning to try your biscuit next.
Hehe! Hi R! Thank you for coming back, leaving a note and sharing your starter tips (I’ll add a note)! SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the bread and those pancakes! Here’s to good bread! :D
Hi! I am new to Gf baking. I started the starter ten days ago now but mistakenly used white rice flour instead of sweet rice flour. My started is smelling sour but isn’t getting puffy at all and is separating with liquid on top. Do I need to just discard this starter and start from scratch with sweet rice flour or can I save it somehow and convert feedings? Thanks so much!!
Hi Katy… Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with white rice flour in making this starter. What day are you on? You should be able to convert feedings just fine! I hope this helps!
Ok, thank you! I will try converting it. I am on day 10 but haven’t had any rise yet which made me think something was up.
Hi Traci,
I was just given your starter from a friend and am excited to get baking. There’s a little less than one cup though. Could I just feed/refresh it right in the jar so that it makes more, instead of transferring to a new container and discarding the extra ? I have used non GF sourdough for years and we just feed it directly in the container once a week. I’m wondering if this technique might work with your refresh recipe. Thanks! Appreciate your blog!
Hi Meghan! Hooray for receiving a starter! Feel free to manage your starter to fit your needs. This method is simply how I manage my starter and what I’ve found works for me and the particular associated GF sourdough recipes.
Thank you! It’s so precious, I just don’t want to ruin it:) Appreciate your response immensely!
Hi Traci, instead of transferring the 40 g of starter to a new jar every day is there an amount that I can remove from the jar (to discard) and then add the new water and flour to the same jar? Or is there another reason to start with a clean jar every day? Thanks!
Hi Kaitlyn! I know it seems like an extra step to use a clean jar/bowl, but I noticed mold growing around the sides and towards the top of the bowl after a few days of using the same bowl. So, to work clean, I just use a new vessel each time. I hope this helps!
When you say for Day 2: “Take a portion of the previous days mix (discard the leftover), and in a clean jar or bowl whisk in previous days mix, water and buckwheat and sweet rice flour. Lid or cover with a damp tea towel and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours… ” do you always work with the amount you are ‘removing’ in a new jar each day? What would happen if you removed the required portion, and then worked with the amount left in the original jar?
Hi Barbara… The specific measurements for day 2 are on the recipe card. As long as you’re following the proportions (measurements), it doesn’t matter what portion of the gf starter you make your refreshment with. Does that make sense?
Yes it does. Many thanks for such a prompt reply! Now to see if I can find the right flour….yahoo!
I have loved following your instructions on how to make a gluten free starter! Mine looks and smells beautiful, but it is not fully doubling, maybe like 1.5-ing. It’s been just over a week. Should I continue refreshing it daily until it doubles, or do you think I could give baking with it a go? *side note: I didn’t have the suggested flours so am using cassava and tigernut, which may very well explain my problem. It’s just so bubbly and nice that I feel like it’s working.
Hi Natalie, since I don’t have any experience with these flours it’s hard for me to say if the starter will be enough to rise bread. You can keep feeding to see if it will double, but for how long, I just don’t know.
Have started sour dough starter, not from scratch though was a brown rice flour starter that had gone a bit sour so started your instructions from day 2 is now day 5 and it is still quite watery is it ok or should I discard it and start new one. Is bubbly on surface. Cover it with muslin with rubber band around it but it is dry is this ok
Hi Jill… I would start fresh.
Traci, thank you so much for this! I’ve never made bread before, but following your instructions, ended up with a surprisingly good GF loaf and amazing GF pancakes with the discard!
I’ve a question about the refrigeration process. Does “refreshing” involve leaving it out at room temperature to double in size as well as adding more flour and water? I.e. for the portion you wish to refrigerate, do you mix the new flour, water, and starter, leave it out, then refrigerate after it has doubled? Or do you refrigerate right after mixing the ingredients? And when you feed it once per week, do you let it double then?
Again, thank you for sharing this!
Hi Karla! Thank you for your note, kind words and giving the recipe a go! Hooray for good bread and pancakes! When you refresh your starter, you are taking a portion of your existing starter and adding fresh flour and water to it. You can leave it out at room temperature to double in size, or refrigerate it. If leaving it at room temperature, it will double in size faster than if you put it in the fridge. When feeding it once a week, let it double – you can choose if you want to leave it at room temp or in the fridge. If you’re not going to use it for mixing, store it in the fridge. If you are going to mix, I like to leave mine at room temperature. I hope this helps!
I think my starter is ready. Will a float test work with the gluten free starter?
