Learn how to make a gluten free sourdough starter from scratch at home. You only need gluten free flour, water, and a bit of time to start creating delicious sourdough products.

You may be familiar with my deep love for fermented grains, but I’m also frequently asked about creating a gluten-free sourdough starter. 

There are many people that cannot tolerate regular gluten-containing grains, even when fermented. Yet, they still want to experience the deliciousness of sourdough.

Enter a gluten free sourdough starter. Same process, but made with gluten free grains like buckwheat, rice, teff, sorghum, etc.

It takes a little trial and error. At one point, I couldn’t really tell if my new starter was really working, so I made my sourdough rolls with my new GF starter and regular, freshly ground wheat flour and they turned out nice and fluffy. 

So, it was clearly working, even though it wasn’t quite as bubbly as what I’m used to.

Once I knew it was ready, I could start creating gluten free sourdough products. 

Later this week, I’ll show you how to make some gluten free sourdough pancakes.

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Tips For Making A Gluten Free Sourdough Stater

• Since gluten free grains tend to be more expensive than regular grains, I used less buckwheat to create my starter than I normally would.
• It may take a little longer for your gluten free sourdough starter to take off and really start to get bubbly, especially if you use buckwheat.
• It is best to use filtered watered when feeding and maintaining your starter. I use a Berkey water filter, but any filtered water will do. The chlorine in city water may kill or inhibit the wild yeast and good bacteria growth.
• I hate wasting food, especially during a time like we’re experiencing now. When you’re discarding and feeding your starter, you can set your discard to the side in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. Once you have enough, you can use it in some sourdough discard recipes. You can also toss it in the compost. Up to you!

What is gluten free sourdough starter?

A gluten free sourdough starter is a combination of gluten free flour, water, and captured wild yeast from the environment that can be used in recipes to naturally rise dough without commercial yeasts or leaveners.

It is the same as a “regular” wheat sourdough starter, but the glutenous grains are replaced with gluten free grains.

Tools you may need:

Glass bowl or large jar – You want to use non-reactive supplies. Glass is the perfect option for this. While technically stainless steel is non reactive, most sourdough enthusiast would recommend avoiding all metals.

Wooden spoon or silicon spatulas are your best option.

Towel

Berkey water filter

FAQ

Is a sourdough starter gluten free?

Regular starter is not. Using a gluten free flour from the beginning will give you a true gluten free sourdough starter.

Is Sourdough OK for gluten intolerance?

This depends on the type of sensitivity you have. Those who have celiac disease cannot have any amount of gluten, so they will not be able to tolerate sourdough products made with regular flour. 

However, they would be able to tolerate gluten free sourdough products made with gluten free sourdough starter.

Some people with a gluten intolerance may be able to tolerate long fermented (8-24 hours or longer) sourdough products. This is because they usually contain less gluten than non-fermented wheat products.

Always consult a medical professional before trying.

What type of flour is best for a gluten free sourdough starter?

You can use any of these gluten free grains: buckwheat, teff, millet, rice, sorghum. 

I have also seen on King Arthur Flour and Bob’s Redmill websites that they have recipes using their 1-for-1 gluten free flours.

White or brown rice flours may yield a more bubbly starter.

I used buckwheat for my starter, because many of the other flours were sold out, and I could get my hands on it quickly. 

Another option would be to combine half buckwheat flour with half rice flour, or any combination of the approved flours.

Can I feed my sourdough starter with gluten free flour?

If you have a regular, glutenous starter, I wouldn’t recommend just feeding it gluten free flour. While you definitely could do this, it would still contain some gluten, so your sourdough creations would not be completely gluten free.

Can you convert sourdough starter to gluten-free?

This is definitely possible. While it would still contain trace amounts of gluten, eventually after enough feeding with gluten free flour, a regular starter would be transformed into a “gluten free sourdough starter.” But, then again may have traces of wheat still contained in the gf starter. So if you have celiac or a allergy I wouldn’t recommend going this route.

What is the liquid on top?

Sometimes a liquid forms on top. This is called hooch. This will form when it has been too long since it was fed last, or if your starter isn’t very strong. It’s your starter telling you it is hungry.

You can just pour it off and feed the starter.

Why do you discard sourdough starter?

Removing half of the mixture ensures that the right amount of flour and water is feeding the growing colony of beneficial yeast. If you weren’t discarding half, the 1/4 cup of flour wouldn’t be enough to feed them on days three and four. 

You would end up with a lot of extra, immature starter by the end of the process. It wouldn’t be able to make bread or cinnamon rolls rise.

How To Make A Gluten Free Sourdough Starter From Scratch

Day 1: Mix Flour And Water Together

1. Mix 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup filtered water in glass bowl. 
2. Stir vigorously, scraping down the sides and incorporating everything. 
3. Place a clean tea towel over the bowl and set aside for 24 hours.

Day 2: Discard Some Starter, Then Feed

1. Discard half of the mixture.
2. Add 1/4 cup gluten free flour, 1/4 cup water, stir vigorously, and cover.
3. Set aside for 24 hours.

Day 3, 4, & 5: Discard Some Starter, Then Feed

1. Repeat the day two instructions for days three, four, and five:  
2. Discard 1/2 of the starter. 
3. Feed 1/4 cup gluten free flour and 1/4 cup water. Stir vigorously. Scrape down the sides.
4. Cover and set aside for 24 hours.

Day 6 & 7:

On days six and seven, do the same discarding and feeding as the other days, but feed it every 12 hours instead of every 24.

By day seven, there should be enough beneficial bacteria and yeast present to bake sourdough bread and other fermented sourdough goodies, like pancakes and english muffins.

How can you tell it is ready?

You will know it’s ready if it has lots of bubbles, and doubles in size after a few hours when fed.

Maintaining And Feeding Your Starter:

If you are planning to bake a lot with your starter, you can leave it on the counter and feed it every 12 hours equal parts GF flour and water. If you have a cup of starter, you will need to feed it 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water. If you have 1/2 cup of starter, then you can feed it 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup of water. 

Does that make sense? You don’t want to feed 1 cup of starter 1/4 cup of flour and water. It will be hungry.

If you have too much starter, discard it or use it in discard recipes.

If you are planning to only bake once a week or so, you can store your gluten free starter covered in the fridge and feed it equal parts water and flour once a week. 

Pull the starter out of the fridge to feed it about 12 hours before you plan to use it.

Find More Gluten Free Recipes Straight From The Farmhouse Kitchen:

• Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes
• Homemade Gluten Free Granola Bars
• Fudge Coconut Flour Brownies
• Coconut Flour Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
• Homemade Rustic Granola
• Stove-Top Coconut Oil Popcorn

If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone with your delicious creation.