How to make a gluten free sourdough starter from scratch, step by step. Make it for love of the taste or for lack of commercial yeast. Get started today!
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Why bake with wild yeast from this gluten free sourdough starter recipe?
Commercial yeast, like the instant yeast granules that we use in our gluten free bread recipe and many other gluten free bread recipes, is a single, isolated strain of yeast.
A pure “wild yeast” starter contains no commercial yeast at all. A wild yeast sourdough starter is great when you can't get your hands on commercial yeast because the cupboards are bare.
Once it's “active,” a sourdough starter can be used to create sourdough breads of all kinds. I have a whole chapter of pure sourdough breads in my bread book, GFOAS Bakes Bread.
Those recipes are more complex, and use my gluten free bread flour blend which contains some harder-to-source ingredients. This recipe is for a simple, liquid wild yeast gluten free sourdough starter, and the recipes are not interchangeable.
It does take time to cultivate, though, so it's not a quick fix. It also must be maintained by being refreshed at least once a week. Otherwise, it may become inactive or over-active and spoiled.
FAQs
The process of making a sourdough starter is unlike almost anything else you'll probably ever do in your kitchen. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about this whole process. Once you understand it, the steps become much more intuitive.
A wild yeast sourdough starter, gluten free or otherwise, is a combination of flour and non-chlorinated water that is combined to creative an environment conducive to the growth of the naturally occurring yeast that is all around us and in gluten free flours.
It's essentially a controlled rot, like kombucha, but if you think of it like that, you may not ever want to make it so let's move on. When yours is good and active, as described in the recipe card below, you'll be ready to bake fresh gluten free sourdough bread with it!
No! They're not. If a sourdough starter was made with gluten-containing flours, it contains gluten and should be avoided if you are on a gluten free diet. Period.
The wild yeast does not remove the gluten from gluten-containing flours. Please consider the source if anyone tells you otherwise.
“Feeding” a starter is another way of saying “refreshing” a starter. Once a starter is “mature,” meaning that it's already active and established, it must be fed by removing some of the mature starter and adding more of the “food,” in the form of water and flour, that make the starter most active and ready to use for baking.
As the yeast in your mature starter rests in your refrigerator, it consumes these building blocks. To keep it alive and active, a wild yeast starter must be fed regularly. It also must be fed soon before baking with it, so it's at its most active.
The best whole grain flours for a gluten free wild yeast starter are: A combination of sweet white sorghum flour & teff flour; brown rice flour; buckwheat flour. You can use these in whatever combination you like, but each element should be present to make it easiest to grow wild yeast.
Tools and ingredients needed to make a gluten free sourdough starter
What gluten free flours should I use to make a gf sourdough starter?
I have always found it easiest to create a sourdough starter using a combination of sweet white sorghum flour and teff flour, and following it up with our gum-free gluten free flour blend. I have also successfully made a starter using brown rice flour, and I have read good things about using buckwheat flour.
What kind of water do I use for a sourdough starter?
You will need to use bottled or at least distilled water. Regular tap water contains chlorine which will kill yeast. Make sure that all of your tools that were washed with tap water are dried completely.
What is the right container and spoon for mixing and storing a sourdough starter?
You will also need a nonreactive container and spoon. Stainless steel is nonreactive, and it's really fine. In an abundance of caution, I tend to avoid all metal, especially before the starter is fully active. But don't make yourself crazy.
Troubleshooting your gluten free sourdough starter
My wild yeast gf starter hasn't become active at all
Yeast bread baking is an art as well as a science, and has a (sometimes very frustrating) learning curve. Creating a pure wild yeast sourdough starter is doubly so. The most important ingredient is patience
If you do have a bit of commercial yeast on hand, you can add a few grams to the mixture to give your starter a boost. Over time, the commercial yeast will be replaced by wild yeast.
If you're tempted to try to increase the ambient temperature surrounding your starter in an effort to help it grow, you can try lining a heating pad with multiple layers of towels and keeping it on low. Be careful, though, because all yeast will die at very high temperatures.
My wild yeast starter hasn't doubled
The doubling sometimes happens so quickly and can be so fragile with this type of simple wild yeast gluten free starter that I couldn't even manage to get a photo of it as doubled.
If you assume it must have doubled because it's so active, try noticing whether there is any residue on the jar above the top of mixture that looks like it could have been left from a risen starter level. You can see in the photo above that there's a “rise line” that is above a cleaner section of the jar.
It also might be worth proceeding with a small-yield recipe. It depends upon whether or not you're willing to risk wasting some ingredients. You can also make crackers if the mixture doesn't rise!