Thanks,
Deborah
Hi, I am making your GF starter at the moment, all is going well at day 5.
Question – can I use this GF starter to make any other sour dough bread, with wheat flours that’s not GF. Reason being I am GF but would like to make an ordinary sour dough for hubby who is not GF as well. Would prefer not to have to start two separate starters?
Hi Helen! Ah, you hubby would love that! While I’ve not tried it, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you give it a go, please let us know how it goes!
Hi! Thanks for sharing this. Excited to make my first Sourdough Starter!
Wondering if you tried oat flour and/or cassava in your flour trials??
Can I use regular rice flour as opposed to sweet rice flour? Can’t find the sweet one locally, and don’t want to wait to order it if I don’t have to. Have the Buckwheat and brown rice flour.
Thanks in advance for any info.
Hi Neal! I’ve not tried regular rice flour, so I’m not sure if it will work. If you give it a go, please let us know if it works!
I will! Thx anyway.
I found another starter recipe before I found this one, and I have successfully made starter with brown rice flour and water.
Such a great tip! Thank you, Sherri!
In some countries sweet rice flour is called glutinous rice flour. Maybe you can find this
Hi Traci
My wife has pretty severe gluten intolerance so over the years I have been learning to cook a whole host of things gf. My wife loves toast in the morning but the store bought gf bread she has been eating contains a lot of sugar and she has started having issues with sugar. So I decided to learn how to bake an edible sugar free gf bread. I have been experimenting with a variety of gf flours. While my wife has been happy with the results, I have not been. I found this site my accident and it has further spurred me to try to make a gf sourdough starter.
I noticed other posters have asked about different flours and I just wanted to convey my results with alternate gf flours. My first attempt has been a gf flour mix of 1/4 brown rice 1/4 sorghum 1/4 teff and 1/4 millet. My kitchen receives a lot of light (hence, heat) and my starter was ready on the 4th day. I cant wait to bake my first loaf of bread tomorrow.
Thank you so much for sharing your tips, Jack! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi there
I’m so excited to start this. I bought my flours last week and now that I’m ready to begin, I’m somewhat confused with the amounts described. day 1: what is 2 T (20g)? Is it 2 teaspoons? However 2 teaspoons is only 10g. 2 tablespoons would be 30 grams so that’s not it.
For day 2: 2 T (40g), how much is that because in day 1, 2 T was only 20 grams.
Under refreshing you have 3 T (30g) how much is that? Is it 3 teaspoons or 30 grams??
According to various sources: 1 teaspoon is 5 grams,
1 tablespoon is 15 grams.
If you can please clarify this that would greatly be appreciated.
Thank you
Hi Cristina… T = Tablespoons; t = teaspoons. The buckwheat flour I use weighs 10g/Tbs. For day 2, you’re using a mixture of flour and water (not just flour). That’s why for day 2, “whisk 2 T (40g) of mixture you made yesterday (discard the leftovers)”. When you say according to various sources “1 t is 5 g; 1 T is 15 grams” what is the ingredient? 1 T of molasses weighs more than 1 T of dried herbs. Metric measurements (g in this example) are a measure of mass, where as US standard measurements (t and T in this example) are for volume. I hope this helps!
Hello Traci,
I am very excited to start my starter. I remember feeding and using sourdough starter as a teenager with my mom. With my daughter being celiac, I was excited to find one that would be gluten-free. I have looked through so many different websites on recipes and I love the explanations that you have provided and how helpful you are with everyone’s question. I am definitely going to follow your method. One question I do have before I start, is that I have noticed some other recipes use maple syrup. What is the purpose of that?
Thanks!
Hi Launa! Thank you for sharing your memory with us. So happy you made your way to Vanilla And Bean :D My GF SD bread also incorporates maple syrup. The function of sugar in many bread recipes is to offer flavor interest as well an additional boost for the yeast. Sugar also functions to support browning – that lovely darker color in some breads. I hope this helps and your starter is coming along! Keep us posted.
My starter was doubling on day 8! I started with 2T brown rice flour and 2T Namaste blend as that’s what I had at home. I didn’t have enough and all I could find was quinoa flour. Used that with the Namaste blend on day 3. Not a good idea. It smelled like strong quinoa and stopped bubbling. Found some white rice flour so used that with the Namaste blend and it came back. I have been doing the same process for days 9 -12 since I didn’t have time to make the bread. Was that what I should have done? It is still doubling each 24 hours. I will start the bread making prep tomorrow morning. Scared and excited.
