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.

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. 

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. 

 

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.”

Seeded Multigrain Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

4.85 stars (from 119 ratings)
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.

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

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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!

4.85 from 119 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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501 Comments

  1. silv says:

    I am just eating my first toasted slice of this absolutely beautiful bread. but I have to confess that i sped the process by adding at the last minute half a tablespoon of yeast. I know, I am impatient. I also substituted, like someone else half and half buckwheat flour and sorghum flour for the oats. I am a celiac and do not tolerate oats very well. In all my years of making my own bread I never was able to make sourdough, until I found your recipe. I am eternally grateful.

    1. Traci says:

      Hi Silv! Oh my, I’m thrilled to hear this. Thank you for your note and sharing your tips! I totally understand adding the yeast… in fact, this is not totally uncommon in the sourdough world. It’s the best of both worlds: the flavor of sourdough, on a quicker timeline! In fact, I’m working on a GF SD Pizza recipe that includes yeast and sourdough… there are benefits. I’m so happy you’re enjoying the sourdough. Thank you again, Silv!

  2. Deidra says:

    5 stars
    This bread has ruined me. I started with gluten free sourdough early in the pandemic because I was jealous of all my gluten-eating friends and their sourdough projects. This has become my go-to sourdough bake. It’s a long process and requires a lot of ingredients but yours is one of the easiest-to-follow recipes I’ve found, and the results are amazing. (Thanks for not requiring a stand mixer.) I can’t buy grocery store bread anymore. It’s just nowhere near as good. As for modifications: I regularly use white rice flour instead of brown and sub Bob’s Red Mill all purpose flour for millet, and I always start with 2/3 the recommended water and add more later as needed. I’ve gone back and forth between chia and flax seeds and sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and it’s all been great. I also do the hot water quick soaker method and it works perfectly. My advice to others let the baked bread rest as long as you can before slicing into it for best structural results. I have a loaf that’s about to go in the oven and I’m going to try to wait until tomorrow morning to slice into it. Send me strength!

  3. Tas says:

    4 stars
    This bread was really good. Next time, I will definitely reduce salt to 2 tsp and rotate the loaf in the oven midway through since the back edge burned.

    I didn’t make any ingredient substitutions and when I checked the loaf at 55 minutes, the temperature read 206F so I took it out, but it was still slightly wet inside after letting it cool completely for nearly 4-5 hours – do you have any suggestions? Thanks!

    1. Traci says:

      Hi Tas! Thank you for your note and sharing your experience. Indeed, oven temperatures fluctuate and so this can vary outcomes sometimes in baked recipes. I’m curious if you utilize an external oven thermometer? For example, when I set my oven to 350F, I have to adjust it by about 15 degrees up for the oven to actually reach 350F. I use two external thermometers just to be sure. Tenting the bread with foil will help reduce the bread getting too dark. Also, this gluten free sourdough bread recipe benefits from curing or resting for 24 hours. This helps the interior dry out further. I hope this helps!

      1. Tas says:

        5 stars
        Thanks for your response! I do use an external oven thermometer and let the dough rise for about 14 hours. I’ll try for 24 hours next time! Thanks for the suggestions!!

        I got rave reviews btw, and the end product was nice and soft, even after freezing and defrosting – thanks for the recipe!

        1. Traci says:

          Thank you for your note, Tas! Hooray for rave reviews! Be sure to keep an eye on the height of the dough above the rim of the pan at center for proofing. That rise is the determining factor for when the bread is ready to bake. Keep us posted!

  4. Kim says:

    Hi after looking over this recipe I see that the sodium is Sodium: 8164mg. First is there a reason why the sodium is so high or anything I could substitute? I have to have a low sodium diet. But I’m thrilled to see a multi grain gluten-free recipe.

    1. Traci says:

      Hi Kim! The nutrition label is for the entire loaf, so the number slices you cut will determine the sodium for each slice. You can reduce the salt as desired as it’s not essential, but the bread will taste flat. As for a substitute, I’ve not tried anything, but I’m thinking a salt free seasoning blend or may nutritional yeast could work. Please keep us posted if you give it a go!

