Texture rich, flavorful and tender, homemade Seeded Multigrain Gluten Free Sourdough Bread is gluten free bread you’ll look forward to eating. Use your Gluten Free Sourdough Starter to make this whole grain gluten free bread and love bread again! 

Sliced gluten free sourdough bread.

Going Gluten Free

Going gluten free for a trial period in the summer of 2018 meant I had to give up my beloved homemade sourdough. After a few weeks of throwing internal fits, I finally decided to explore gluten free flours, and learn the nuances of gluten free baking. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I finally embraced the challenge. 

After much research, creating a gluten free sourdough starter and baking many loaves of gluten free sourdough bread, testing, tweaking and taking notes along the way, I’m sharing my best loaf yet: Seeded Multigrain Gluten Free Sourdough Bread.

Although I’m eating gluten again, this bread remains one of my most beloved recipes on the blog. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family, friends and V&B readers have.

Ripe gluten free sourdough starter in a jar.
Adding water to a gf sourdough starter in a mixing bowl.
Mixing the gluten free sourdough, water and flours with a fork.
Mixed gluten free sourdough.

At a Glance:How to Make Gluten Free Sourdough Bread

This gluten free sourdough bread recipe is simple to make, but you’ll need a gluten free sourdough starter. My starter recipe takes six to seven days to develop, but once you create it and continue to refresh (feed) it, it’ll be on stand-by next time you’re ready to bake! 

  • First, prepare the soaker by placing the flax, oats, quinoa, and sunflower seeds into a small bowl with temperature water. Allow to sit overnight.
  • Second, in a medium bowl, whisk the flours including oat, brown rice, millet, tapioca with psyllium husk powder and salt. 
  • Third, in a large bowl, whisk your fed and active starter, water, and maple syrup or honey. Add the flour mixture to the starter/water mixture and mix with a fork. 
  • Fourth, hand mix in the soaker. 
  • Fifth, transfer the GF sourdough to a prepared loaf pan, while patting and smoothing the top and rounding the edges of the dough.
  • Next, cover with a damp tea towel and ferment for 12-14 hours at room temperature. 
  • Last, bake the loaf for about an hour. 

You’ll notice there is no proof for this recipe, meaning it only rises once (fermentation). Once the loaf is shaped and undergoes bulk fermentation, it’s ready to bake.

After baking, the gluten free sourdough needs to cool completely, at least a few hours before you slice into it! Waiting until the following day is even better as it allows the bread time to cure. 

A bowl of seeds and oats for the gluten free sourdough bread.
Hand mixing a bowl of gluten free sourdough with seeds and oats.
Mixed gluten free sourdough in a bowl.
Gluten free sourdough bread dough in a loaf pan lined with parchment.
Three images of the gluten free bread rising from start to finish.

    

Using Other Gluten Free Flours in this Recipe

You can certainly give it a go! I’ve tried subbing buckwheat and amaranth flour for millet in this recipe but the bread wasn’t as tender and light. I’ve found thorough trial and error that millet helps give loft to gluten free bread without adding more starch. Also, amaranth was a little too strong for my taste. 

How Gluten Free Sourdough Bread Tastes

In a word, earthy in such a good way! This GF sourdough bread is texture rich due to the seeds/grains, has a mild oaty flavor, and a chewy interior thanks in part to the binding power of psyllium husk powder, with a nice crisp crust (after toasting). 

Because this bread is gluten free, egg and dairy free (yes, vegan gluten free sourdough bread!), mostly whole grain, free of fillers and large quantities of starches, you’ll notice the interior is moist/tacky to the touch. So, it needs to be toasted to bring out its best texture. Sometimes I’ll double toast for breakfast toast, aka, avocado with egg toast.  

Storing and Toasting

After the bread is completely cool, slice it with a serrated knife. The slices can be stored at room temperature in a closed container for up to three days or frozen for longer storage. For freezer storage, slices can go from freezer to toaster directly – this is also when I’ll double toast a slice. 