Sounds like you have a strong starter, Launa! I’m not sure if you’ve been storing it in the fridge or room temp, but feeding it daily only strengthens it. Keep us posted with how your bread turns out!
HI,
I am just trying out making the starter. I am to the point where I have done step four and the refreshed part is doubled and I will use some of that for the bread and I guess store the rest in the fridge and keep feeding weekly.
I am wondeirng what I do with the jar of starter that I was building up thru the week that step 4 came from? Do I keep that and keep feeding it as well?
Thanks
Karen
Hi Karen! The mixture that you were initially making to make the starter can be discarded or like you said, you could keep feeding it and share it with a friend once it’s ready. Unfortunately there’s a bit of waste when making a starter. I hope this helps!
Hi Traci! Thanks so much for this guide. I started my starter yesterday, and I noticed that it’s developing that thin layer of water (?) on top very quickly (within 2 hours of feeding). Is it possible that that water just isn’t staying incorporated? Or do you think that it’s truly the alcohol output and it’s a sign that I should feed it again? Thanks!
Hi Anne! … it’s hard to say what’s happening – but it’s probably too early for hooch (that alcohol layer). How does it smell? Are there bubbles under the surface? Maybe it’s separating (although I’ve not experienced this)… you can stir it down and continue building your starter the next day. I wouldn’t recommend feeding at this point because you’re still developing a microbiome/building your starter. Try not to worry, stir it down and give it some time to develop. Keep us posted!
Hi Traci! In the end, I think that that layer of water was just water that wasn’t incorporating very well into flour. My starter seems to fluctuate between having lots of activity very quickly (it ends up pretty thick, definitely smells like something is happening, and there are very small bubbles) and having very slow days (where nothing seems to happen and it stays pretty thin). Is it possible to overfeed the starter? I’m still trying to identify the point at which I should be feeding (e.g., every 24 hours, or more or less frequently). Thanks so much for your help! I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to it!
Hi Anne… If you’re building your starter, you’re not really ‘feeding’ it yet… you’re simply building your starter. Indeed, some days you’ll notice more activity than others. Is your starter ready to be transitioned to “feeding/refreshing”? If yes, depending on how often you bake and how you store your starter will determine when you’ll feed it. I feed mine the night before I mix the dough – the starter needs to double in size before I mix it up (and I store mine at room temp after feeding and waiting for it to double.) While the starter isn’t being used, I store it in the fridge. If you store it at room temperature, you’ll need to feed it daily to keep it strong and active. Cold temps slow the starter way down – and it requires less maintenance that way. That’s why mine stays in the fridge most of the time.
Hello! I’m a newbie at baking breads. I’ve made a few loaves and baguette-style breads but never something as complicated as sourdough. I live in the Philippines and unique flours are hard to come by. I currently have buckwheat flour, bread flour, and all-purpose flour. Would it be possible to substitute the sweet rice flour with any of the ones I currently have? And to add to that, when making the sourdough bread itself, can I use the starter with just regular bread flour?
Hi Marie! Thank you for your note. For substitutions, all the information regarding my testing and what others have used/subbed (just above the recipe) in this recipe is in the blog post. If using other flours and/or making substitutions, I’m unable to say what the outcome would be. But feel free to experiment, and let us know how it goes.
Hi Traci,
I have a few questions for you if you don’t mind.
I started the start and kept on going until I got to day 7 and i had the puffy mixture with water underneath. I followed the instructions for feeding the starter and put an elestic band around the jar. It rose about 1/2 – 3/4″ but did not double. The liquid was underneath again.
1. Would a cooler house during the day 68F and much cooler through the night 62-64 F affect this process?
2 I put a damp paper towel over top with the mason jar lid on top of it no ring. should I have put the lid on and then the ring on finger tight?
3. Could I have uses the starter anyways to make your seeded sourdough bread.
Thank you,
Jan
Hi Jan… Sometimes it takes longer than seven days for a starter to double – that is perfectly normal! … one commenter’s starter took up to a month get get strong enough to rise bread! If your starter didn’t double, refresh (feed) it again (you’re on the right track!). You can do this up to two times in a 12 hour period. Remember, you’re building strength and flavor here. 1. Cooler temps effect the process, yes, but eventually the starter will double in size regardless of temperature. Cooler temps simply slow it down. 2. A damp tea towel and/or a loose lid is fine. Ether way will work. 3. I’d give the starter a few more days to straighten before making bread, looking for it to double in size. But you can, at this point save the discard and make those pancakes if you like! :D I hope this helps! Please keep in touch, Jan!