I think my gf sourdough starter has gone bad
Remember, this is essentially a controlled rot of ingredients using available wild yeast. Don't take chances with your health.
If you see something in your starter at any point that has a color you don't recognize, or the odor is at all disturbing and different, please discard it and begin again.
I forgot to feed or refresh my sourdough starter
Honestly, it's probably just fine. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you have to feed your starter every single day, or that you have to start over again if you miss a step.
If you suspect that something has gone wrong, start again if you can. You don't want to throw good money after bad.
There's a strange liquid on top of my wild yeast sourdough starter
It's called “hooch” and you can stir it back in, then discard and feed or just feed, depending upon which step of the process you're completing. I prefer to drain off the liquid because it makes for a more sour starter, and my family doesn't love that.
How can I use this gluten free sourdough starter in baking?
The most common use of a sourdough starter is sourdough bread. Here is a link to our recipe for gluten free sourdough bread, which you will use to make yeast bread without any sort of commercial yeast.
Gluten Free Sourdough Starter | Wild Yeast
Equipment
- Glass jar or ceramic (must be nonreactive; no metal)
- Nonreactive spoon made of wood or silicone (must be nonreactive; no metal)
Ingredients
To Create The Starter: per day, for 5 to 7 days
- 1 cup (120 g) whole grain gluten free flour (See Recipe Notes for info about selecting flours)
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) spring water or distilled water at room temperature
To Refresh The Starter: once per week, indefinitely, and before/after using
- ½ cup (70 g) gum-free gluten free flour (See Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup spring water or distilled water at room temperature
Instructions
Creating the starter: Morning of Day One: Beginning.
- In a nonreactive container like a glass or ceramic jar, place 1/2 cup (about 60 grams) whole grain gluten free flour(s) and 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring or distilled water.
- Using a nonreactive mixing spoon (like a wooden or silicone spoon), mix to combine well.
- Cover the container loosely, and allow to sit on the counter at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
Creating the starter: Evening of Day 1: Building.
- Remove the cover of the container, and add another 1/2 cup (about 60 grams) whole grain gluten free flour(s) and 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring or distilled water.
- Using a nonreactive mixing spoon (like a wooden or silicone spoon), mix to combine well.
- Cover the container loosely, and allow to sit on the counter at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
Creating the starter: Morning of Day 2: Building.
- Remove the cover of the container, and add another 1/2 cup (about 60 grams) whole grain gluten free flour(s) and 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring or distilled water.
- Using a nonreactive mixing spoon (like a wooden or silicone spoon), mix to combine well.
- Cover the container loosely, and allow to sit on the counter at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
Creating the starter: Evening of Day 2: Building.
- Remove the cover of the container, and add another 1/2 cup (about 60 grams) whole grain gluten free flour(s) and 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring or distilled water.
- Using a nonreactive mixing spoon (like a wooden or silicone spoon), mix to combine well.
- Cover the container loosely, and allow to sit on the counter at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
Creating the starter: Morning and Evening of Days 3 through 7 and beyond: Building and/or Discarding/Building:
- Remove the cover of the container, and inspect the contents by tapping the jar on the counter to see if bubbles begin to break the surface of the mixture, and smelling it to see if it has any sour odor at all.
- If it does bubble and have an odor, discard any relatively clear liquid that has accumulated on top (called “hooch”) + about 1/3 of the volume.
- Then feed it: Add another 1/2 cup (about 70 grams) gum-free gluten free flour and 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring or distilled water.
- Using a nonreactive mixing spoon (like a wooden or silicone spoon), mix to combine well.
- If it doesn’t bubble and have an odor, do not discard but feed with 1/2 cup whole grain flour and 1/2 cup water as directed above.
- Cover the container loosely, and allow to sit on the counter at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
When is the starter ready to use?
- The starter is ready to use once it has ever doubled in size, and you have been feeding and discarding for at least one whole day.
- The doubling is easily disturbed, though, and typically won’t last for very long. It just has to have occurred for you to confidently use it in a bread-baking recipe.
- Before using the starter, you should have "fed" or refreshed it within approximately the previous 12 hours.
- After using the properly fed starter, refresh it (see the next step for instructions), allow it to sit covered on the counter for about 12 hours, and then refrigerate it until it’s ready to be refreshed or used.
Refreshing (feeding) your active/mature starter.
- An active starter can be used for baking, then refreshed and stored, covered, in your refrigerator for about a week.
- After about a week, you should refresh it. Here's how you do that.
- Refresh your mature starter by removing it from the refrigerator and discarding about 1/3 of the volume (including any clear liquid or hooch from the top).
- Next, add 1/2 cup (70 grams) gum-free gluten free flour and 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring water or distilled water. Mix with a nonreactive spoon.