A loaf of gluten free, homemade sourdough bread.
A person slicing a loaf of gluten free sourdough bread.

 

Traci’s Tips

  • Sourdough discard? Save it, put it in a covered container in the refrigerator and then, make these Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes, Gluten Free Sourdough Waffles, or Gluten Free Sourdough Pizza!
  • Dutch oven? I’ve tested this recipe in a Dutch oven in an effort to make a boule. Without walls of a loaf pan to hold the dough together, it spread way too much and was flat. Stick to a loaf pan ( if not experimenting :D ) .
  • Shaping and then transferring the dough to the pan is sticky business. I’ve included two ways in the recipe to get the hardest part of the recipe done: a. shaping prior to putting the dough into the pan or b. shaping the dough after putting it in the pan. I prefer method a. as it produces a better shaped loaf – but it’s harder to do. Note the photos show method b. 
  • With a 119% hydration, this dough is sticky. But I’ve discovered through my testing, gluten free loaves with higher hydration and low starch content have a better rise and produce a more tender crumb.
  • One of the flours used in this recipe is oat flour. I DIY oat flour and have a tutorial on the blog if needed. 
  • Substitutions: I do not recommend subbing any other ingredient for psyllium husk powder. It soaks up the water, gives the bread it’s chew like gluten-full bread has and holds the dough together.
    • I’ve tried subbing buckwheat and amaranth flour for millet in this recipe but the bread wasn’t as tender and light. I’ve found millet helps give loft to bread without adding more starch. Also, amaranth was a little too strong for my taste.
    • I’ve not attempted subbing a different flour for oat flour. 
  • Use a scale. In baking, weighing ingredients is important for optimal outcome. I find that especially true in gluten free baking. I recommend investing in a good digital kitchen scale. 
Sliced gluten free sourdough bread.

Makers Notes

So happy to read y’all are enjoying the bread in the comments below. Please note, I’ve not tried the following substitutions, but want to share what the community has offered. Here are a few community notes that may be helpful when making this recipe:

  • Maya commented: “I used sorghum flour for the oats and half buckwheat, half white rice for the millet. It might not have risen as much as your photo, but it still turned out great.”
  • Kate said: “It worked great – I substituted the same amount of arrowroot powder for the tapioca flour.”
  • Sarah said: “Slice thick and when toasted you get the crusty edges and soft spongy center.”
  • Jill said: “…substituted the brown rice, millet, and tapioca for an even exchange of the King Arthur cup for cup gluten free. This loaf came out SOOOOO GOOD!”
  • Leah said: “…sorghum for the oat flour and teff for the millet. I got a nice rise and it came out SO good! The teff really gives it a wheaty flavor, almost like pumpernickel. Both times I left out the soaker and it didn’t seem to be a problem.”
A person slicing a loaf of gluten free sourdough bread.
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Seeded Multigrain Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

4.85 stars (from 119 ratings)
By Traci York
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 15 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 1 loaf
*Advance Prep Required – you'll need a gluten free sourdough starter* I recommend using a digital scale for best outcome. See blog post and "makers notes" above this recipe to help answer any questions you may have.
!! Please note that I do not recommend substituting Psyllium Husk Powder for any other ingredient. **Also see note for Psyllium Husk Powder update.
Texture rich, flavorful and tender, homemade Seeded Multigrain Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread is gluten free bread you'll look forward to eating! gluten free + vegetarian or vegan | Time to ferment can vary depending on how long your loaf takes to reach the appropriate size. For this loaf, fermentation is about 12-14 hours. Use the time as a guide, not as a determining factor.
Baker's Schedule: Friday morning feed your starter. Mix the dough Friday night and ferment overnight. Bake Saturday morning. 
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Ingredients

For the Soaker:

  • 3 Tbs Whole Flax Seeds
  • 3 Tbs Whole Rolled Oats, gluten free
  • 3 Tbs Red or Tricolor Quinoa, rinsed under running water
  • 3 Tbs Hulled Sunflower Seeds
  • 1/3 C (80g) Water, room temperature

For the Bread:

Instructions 

For the Soaker:

  • Prepare the soaker by placing the flax, oats, quinoa, and sunflower seeds into a small bowl. Pour room temperature water over the top of the soaker. Leave out at room temperature for about 6-8 hours. If you forget to do this, you can pour hot water (hot to touch) over the soaker before you start preparing the ingredients for the bread.  