Hi there, I am on day 7 of my starter. It looks great, bubbly and smells good. Going to watch it more closely to see if it is doubling in size.
I am starting to think of making my bread but unsure which recipe to use.
Do you have a simple gluten free sourdough bread recipe that I am not finding (other than the multigrain/seed)? Or can I just follow your normal glutenous sourdough recipe and sub my gluten free starter and 1//2 + 1/2 white rice and brown rice flour for the “bread flour mix”. Want to keep it simple for my first try at baking the bread. Thank you!
Hi Elliott! So happy to hear your starter is progressing. The GF sourdough bread I’ve linked to in this post is the only bread recipe I have on the site. I’ve been testing a few simpler loaves, but am having difficulty getting a flavor profile I’m happy with. Please use the notes from other makers in the post as a jumping off for your own experiments and keep in touch to let us know how it goes!
I’ve made this 4 times now and I’ve really good luck. Much better than any boughten GF bread. Once you have all the ingredients it’s easy and delicious. You have to plan ahead because it does take one day to mix it and sit overnight to bake next day. I bake a loaf and freeze half. And it does need to be toasted. Thanks for a life saver recipe!
Hi Bets! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. SO happy to hear you’re enjoying it! Freezing half is so convenient and planning is a must!
Hello! If I use 1:1 GF flour do I still have to also mix with buckwheat flour? Thanks!
Hi Mara! I’m not sure as I’ve not tried it. If you give it a go, please keep us posted!
Hi Traci,
Thanks for your post. I have this gluten free flour that has tapioca starch, potato starch, coconut flour and arrowroot floor as well as brown rice and oat flowers. Do you think any of those ingredients might steer the culture in the wrong direction? Should I just stick to the recipe? Should I do a 50/50 mix of sweet rice and the GF mix I mentioned?
Thank you for your time.
Hi Julian! I’m not sure if it would work since I’ve not tried it. If you give it a go, please keep us posted.
Have you tried teff flour?
Hi Natascha! I tried teff flour early in my experimentation process and was not successful.
Hi do I have to use any special kind of water? I have seen other recipes that requires filtered water but I don’t have access to it only boiled water or bottled drinking water.
Hi Py! I use both tap water and filtered and haven’t experienced any difference. But this could depend on the quality of tap water used too. If you feel more comfortable using filtered/bottled vs tap, use that.
My starter is on day 7. I used brown rice and sweet white rice. The starter seems to rise a half inch or so by midday but is then flat the rest of the day into the morning. I also have a layer of water on top in the morning. Is that normal? I read somewhere that it should be drained off before feeding. Do you agree? Overall, it’s not nearly as bubbly as your pictures and video, but it does have a pleasant odor and is very tangy on the tongue.
Hi Kelli! You’re on the right track. The pleasant odor and tanginess tell me it’s getting close! The water on top is call hooch – it’s alcohol produced by the yeast and an indication that your starter needs to be fed. This is not unusual. Here’s what I’d do at this point. I’d stir in the hooch (you can also toss it out if you like – I’ve done both and it’s hasn’t changed anything significantly) go ahead and make your starter, and watch for a doubling in size. If it doesn’t double in size after the first feeding, give it another feed the following day. When it’s doubled in size, it’s time to bake! Please keep in touch. I hope this helps!
I have been doing sour dough already for a while now. But I just found out that I have a health condition that requires me to go gluten-free. This recipe looks like a great transition into that!
I do have a quick question, though. Is it possible for me to use a tablespoon or so of my gluten start and just feed it gluten free flours? It’s not the gluten that is perpetuated, right? It’s the yeast? I’m willing to make a new start. I just know that it will be a challenge because of the dry climate where I live, especially during this dry winter climate.
Hi Linday! Thank you for your note and making your way to Vanilla And Bean! If you’re looking for a purely gluten free sourdough bread, you’ll need to start with a gluten free sourdough starter. I hope this helps! Please keep in touch.
Hi
Just a question – my starter has been going for 9 days now. It smells good and gets bubbly and rises a little but it doesn’t double in size? Do you think it’s ready to use or do I need to keep feeding and refreshing everyday? I’m in Australia and it’s reasonably warm in our house.
Also I’m very keen to try and make a gluten free sourdough fruit/nut bread … any suggestions for a recipe?
Cheers
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca! I’d give the starter more time. You really want it to double in size before using it in a recipe. Unfortunately I don’t have a recipe for a GF SD fruit/nut bread recipe to point you to. Sounds like I should develop one! Please keep us posted!
