Gluten free sourdough starter
I have used quinoa and sorghum flours here, but what you'd like to use is up to you. Feel free to experiment as you get the courage. I'd recommend half quinoa and half something else like brown rice flour, if you can't find sorghum. Quinoa and a hefty wholegrain gluten free flour seem to provide a great balance for a healthy starter.
Servings: 1 sourdough starter
Equipment
- Large glass jar or bowl
- Something to cover the starter with (I use a Jumbo zip lock bag)
- A wooden spoon, or anything that isn't steel
- Kitchen scales, for weighing out the feeds
Ingredients
- 25g quinoa flour (see notes on flour)
- 25g sorghum flour (or another wholegrain gluten free flour, like brown rice flour)
- 50g water (see notes on water)
Instructions
- Combine your water and flour in a sterile glass jar or clean glass bowl that can be fully covered. The mixture should be the consistency of a thick paste - if it is drier than this, add a little extra water to achieve this consistency. Cover your starter to prevent anything getting in.
- Around 12 hours later, feed your starter again using the same measurements of flours and water. I do this in the morning and evening, but you can work to whatever schedule suits you.
- Repeat this process of feeding twice a day for around 2-3 days or until the starter begins to form bubbles and smell fermented. This will take longer in winter and less time in summer, as heat aids in fermentation.
- When the starter has begun to ferment, it's time to start discarding. This helps the starter healthy and prevents it from becoming too large.
- Just before you feed your starter after a 12 hour window, stir it up and discard around half of the starter from the jar. Immediately feed the starter with the standard measurements of flour and water to replenish it.
- Continue feeding twice a day and discarding once a day for around 7-10 days, or until it is bubbly, active and has a pleasant yeasty smell. See more tips in the body of the post as to when your starter is ready.
- Make sure the starter is fed and in it's peak 'rise' before you use it to make sourdough. See the links in the resources section for more information.
Notes
- Gluten free flours vary enormously in their absorbency. If your starter is super dry, add more water to suit.
- Only discard starter BEFORE feeding it. If you discard starter immediately after feeding, you are just throwing away fresh flour. Discarding removes waste products of fermentation from the starter.