For the Dough:

  • Line the inside of a 8.5L x 4.5W x 2.75H inch loaf pan (23cm X 13cm) with criss crossing parchment with enough hangover on all sides to later help shape the dough and to be used as handles for removing the bread from the pan. If you have clips to clip the parchment to the sides, use them. 
  • UPDATE 5/20: Some makers have commented that they "poured" the dough into the baking pan. Please note that the dough should be of a sticky thickish batter-like consistency where it is scraped into the pan and holds together. The dough should not be pourable. In order to achieve this batter-like consistency, Psyllium Husk Powder is essential. I do not recommend substituting this ingredient.
    Mix the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, add the starter, water and maple syrup (or honey). Whisk until the starter is incorporated. Set aside.
    In a medium mixing bowl whisk the brown rice flour, millet flour, oat flour, tapioca flour, psyllium husk powder and fine sea salt. Mix throughly so that when the psyllium husk powder hits the water, it wont clump. 
    To the water/starter mixture add the flour mixture. Use a fork to mix the flour into the water until the dough starts to stiffen, about one minute. The dough will feel like a thick batter. Add the soaker and knead the dough with your hand, incorporating the soaker until the mixture is evenly distributed, about one minute. Use the fork to scrape any excess dough off your hands and fingers. The dough will be very sticky. Set the bowl aside for about 10 minutes to rest. It will stiffen a bit as it rests.
  • Shape and Pan the Dough: There are two ways to approach shaping. a. if you're in a hurry or b. if you have a bit more time and patience. Either will work but I find I get a better shape out of b. (note that a. was used in the images seen above). 
    A. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Use a moist rubber spatula (remoisten as needed) to gently shape the top nudging the edges of the loaf inward to produce a nice dome shape loaf bread is known for. This takes a little practice and finessing. Just do the best you can. Use the 'handles' of the parchment and pull opposite sides inwards towards the center of the dough, helping to round and shape the edges. Moisten your fingers or small spatula and smooth the top to rid any lumpy areas. 
    B. A bench scraper for this method is needed. Moisten your work surface with a bit of water (I use a spray bottle and sprits it a few times). With  moistened fingers, nudge the dough out of the bowl and onto the moist surface. The dough will be very sticky. Re-moisten your hands and pat the dough into a rough rectangle/log a little smaller than the size of the loaf pan using the bench scraper as needed to move the dough. Pat and smooth the edges as needed using wet hands (no flour here), rocking the dough back and fourth to help shape it, smoothing and rounding the top into a rectangular dome. This takes a little practice and finessing, just do the best you can.
    Using one swift move, scoop up the shaped dough with a bench scraper and transfer it to the loaf pan. Use the 'handles' of the parchment and pull opposite sides inwards towards the center of the dough, helping to round and shape the edges. Do this several times. Moisten your fingers or small spatula and smooth the top to rid any lumpy areas. Use a moist rubber spatula to gently shape the top nudging the edges of the loaf inward to produce a nice dome shape loaves of bread are known for.
    Now is a good time to refresh (feed) your starter and store it for next time. 
  • Bulk Ferment: Remove the clips from the pan if using. Cover the dough with a wet tea towel and allow the dough to ferment overnight at room temperature (it's okay if the wet tea towel touches the top of the loaf). Fermentation will take anywhere between 12-14 hours depending on how active your starter is and ambient temperature. 
    In my chilly kitchen at 66F, the dough takes about 14 1/2 hours to rise overnight.
    There is no proof for this recipe. Go right into baking the loaf after bulk fermentation.
    The loaf is ready to bake when the dough increases to 1 1/2 times in size and has risen to about 1.1/2" (3.8cm) above the lip of the pan at the center. The dough will spring back when gently pressed on top. 
  • Bake the Loaf: Place a oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 550F (288C). Lightly spray or brush the top of the dough with water and sprinkle 1-2 Tbs of rolled oats over the top. Decrease the oven temperature to 475F (246C) and bake the loaf 55-60 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is between 200F-205F. If the bread starts getting too dark on top, tent the bread with foil. The bread pictured here is untented. 
    After 10 minutes out of the oven, transfer the bread to a cooling rack. Cool completely, at least for two-three hours, better if cured overnight, before slicing into it. You'll notice the bread is very hard, but will soften as it cools. 
  • How to Store and Enjoy!: After the bread is completely cool, slice it with a serrated knife. The slices can be stored at room temperature in a closed container for up to three days or frozen for longer storage. For freezer storage, slices can go from freezer to toaster directly.
    You'll notice the interior of the bread to be tacky. This is normal. I find this gluten free sourdough needs to be toasted before it's enjoyed… sometimes double toasted to bring out its best flavor and texture. 