I kept going and changed to feeding my started 1/4 cup each of sweet rice flour, millet flour and buckwheat or brown rice along with about 1/4-1/2 cup water. My starter still didn’t double in size but I’ve made your gluten free sourdough recipe and it’s lovely and looks just like your photo.
I’ve also tried a loaf with walnuts and dried fruit instead on the seeds – need to work on that – was a bit tacky – but still yummy – my daughters with coeliac loved it.
Thanks for your easy to follow instructions.
Hi!
We began the staerter 8 days ago, it was forgotten to refresh(add fresh 2tblps + water on step 2-3) and sat for 40hours untouched. Now its sourlooking but has a strange fuzzy organism on the top?? Should I toss it and start over?
Thanks
-M&M
Hi M… yes toss it and start over. Better safe than not knowing what that is!
What brand of flour do you prefer ? I’m new to this,
Thanks
Anne Skipton
Hi Anne! I look for organic ingredients first. If I can’t find them, then conventional. I like all of Bob’s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills flours. I’ve added links above. I hope this helps!
Thank you, I did the 7 day process using brown rice flour and sweet rice flour, then the refresher but it did not double. Didn’t have much liquid on top. Now I am experimenting by going backwards by doing the day 1-7 process using buckwheat and sweet rice flour to see if that makes a difference.
I don’t mind starting over completely just thought switching to the buckwheat would wake it up!
Hi Anne! Thank you for your note… keep going! A few makers have had the process take weeks. Please keep us posted!
Over the course of the past week I converted my glutenous starter to GF, to bake bread for a loved one who needs to (temporarily?) avoid gluten. I only see your instructions now, and I also saw that you asked if other grains worked for us in our starters, so I thought I’d share my experience. I started the conversion with a mix of spelt (what it was eating already) and rice flour, then went over to all rice. My starter was very sluggish (doubled only after 24 hours). I kept that up for a couple of days, but just did a couple of feedings with (freshly milled) organic millet flour and oh my goodness, my starter loves it! It’s doubling much faster. So: if you have access to millet flour, I can really recommend it. Will also give the rice & buckwheat combination a try.
Thanks for the information, looking forward to trying your bread recipe!
This is fantastic to hear! I did a wild yeast starter years ago but eventually stopped baking bread and let my starter go. I had to toss it. I recently began another one but am trying to avoid gluten. Last night, I wondered if millet flour would work as I have a massive jar of it in the cupboard! I began with a 50/50blend of sifted whole wheat and rye, I’ll switch to millet and brown rice and see how it goes. I’m not 100% sure I’m sensitive to gluten but wouldn’t mind avoiding it for the most part.
I tried this several times, but the first 24 hours is the only time I get bubbles. All the other days I just get flat Mixture and water that collects on top. I’ve been keeping it in my china hut with the light on so it stays 75 degrees in there. Any suggestions?
Hi Carol! Thank you for your note. I’m sorry to hear your starter is struggling. Can you tell me how many days you’ve been feeding it? Maybe give it a few more days if it’s been seven days already. Too, feeding it twice a day be be what it needs in that warm environment. Please keep in touch about your progress.
That was quick! Thank you!
I just threw it out after 7 days (I had it in oven with light on but my husband forgot and turned oven on!) my house runs cool esp at night 59°
What is ideal temp?
I’ll try again lmk about temp
Thx!
Hi Carol… I’m sorry to hear your starter is struggling (and OH no that your hubs turned on the oven!) . My kitchen runs cool too… especially during winter. I just made an new GF starter following this recipe last week, and it was almost doubling in size within three days! I’ve made this in the summer with kitchen temps in the 70s and in the winter with kitchen temps in the low 60s. One maker fed her starter for a month before it was ready to bake with, a few others, 8-10 days. Sometimes it takes longer. If you’re looking for an ideal temp, shoot for 70-75F. But keep in mind this isn’t the only factor when developing a starter. Microbes are all around (on the flours too) and they play a major role in the development of a starter. I hope this helps! Please keep us posted.
Hi Traci,
I’m really looking forward to trying your sourdough bread recipe, it looks great!
However, when it comes to the starter, I’ve been reading your notes over and over, and also not found any clue in the comments…
Why do you suggest to discard part of the starter, both while making it, and when refreshing it? Other recipes that I find online don’t do this, so I’m very curious to hear your thoughts.