- Cover the starter and allow it to sit on the counter for about 12 hours before returning it to the refrigerator.
- Repeat the process every week for the life of the starter.
Notes
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Millie says
I have a starter that I have had for forty plus years. Used it all the time. Wonderful SD biscuits, pancakes gingerbread cake etc.
However as the years passed we found out my daughter is Celiac and I am gluten intolerant. I still have the starter in My fridge. Is it possible to slowly turn it gluten free by slowly but surely feeding it with GF flour instead of regular flower. The feed for this starter is 1/4 c w sugar, 1 cup flour and one cup milk. Mix this and add to the starter.
Nicole Hunn says
I really don’t recommend that, Millie. I cannot provide you with anything approaching medical advice, but anything made with conventional gluten-containing flour is not safe for anyone with celiac disease. I would never take that chance for my son, and I don’t recommend you do that either.
Zoe says
is it ok if the original starter flour has gums in it ? (bob’s red mill 1 for 1)
Nicole Hunn says
You cannot use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 in my recipes at all, Zoe. Please see the gluten free flour blends page. I know it’s widely available, but it is not a quality, well-balanced blend.
Jill Morse says
My starter has doubled already and should be ready to use tomorrow (Day 2)! I used teff flour and brown rice flour. I live in Phoenix, so maybe the climate helped. It’s 95 here today! I’m excited to bake my first loaf!
Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Jill, Even if your starter is that active that quickly, I don’t recommend baking with it just yet. Continue to discard and feed.
Sandra Bonham says
Hi Nicole, I have been baking sourdough bread for a few months now and really like how it turns out. I found you and decided to try this out. I guess I missed the part about discard but fortunately it has worked. I will begin discard from here forward. My question is: When you say the dough should be “tacky” what exactly am I looking for? My dough is somewhat “sticky” but when it rose it got pretty dry looking and cracked on top. Also in baking my first loaf, I followed the instructions to a T but my bread was still “doughy”. Could I have baked longer or at a higher temp? I am trying my second loaf today. Thank you for the information and your time!
Nicole Hunn says
As I said above to Patricia, Sandra, you must discard (or at least remove) starter for your yeast to remain active. If you haven’t been discarding, that you could easily ruin your chances of a good rise. I’m afraid I really can’t know where you deviated from the instructions since there are so many variables. Tacky just means it’s not dry to the touch, but isn’t soft, wet, and weepy. It holds together, but isn’t dry. I recommend watching the video for an idea of the texture.
Brenda says
I like most of your recipes but I want to have one problem with them they don’t tell you what flours to use if you don’t have a blend , I would very much like to make a starter but I would like it to be a smaller one do you have a similar recipe or can I just cut this in half I and what flours can I use if I don’t have a blend
Mary says
I am on day 7 of my starter. Since the 3rd day, I have seen active bubbles and it has risen up, but the texture seems a little strange. It has bubbled and doubled for 2 days now, but it never falls back down. Even when I touch it with a spoon. When I stir it isn’t very fluid, but it’s not solid either. The top always seems dry so I’ve added a little extra water the past two feedings but the texture has not changed. Do you think this texture is normal? Is it ready to make bread?
Nicole Hunn says
It sounds right to me, Mary. I would avoid adding more liquid, though, other than when you’re feeding it. If your ripe starter is ultimately too hydrated, your bread dough will be too wet.
Connie Phillips says
Hello Nicole,
This is my 8th day of my starter. I haven’t received my flour (Better Batter ) yet to make the bread. Do I put the starter in the refrigerator then take it out when I am ready or do I let it stay on the counter and just keep feeding it until the flour arrives and I can make the bread.
Thank you
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Connie. If your starter is good and active, and you expect your flour to arrive any day, I’d keep it out and keep feeding/discarding daily. If you don’t reasonably expect it that soon, then I’d refrigerate it and feed it once a week until your flour arrives.
Carmel says
Hi Nicole, I tried a starter with homemade brown rice flour. I dont think it was fine enough as it absorbed all liquid and nothing else really happened. Going to try crackers with this mixture – do you have a recipe for this? Starter with buckwheat flour for attempt #2! ?
Nicole Hunn says
That’s a shame, Carmel. I guess you kind of made … rice? I’m afraid no, I don’t have a suggestion for what you can do with it.
Christine R says
My sour dough starter is 2 weeks old, I’ve seen it double, it has leaked hooch on my counter. I’m using a quart jar and am almost running out of room. I want to confirm that I need to refresh with gum free flour the day before using and again after I’ve used it. After discarding the liquid, should I stir the starter completely before taking out the required amount?