Video

Notes

!! UPDATE 5/20 The only things I can conclude as to why some experience a “pourable” as opposed to a sticky thickish batter, is that 1. there’s some ingredient substitution (maybe not using psyllium husk powder) and/or 2. It’s possible different brands of flours/starches have varying absorption capacity and/or moisture content. Too, local humidity can also play a role in flour hydration (this has been my experience when baking with glutenous flours). *If concerned about a pourable batter, hold a bit of the water out, mix, then add more as needed.
*SALT Note 11/20: A few makers have written about the salt being a bit too much for their taste. Please feel free to reduce the salt to your preference. Without enough salt, however, the bread will taste flat, so maybe start with reducing the salt by 1/2 – 3/4 tsp.
*Psyllium Husk Powder 10/21: Since writing and testing this recipe, Bob’s Red Mill has discontinued their Psyllium Husk Powder, which is the brand I’ve always used (3 tablespoons in this original recipe). However, I’ve transitioned to using Terrasoul Superfoods Psyllium Husk Powder and found in other recipes I need to reduce the PHP slightly because it’s a much finer powder and otherwise it makes the dough too thick/gummy. I’ve found the finer the powder, the less is needed in the recipe.
Oat flour can be problematic for some coeliacs, so if making for a friend, please let them know or ask if they are able to consume gluten free oats/flour.
Sourdough discard? Save it, put it in a covered container in the refrigerator and then, make these GF Sourdough Pancakes, GF Sourdough Pizza or try my GF Sourdough Waffles! 
Weighing Ingredients: In baking, weighing ingredients is important for optimal outcome. I find that especially true in gluten free baking. If you feel you’ll be baking with gf flours regularly, I recommend investing in a good digital kitchen scale. 
I enthusiastically recommend an oven thermometer for best outcome. 
Inspiration and my introduction to gluten free sourdough comes from Wholehearted Eats.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 loaf | Calories: 2810kcal | Carbohydrates: 518g | Protein: 69g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 27g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Sodium: 8238mg | Potassium: 2164mg | Fiber: 58g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 333mg | Iron: 21mg

Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.

Made it? Leave a comment below!

The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications or helping other commentors.

Pinterest pin for gluten free sourdough bread.
Traci sprinkling flour over a disk of pastry.

Filed under:

Gluten Free Sourdough Featured Freezer Friendly Popular Dairy Free Egg Free Gluten Free Vegan Vegetarian

Recipe Key

DFDairy FreeEFEgg FreeGFGluten FreeVVeganVGVegetarian

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well hello!

I’m Traci. So glad you're here!

I cook vibrant vegetarian food, bake sourdough and create from scratch baked recipes, sharing them here since 2014. Inspired by the seasons, my southern roots and global flavors, let's cook something delicious together!