Hi Maria! Thank you for your note – such a good question. The reason I discard some of the starter when making a starter is because if I don’t, by the time the mixture is done developing into a starter, I’d have a huge amount of mother starter. By feeding the small amount of starter (after discard), you are continually giving your developing starter new nourishment, to build a strong, healthy and resilient microbiome. This is one reason it takes days (sometimes longer) to develop a healthy enough starter to rise dough. Keep in mind those little microorganisms in the developing starter are reproducing, eating and producing waste at a quick rate. If not fed enough, the mixture can become acidic and weaken the starter. I hope this helps!
I’ve been working at the starter for 8 days now and it’s not doing anything. Can I continue? Or do I throw it out and start again? Can room temperature be too cold to get it started?
Hi Barbara! Thank you for your note. I’m sorry to hear your starter is struggling. Indeed, a warmish environment is optimal for a starter to get going. Is there a warmer place you can store it while it’s getting going? On top of the fireplace/heater perhaps? Since you’ve been feeding it regularly, I don’t see any need to start over. Here’s something you can try… warm the water to 80-90F with each feeding. It won’t stay warm for long, but it will help in the process. I hope this helps. Please let us know how it turns out for you!
I had to keep at it for another two weeks but finally achieved success, for a total of a month. I find it strange though, because I live in Florida where the warmth of the room shouldn’t matter. I’m very happy with the result though. Thank you.
Hi Barbara! Way to go you on your diligence! I should note that the time it takes to develop a starter can vary, as you demonstrated. But wow! A month! I think that’s a record around here. SO happy you’re happy with the result!
Day 1-7 went great, and my starter looked puffy and bubbly and had a tangy smell. However, when I refreshed my starter, it did not double in size, even after 18 hours. It grew maybe about a centimeter? It is still bubbly though and smells tangy. Should I refresh the starter again to see if it will double?
Hi Diana! You’re off to a great start. Indeed, feed your starter again, until it gets strong enough to double in size. It will gain strength as it matures. I hope this helps
Oh my goodness! This is delicious gluten free bread! It even looks like real or glutinous bread!
My first loaf was a flop, although not uneatable… it over proofed in the pan and it sunk, but I baked it anyway. Turned out very heavy and sticky! I toasted it on a girdle instead of the toaster, making it yummy again, this recipe is loaded with flavor!
My advice is don’t get too hung up on the times and feeding Directions. Get a feel from your mistakes And observations, because everyone has a different environment. I found that my starter needed feeding three time a day, which I did mostly with rice flour. It would also peak and then fall about every 8 hours. I watched my second loaf like a hawk, and warmed up the oven for baking as soon as it started rising above the pan. It only took o hours in my kitchen.
Thanks for the recipe, hope to see more!
Carol Fitzpatrick
That is 9 hours
Hiii Carol! Oh wow! Thank you so much for your notes, rating and sharing your tips! I love the flavor of this bread too! Wise words on mistakes and watching how the starter behaves. So happy to hear of your success! Hooray for good bread!
My first attempt at sourdough, and it was fantastic! My husband couldn’t stop eating it. As he said, “it tastes alive”. Thank you!
Oh My Gosh, Shauna! Your note made my day! Thank you for your review and rating. Hooray for good bread!
I’m confused about the amounts!
While establishing the starter, it seems to be fairly straightforward. 1/4 C starter/water/flour.
But I’m confused about the directions for refreshing. Going by volume, it’s 1/4 C starter, but 1/3 cup water, and 6T flour… wondering why these amounts are not equal parts anymore?
By weight it says 60 g starter, 80 g water, and 60 g flours (which does not appear to add up to the volumes listed above).
Can you clarify? Thank you!!
Hi Emma! When extensively testing this recipe, increasing the water in refreshment was the sticking point for the starter doubling in size. When you’re working on making your starter, you’re not looking to double it in size, rather you’re working to actually create a mini micro-biome. So the purpose of creating a starter is different than refreshing the starter. So, if you’re looking at it from a ‘recipe’ stand point, the recipes are two separate recipes. The goal of making the starter is different from the goal of refreshing the starter. So the weight/volume of making the starter and the weights/volume of refreshing the starter are supposed to be different. I hope this helps!
I’m wondering if my starter is developing correctly or if I should start over? I started it and days 1-5 it was bubbling up but didn’t have a good smell to it yet. Then on day 6 and forward it hasn’t bubbled at all. I figured I’d keep feeding it to see if it changed but I’m on day 10 and still not bubbling/growing. Also it still smells and not yogurty at all. What should I do? Thanks!
Hi Cami… I’m sorry to hear the starter isn’t developing. I think at this point since there’s no yogurty/sweet smell, it sounds like it’s not developing and it may be a good idea to start over. Ten days seems like plenty of time for it to get movin’. Are you using any flour substitutes?