      1. JEANNINE HENCK says:

        oh my goodness! I was just about to look up how many slices you had because I quickly read the nutritional value and thought it was really high for the ingredients. How silly of me to not realize the numbers were for the entire loaf!! In that case, it’s terrific for every diet in our family. The loaf is terrific! But I also reduced the salt to one and a half teaspoons, tasted it, and thought it was a little salty so I added some honey, about a tablespoon. I followed the recipe exactly the first time and substituted millet flour for two cups of the flour. Both loaves were terrific and everyone loves it!!

        1. Traci says:

          Hi Jeannine! Thank you for your note and sharing your subs. SO happy to hear you and your family are enjoying the sourdough! No doubt the calorie count will depend how how thick or thin the bread is sliced… reason I left it at loaf :D

  5. Tanja says:

    Very excited to try this! One question, is the maple syrup important for the rise? I much prefer breads with no sugars/sweetness. Could I safely leave it out? Thank you!

    1. Traci says:

      Hi Tanja! Although I’ve not tried it in this recipe, you can make it without, however the flavor profile will be different and it *may* not rise as much. The sugar does give wild yeast a boost. I hope this helps and you enjoy the soudough!

  6. Barbara Worthy says:

    Hello again – I made my soaker 24hrs ago and due to circumstances haven’t been able to continue with the baking… Will the soaker be bad? Can i still use it?
    barbara

    1. Traci says:

      Hi Barbara! I’m sure it’ll be fine. Let us know how it turns out!

      1. Barbara says:

        Well it worked – although the taste test has yet to happen… ended up waiting to use the soaker for nearly two days because the starter was ‘struggling’… was in the oven with light on, and even after oven had been on. Two or three feedings and then it
        finally it looked good. However even after 15hrs of fermentation (cool kitchen) the dough never really rose much above the side of the pan… It still looks good though, and feels strong. Thanks for your advice, as ever. )))

        1. Traci says:

          Hi Barbara! Hooray! Starters can be finicky, especially in colder conditions. So glad to hear the feedings helped despite a slow and looong fermentation (I had a loaf take over 16 hours on the kitchen counter last week). I hope you enjoy the taste test! Thank you for keeping us updated!

          1. Barbara says:

            Best one I’ve ever made! And just for the record I never change a single thing in this recipe I have to say! I follow it Exactly. It’s the absolute best. Thank you.

          2. Traci says:

            Oh Barbara! Thank you for your note. That makes me SO happy to hear! Hooray!

  7. Ariel says:

    Great recipe! Do you think this dough recipe is viable for making pizza (without adding the soaker, that is)? If not, do you have any recommendations for how to tweak your recipe to make pizza dough? Thanks!

    1. Traci says:

      Hi Ariel! Thank you for your note! I’m working on a GF SD Pizza recipe. In the mean time, if you’d like to play with a GF pizza recipe, you can take a look at my recipe here. I hope this helps!

  8. Alexandra says:

    3 stars
    So I tried this bread today… unfortunately, it didn’t rise at all in the bulk ferment stage. It did rise a teeny bit during baking. It definitely did not look as fluffy as your bread Tracy! Its dense but ok… after enjoying regular sourdough, I find the taste quite interesting… will try it again.

    1. Traci says:

      Hi Alexandra! I’m sorry your bread didn’t rise during the bulk. To help me troubleshoot, I need a bit more information. Were there any ingredient substitutions? What is the temperature of the surrounding environment (that the bread rose in?)? How long did it bulk ferment? Was your starter doubled in size, bubbly and active? Indeed, this doesn’t taste like regular sourdough bread – and it won’t simply because GF flours are different in flavor profile. Let me know if I can help.

  9. Sarah says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! My gluten eating friend says it’s the best bread he’s ever had! I make a few small adjustments – sorghum instead of millet (easier for me to find, and I like the texture better), much less salt. And to stop the bread from slipping over the side of the pan when rising, I clip the top of the parchemin paper with a metal clip so the bread goes up, and not over the edge. I rise it in a covered tray with a bowl of water (I’ve always found that the wet tea towel just dries out. Remove the clip before baking!

    1. Traci says:

      Hi Sarah! Thank you for your note, giving the sourdough a go and sharing your tips with us! I can’t believe your gluten eating friend said it’s the best bread he’s ever had! That’s amazing!!

  10. Zosia says:

    Can I use some other flours instead of rice?

    1. Traci says:

      Hi Zosia! I’ve not subbed other flours for the rice flour however, many makers have and reported success. Please see “Makers Notes” above the recipe card for their suggestions! I hope this helps and you enjoy the sourdough!