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4.85 from 119 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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501 Comments

  1. sarah Lewkowicz says:

    5 stars
    Hi again, just to add to my previous comment… I made the bread again today and this time tried a small pan of boiling water on the lower rack (I boiled around 1 cups of water and just pouring it into the pan already on the rack just after putting in the loaves to bake) and quickly closed the oven door. I found it helped my breads to rise a bit more and hold their “dome” shape and get brown on top. Everyone who has had this bread wants more…… FYI.

    Reply
    1. Traci says:

      Hi Sarah! Thank you for your note! That steamy environment is fabulous for sourdough. What a great idea to apply it to gf sourdough too (omg – I’ve done this with regular sourdough)! So happy to hear it’s working for you and that the bread gets a bit more dome shape. Thank you for sharing your tip with us! And I love that you’re enjoying and sharing this bread!

      Reply
  2. Sarah says:

    5 stars
    Wow this is the best gluten-free sourdough bread recipe I have made yet and I have been trying different once for years. My last recipe had so many steps it was hard to do them all at the right time and also have a life/work!
    So I made this with just the sunflower seeds ( I thought it would be the best for the people I am serving the bread to) and did boiling water over the seeds for 10 minutes. The rest of the loaf was exactly as written. I did find the first time I made it I had too much batter for the standard loaf pan I had so I sliced off what flowed over in the fermenting stage and baking that in a mini loaf pan and that came out perfect, not sticky at all when sliced ( hehe I had to cut into the mini loaf within 30 minutes), so that gave me the idea to make the recipe and put in two longer, narrower european style loaf pans that I have from France. The recipe was the perfect size for two of those loafs.. they are baking now. I put in only 1/2 teaspoon salt as we have to watch sodium and it tastes perfect. Was amazing toasted. Slice thick and when toasted you get the crusty edges and soft spongy center. I highly recommend.

    Reply
    1. Traci says:

      Hi Sarah! Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for giving another GF SD recipe a go and coming back and leaving a note. Reading it makes me so happy! Your adaptations worked beautifully and I appreciate your sharing them with us! Isn’t the crust and interior so nice when toasted?

      Reply
  3. Karl H says:

    How essential are the seeds in this recipe? Would the sourdough base alone bake successfully? Thanks! (and I really love the pictures!)

    Reply
    1. Traci says:

      Hi Karl! While I’ve not tried this recipe without the seeds, I’m sure it’ll be just fine without them. You could use more quinoa if you like. I hope this helps and you enjoy the process! Please let us know how it goes.

      Reply
  4. teri says:

    I answered my own question. Saw a link to the recipe further up. Thx. Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
    1. Traci says:

      Oh, good, you found it! Thank you Teri! I hope you enjoy the recipe and process!

      Reply
  5. teri says:

    I have to ask a strange question. Is the starter and soaker the same? If not, do you have a recipe for the starter? Thx

    Reply
  6. Paula says:

    5 stars
    What an amazing recipe! I wish I’d let my loaf cure longer – but I was just too excited to cut into it. My starter was nice and active, but my preferment was stubborn. I went ahead and made the loaf anyway, and it really sprung up in the oven. The flavor is complex and earthy, quite sour but nicely tempered with the honey! Brilliant. My new go-to!

    Reply
    1. Traci says:

      Thank you for coming back and leaving a note, Paula… And I totally get about wanting to cut into it – lol! The rise is sluggish for me too, but somehow the last few hours it really takes off. Ooohhh yes, the honey really balances the sour nicely. So happy you’re enjoying it!

      Reply
  7. Elise says:

    2 stars
    Hi,

    I followed all instructions and had a great starter, but there seemed to be too much liquid when making the dough — it’s more like a batter. Did you mean 2 1/2 cups or just 1/2 a cup of water??

    Reply
    1. Traci says:

      Hi Elise! Thank you for your note. This dough is a high hydration dough (119%) as indicated in the notes which means it is very sticky and yes, that is a good description, like a thick batter. The water measurement is accurate. Please see Shannon’s post, linked below – to Instagram – for her positive review and picture. Did you bake the bread?