I’m using white and brown rice flour. Also I live at 8,500 feet. Can high altitude effect it?
Hi Cami! So happy to hear you’re giving it a go. I’m not sure if high altitude will effect the starter. I did a quick Google search and didn’t find a definite yes or no. I’m almost certain it will effect rising and baking the loaf, but am not sure how. Will you let us know how it goes?
Hi there! I am on to my second gluten free starter attempt. I can’t find sweet rice flour so I am using 50/50 buckwheat flour and brown rice flour and 100% hydration of filtered water. Both attempts got a pink tinge to the top around day 3 – 4. I read loads of posts and articles before starting, and during, and most say pink means mold, but some say don’t worry about a pink tinge. It didn’t look or smell like mold and the starter still smelt really nice (yeasty and and a bit floral-y which I read are good signs). It was also super bubbly already, so I felt really contradicted! But, I chucked the first attempt though, as better safe than sorry. I started again, same mix and the same thing has happened, it has a pink tinge on the top, but smells lovely and is super bubbly even though it’s only day 4. What do you think is happening here? Do you think my flours could be off? They are both freshly bought and organic. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Hi Mandy… Thank you for your note. So glad your starter is off to a good start, but then the pink tinge. I don’t know what it is or if it’s okay to attempt to bake with. Without looking at that pink tinge under a microscope and with a scientist identifying what it is, it’s hard to say what it is. I like the lovely smell and that it’s nice and bubbly.. but I just don’t know about the pink. I wish I could be more help here. Consider reaching out to King Arthur flour on their bakers hotline? If you’re able to get to the bottom of it, will you let us know what you find?
I am making the sourdough starter. It’s been a few days and I can already smell it developing beautifully. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe.
I did have a quick question- is it possible to increase the volume of the sourdough starter finished product? Should I just double or triple quantities? I would like to be able to make multiple recipes from the starter at a time and want to keep a healthy amount of starter for the following week.
Thank you!
Hello LP! So happy to hear your starter is coming along! All you’ll need to do is double the refreshment. Just make sure to mix it in a larger vessel. Be sure to take a look at my GF Sourdough Pancakes to use that discard in and enjoy! Please let us know how your starter turns out!
I am new to the sourdough game so I had another question pop up. What is the reason for the discard for the established starter? Is it possible to feed without discarding (or using for another purpose) the leftovers? Could I treat the discard as it’s own starter and just feed that also? Thank you so much for your great recipes!
Hello LP! Thank you for your note and welcome to the great sourdough journey! The purpose of feeding the starter is that there are living bacteria and yeast that make up the starter. At some point, if not refreshed, they will eat all the available food and will starve. Refreshing simply gives them new nourishment. The starter discard can be used to make gluten free sourdough pancakes, waffles, pizza and many other things. I have a recipe for gf sourdough pancakes – using the discard – with a waffle and pizza recipe in the works! You can treat the discard as it’s own starter too – give it to a friend or try some new flours in your new starter! I hope this helps. Let us know how your starter turns out!
Hello again! The sourdough starter started to have air bubbles under the surface and also started smell pleasantly sweet and sour so after 7 days, so I fed it to get it ready for a recipe. After 12 hours it did not double in size. It grew maybe 1/2 inch around the rubber band mark. Should I feed it again? I am not sure what that means about the starter, if it’s viable or not?
Also, you mentioned that if I wanted to increase the volume of the starter I should feed it twice? The second time, should I still discard a portion of the starter?
Thank you so much for your help and recipes! I can hardly wait to make the sourdough bread!
Hi LP ~ Ohhh so happy to hear it smells pleasant! You are on the right track. Feed it again… and just give it more time. If you like, to speed the process, you can warm the water to 80F. They may help give it a boost! As for doubling the recipe… make sure your starter doubles in size first. That way you won’t be attempting to double a starter that isn’t ready. When you’re ready to double the recipe, weigh out 120g of starter – to get this much starter you may need to refresh it or feed it again to get this amount of starter (discard any leftover or save it for pancakes), stir in 160g water, then add 60g buckwheat flour and 60 grams white rice flour. Give it a stir and mark your vessel at the starting point and watch for it to double in size. I hope this helps LP! Keep in touch.
Thank you so much For your help. I have continued to feed the sourdough starter and it still has not doubled in size. It continues to rise regularly but instead of doubling it reaches maybe halfway. It continues to bubble, and smell like what I assume sourdough starter should smell like. It has now been almost 2 weeks since I started the starter. Do I just keep feeding it until it doubles or should I start baking with it assuming that this is as good as it will get? Thank you so much for all of your help I am so excited to start baking with it.