Lastly, your recipe starts with 1 cup (about120 g) and then switches to 1/2 cup (about 70 g ) to refresh. I’ve only used the 60 g which has worked well. Is that just a typo?
2nd loaf was a great improvement and the taste, OMGosh! Thank you for your work.
Nicole Hunn says
The 1 cup (120 g) is the approximate weight of one cup of whole grain flour. That is how you begin. The 1/2 cup of gum free flour (which weighs 70 grams) is to refresh. There’s no typo. If your starter is 2 weeks old, you should have been discarding and feeding for quite a while now. The overflow is part of the reason to discard. Yes, you need to feed the day before using the starter, and then feed after you use it, just as directed.
Karen says
I accidentally fed it too much flour. About a cup of flour and a cup of water…do I need to start over? For now I split it in two different containers.
Lisa Trussell says
I made the starter and was able to make the sourdough bread. It turned out great. I took my starter out of the fridge today and it wasn’t liquid, it was more like a thick paste, almost solid, not like regular flour starters I have made, is that normal? I noticed when I fed it that 70 g of the flour was over 1 cup. Should I decrease the amount of flour so the starter has a more liquid consistency?
Nicole Hunn says
No no you’re okay, Lisa. I’ve been meaning to add this to the recipe notes because it’s going to confuse people! It does turn into something of a separated solid when it’s cold. Just let it sit out at room temperature until you can stir it with a nonreactive spoon and proceed as normal! It will loosen up as it warms to room temperature. ?
Robin says
Any advice on what to do if the starter was going well until I made the mother starter? I have a starter that’s been going for almost a month and doing great. I’m trying to follow the recipe in GFOAS Bakes Bread for pain au levain. My mother starter rose for 6 hours and then I made the bread starter and it won’t rise. I put it in the oven set to proof (100F). I’m not sure what I did wrong. I used better batter flour as the base for my bread flour. Was that my mistake? Any tips for my redo? Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
You really don’t want to proof anything in an oven. Oven temperatures are not accurate enough, especially at lower temperatures, to justify the risk that you’ll kill the yeast. Trust your wild yeast and give it the time to rise. You can always try my “microwave trick” that I quite honestly haven’t used in many years (I’d rather just wait and wait, if necessary, as patience is almost always rewarded with yeast bread) but if it makes you more confident…
Rachel Brown says
Hi. Great instructions and I want to give this a go. I can get gluten free bread, but still only have one slice a week or it gives me stomach pains. The same thing does not happen with pastry, cakes and crackers because they don’t have yeast. Over the years I’ve concluded that it’s the yeast my body hates!
As I live alone and have very little g/f flour left, could I start this using less flour and water but in the same proportions? I’m thinking maybe a tablespoon of flour, then maybe I could keep adding and feeding without the need to throw anything away.
I hate any sort of waste and can’t see anyone at the moment so no one to give it to!
I’d appreciate your feedback – thanks very much.
Rachel Brown
Nicole Hunn says
That’s a good question, Rachel. You can probably get that to work (i.e., grow wild yeast), but you won’t have enough to use it in a recipe unless you really build it up, which will take some time since it doesn’t behave like conventional wild yeast starter, where you may only need a tablespoon or so in a recipe.
Connie says
Hi Nicole,
I began my starter this past Thursday. Today will be the fourth day. The 2nd day it doubled but it didn’t double on the 3rd day. Does this mean I did something wrong and need to start over again.
Nicole Hunn says
Nope, Connie! Keep pressing on.
Karen says
I feel like my starter turned out okay. The smell wasn’t super pleasant but not terrible. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to smell like. Anyway, my loaf isn’t rising yet. Does it take a long time on the first batch? My starter is only 3 days old. Maybe I should continue to feed it? Meanwhile, I put the load in a warmer room and will check it in the morning. Thoughts?
Nicole Hunn says
A three day old starter is just too underdeveloped to use in baking yet, Karen. I describe how to build the starter in the instructions, and 3 days is simply not enough for a starter to be ripe.
Jennifer says
This recipe is working amazingly well! Thanks for doing the research and testing!
Couple of notes:
–You can sit water on the counter for a few days to reduce the amount of chlorine, if like me you don’t have bottled or distilled water on hand.
–Having read what the “yeast guy” said about yeast being very available on dried fruit, I soaked a few pieces of dried fruit in the water before I started the starter. I was getting great bubbles and doubling at just 2 days in. I think it gave my starter a good boost.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Jennifer,
I’m not generally in favor of adding fruit to boost a starter since it tends to lend a fruity flavor to the starter that takes quite a while to dissipate after feeding and discarding. But if it suits your needs, there’s no harm in it for you of course.