      Reply
      1. Elise says:

        5 stars
        I just took it out of the oven and it really puffed up! I was worried I was screwing something up— I can’t wait to have a slice tomorrow. Thank you for your quick response!

        Reply
        1. Traci says:

          Ahhhh yesss! The magic of a thriving starter! You had good oven spring and the starter (and all that water) did its job! So happy to hear, Elise. Thank you for coming back and leaving a note. I was worried too!

          Reply
    1. Shannon says:

      5 stars
      Thank YOU for an amazing recipe! I followed your directions to the “T” and everything turned out beautifully. The instructions were very clear and well detailed. My husband (who recently shifted to a “less gluten” diet) and I think it’s the best GF bread we’ve ever tasted… as do all our friends who tasted it! Now that I have the starter established, I will definitely be making it again and again. I have quite a large GF customer base for my cakes and desserts and I’m always asked about GF bread. I will certainly be sending them your way. I know how much work went into the development of this recipe and I, for one, appreciate it. Keep up the good work and happy baking!

      Reply
      1. Traci says:

        Hi Shannon! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a note, giving the recipe a go and sharing it! I’m so happy to read that you and your hubs are enjoying the bread :D ! Hooray for an established starter too.. no doubt it’ll be much easier to whip up on the next round. Knowing you’re a baker, if you do any adaptations or modifications off this recipe, I’d love to hear about them! Thank you again, Shannon! :D

        Reply
  9. Sandra Hatchell says:

    For health reasons we need to give up gluten, but my son is allergic to rice. Do you have any recommendations on what I can use as a substitute?

    Reply
    1. Traci says:

      Hi Sandra! Thank you for your note. Because I am very new to gluten free baking, I’m hesitant to offer advise here, but I did reach out to a gf friend who is a blogger and gf baker. She offered that you could give corn flour a go. It’s a high protein flour like brown rice flour. My concern is the flavor profile of this bread will be off. So, I just can’t say if it will work or not. If you do experiment a bit, please let us know how it goes. I hope this helps.

      Reply
  10. Codruta says:

    Hi! Beautiful loaf!
    Can you tell me how much are 3 tbsp psilium husks in grams? Thank you! I want to make this bread.
    Also, powder, it means you grind the psilium husks?

    Reply
    1. Traci says:

      Hi Codruta! 3 Tbsp of psyllium husk powder is 36g. I use preground psyllium husks (in powder form), so I’ve never worked with whole psyllium husks. I hope this helps!

      Reply
      1. Karen says:

        Thank you for this beautiful recipe! I just made my first loaf and used 3 tablespoons of whole husk psyllium, as I did not have powdered. It turned out amazingly well! Next time I will weigh it to make sure that I’m a bit closer to your calculations.

        Btw, if you don’t allow the bread to cool for the full length of time, will it be gummier inside? I let mine cool for about an hour and could not wait any longer, as we were having it with our lunch. The outside was perfectly crisp, but it was a bit more difficult to slice through the inside. I would not say it was gummy, as it was fully cooked, but more floppy. I’m also curious if the curing process changes the flavor of the bread at all? Next time I’ll have to plan extra time for this.

        Reply
        1. Traci says:

          Hi Karen… thank you for your note and sharing your tip about whole husk psyllium. Indeed, allowing the bread to cool completely improves its texture. I didn’t notice a flavor difference from curing it for a day, bit it does make a difference in improved texture. I hope this helps!

          Reply
          1. Karen Schulz-Harmon says:

            5 stars
            Thank you! :)

      2. Pat says:

        I had whole psyllium husk and ground it. When I weighed the ground husk it was about 6 Tablespoons for 36 grams. Should it matter if whole or ground is used if it’s being weighed?

        Reply
        1. Traci says:

          Hi Pat… I’m afraid I have no experience with whole psyllium husk. I’m just not sure if the substitution would work because the difference in surface area of the ground psyllium husk vs powder may have different absorption properties. If you go ahead with it, please let us know if it works out!

          Reply