Hello Lp… Are you using the same flours indicated in the recipe? I’m sorry it’s not doubling… but it smells like it should. I’m perplexed. I’ve not come across this problem before. If you’d like to go ahead and bake, you could it a go… but I’m not sure the dough will fully rise. It should be doubling by now. If you’ve been feeding for two weeks, I’m sure this is as good as it’s going to get. Please keep in touch and let us know how you do!
I have exactly the same problem with lack of doubling
Hi Hanna… I’m sorry to hear your starter isn’t doubling. How many days have you been feeding it?
thank you i like this and try it
Thanks for your insights and notes!
I regularly bake glutenous sourdough and thought I’d give gluten free a shot!
Just starting my journey out with 100% millet flour at 100% hydration, hoping to see some rise in the next 12-24 hours.
Not easy to find sweet rice flour in India, but buckwheat and regular rice flour are options i want to try to experiment with!
Hello Dhananjay! Thank you for your note! Isn’t it fun and interesting baking both types of bread? Please let us know how your bread turns out with 100% millet and hydration. My curiosity is piqued!
Bread has been my biggest disappointment since going gluten free years ago. I now have hope. Thank you, can’t wait to try. I have never been a bread maker or worked with a starter so lots of new for this gal. Thank you for sharing
Debbie
HI Debbie! Thank you for your note. SO much new… I get it. Please let me know if you have any questions/concerns along the way. I’m here to help! [email protected]
Thank you for the concise instructions. Since being GF I have missed sour dough bread so much! I’ll be giving this a try very soon.
It”s hard to imagine what really went into all the development of the recipe for this starter. As always, your instructions and photos are so instructive. This really has been quite the journey for you!
Oh my Jean… it has! Thank you so much for your support along the way :D
Thank you for this post. I am looking forward to trying this bread. For clarification, are you making a new starter each day for 3 days and what you have on the third day is what you will actually be using and what is left behind in each jar on days 1 and 2 gets discarded? Thank you.
Hi Patty! I’m sorry for the confusion. To clarify, you’ll have a discard everyday except day one. “DAY 3 through 6…or 7: Repeat day two until the mixture becomes puffy, has a pleasant sweet-sour aroma and bubbles begin to form under the surface. How many days it takes to complete to get to this point depends on ambient temperature and available, naturally occurring yeast and bacteria, but it should be ready between 6-7 days. Once the starter is puffy, has a sweet-sour aroma and bubbles are present under the surface (see pictures below), your initial starter is ripe or ready.” Then you’ll refresh (feed) it before using it in a recipe. I hope this helps and you enjoy the process!
Well done Traci! Such an informative post. You’ve really been working so hard at your GF baking skills. The information you share is always so helpful and your step by step photos make things seem so much easier when trying to accomplish on my own in my kitchen. I always learn something when I stop by Vanilla and Bean!
Thank you Mare!!
WONDERFUL, thank you as I’m a bread maker and now have to go gluten free. Will you be posting your gluten free sourdough recipe also? It would be so greatly appreciated.
Hi Alice! Oh noooo… that’s such a challenge. I’m sorry to hear. But YES (!!), here is my gluten free sourdough! https://vanillaandbean.com/seeded-multigrain-gluten-free-sourdough-bread/ I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Such an incredibly helpful post. I am not observing a gluten free diet, but this makes me want to start making gluten free bread.
I know how hard you worked on this my friend. So well done. Sending you warmest hugs.
Thank you so much Ayse! xo
The consummate teacher! Thank you for your thorough instruction, my friend! I learn so much when I visit!
So happy to hear, Annie! xo Thank youuuu!
What a thoughtful and thorough tutorial Traci; your detailed illustrations are always so helpful too. I have no doubt your efforts will be beneficial to a large gf community – an excellent resource, thank you for this!
Hiii Kelly! Thank you so much. I hope it helps others as it’s helped me get through some challenges for sure!
Sourdough sure is having a moment! I really want to get into it. My grandfather used to make sourdough bread and pancakes every weekend. And I alway think of him when I think of sourdough. I’m sure getting this GF started took was work, but seems well worth all your efforts! Cheers!
It IS! Liz…. seriously, you’d love the process Liz. If you need a glutenous sourdough starter recipe, King Arthur has a good one! The process for gf is basically the same as regular just with two gf flours instead of one glutenous flour. I can’t wait to see what you create!