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!
Lauren Kinnaman says
If I have been told to stay away from Baker’s yeast is this a good substitute or is this considered yeast as well?
Nicole Hunn says
Lauren, the term “baker’s yeast” is sometimes used to distinguish it from other forms of yeast, like brewer’s yeast. This is wild yeast, but it’s still yeast. Please read the text of the post for a full explanation.
Jim says
So, at the beginning of day three my starter has doubled and pushed the lid right Off my jar. I discarded some fed it and again doubled and pushed lid off jar again. Do I need to keep feeding it?, the gluten free sourdough bread recipe calls for a starter which seems to have more liquid to it than what mine seems to have. Suggestions
Nicole Hunn says
You should continue to discard and feed, Jim. And be sure you’re measuring everything by weight, not volume. If you’re not measuring your liquid by weight, you may be undermeasuring it which would lead to a thicker starter. If your moisture balance is off, the next couple days of discarding and feeding should take care of that. But do not bake with it yet if you want reliable results. A more mature starter gives a more reliable rise.
Paula Lansdale says
Hi there, my question is how large container do I need to grow my wild starter in? I’m thinking it must be really large. Also what container would you recommend. I have your cook books but don’t see size listed. Thanks
Nicole Hunn says
Paula, this recipe is not the same as the sourdough recipes in my bread book. The ingredients, recipes, and instructions are not at all interchangeable. I use a 1 liter glass jar and it has plenty of room.
Alyssa says
Should the doubling look like a brown pancake on top in the center? That happened to mine on day 2(forgot to feed for a day) but hasn’t happened since. My starter is bubbling I’m on day 5 today ( 2nd day of discarding) was hoping to bake tomorrow. There is no way I would fit this amount in a jar. I started off using a larger glass bowl, perhaps it has double because I got it more room so this process began earlier? We have also had 30°c + weather this week so our house has been hot!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I don’t know exactly what you mean by looking like a brown pancake, Alyssa, but if it doubled, then it doubled! Having more or less room in a jar doesn’t affect growth the way you’re describing it, though. The longer you wait to use it, though, continuing to feed and discard, the more mature and active the starter, and the more successful your loaf.
Michelle Taylor says
This is Michelle again. In my last post asking about which milk to use , I meant which milk to use in the sour dough bread recipe that uses this starter. Do I need whole milk? Thanks
Nicole Hunn says
Using whole milk in baking always makes for a better result, Michelle. In the future, try leaving the comment on the recipe it’s referring to for the sake of clarity. Sorry for the confusion!
Michelle Taylor says
I have one more question. What kind of milk? I see the Japanese Milk bread calls for whole milk, but I read in the substitutions on another recipe where you could use any non-fat milk. I keep non-fat powdered milk on hand, will that work or do I need whole milk for this recipe?
Michelle Taylor says
I want to follow the recipe as written, but I’m unclear about this sentence: “*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.” I know I need to start with whole grain gluten free flour, but which one? And if it the semicolon means use all of them then which which percentage do I use for each of the 4 to get the 1 cup that I need to begin the starter. I’m sorry for not understanding, but my husband just found out he is gluten intolerant and I never make bread from scratch. Thanks for your time.
Nicole Hunn says
I understand how the lack of specific gram for gram requirements in that description could seem overwhelming to you if you’re not comfortable with baking bread. I will make some edits to help clarify. I think I’m so used to readers asking to substitute one ingredient for another that I was happy to be able to be more vague, and potentially avoid that this one time! In the text right now, it says this under the “Flours” heading: “I have always found it easiest to create a sourdough starter using a combination of sweet white sorghum flour and teff flour.” What that means, more specifically, is that I like to use a combination of sweet white sorghum flour and teff flour in roughly equal amounts. I have heard of others making a starter with only brown rice flour, but I haven’t done that myself—and I think it would take longer to become active. That doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t likely become active, just that it would likely take longer which means you’d overall use more ingredients over a longer period of time. Hope that helps!
Michelle Taylor says
I am very new at all of this. Can I use just brown rice flour to begin the starter or do I need to use a blend of all 4 that you mentioned?
Nicole Hunn says
For the results I describe, you must follow the recipe instructions as written, Michelle.
Gail Cook says
Hi, Nicole, thanks for all your research and recipes! My mother starter seems heavy and sticky but it did double. I had used brown rice flour rather than the gum free flour for a few days before making the mother starter and got great activity but did it throw the moisture ratios off and can it be adjusted?
Nicole Hunn says
Yes it likely did throw off the ratios for sure, Gail. Brown rice flour is much heavier and absorbs more moisture than the gum-free blend (or even than white rice flour). You can begin feeding with the gum free blend and over time, it should replace the brown rice flour.
Rachel B Nesbitt says
I really want to make a GF sourdough bread, but I am allergic to rice. If I start this with teff and sorghum, can I just make the bread from that combo as well?
Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid you can’t make the bread without rice flour, Rachel. It would require something completely different. Replacing rice in an all purpose gluten free flour blend is like replacing wheat flour in conventional recipes. Sorry!
Jenn says
Hi. Here is my scenario. I used the starter yesterday morning. I fed it and left it out on the counter for the 12hrs and placed it in the fridge. When I want to use it again, are these my steps?
1. Remove from refrigerator.
2. Leave on the counter for a certain amount of time or can I use it right away?
3. Refresh it, leave in the counter for 8-12hrs and the. Place back in the refrigerator? Thank you
Nicole Hunn says
When you want to use it again, you repeat the same steps as when you used it the first time, Jenn. If you haven’t fed it in the last 12 hours (which you didn’t, since you said you fed it, left it out on the counter for 12 hours, then refrigerated it again), you’ll need to feed it and let it sit on the counter then use it within 12 hours. I would not use it right after feeding it (give the remaining yeast a chance to begin to feed). How quickly to use after feeding it will depend in part upon how active (mature) your starter is. The more mature it is, the sooner you’ll see that it’s become active at room temperature and can be used.
PZ says
Where can i find the recipe for the gluten free flour you have to then use on the starter?
Nicole Hunn says
Are you asking how you use the starter to make bread, PZ? You’ll need to click over to that recipe, which is linked in this post. Here’s another link, for convenience.
Lorraine says
No problem with making and using the starter…just not sour enough..what can i do to make it really sour? Very good texture and moist and chewy..just lacks that really sour taste..it is more like white bread…Thanks for any help.Also it is not crummy like some breads are..I do rub butter over the crust because the bread browns a lot even covered with foil..
Nicole Hunn says
Lorraine, how sour a sourdough bread will be depends upon the age and maturity of the starter. It sounds like your starter needs to continue to age.
Nancy says
Hi! My starter is established and I have baked a loaf which turned out great. Afterwards, I have kept the starter in the frig and have fed it twice; however, each time I have fed it I have forgot to remove 1/2 cup. Have I totally messed things up?
Nicole Hunn says
You haven’t totally messed things up, Nancy, no. :) You should begin discarding, though. Your starter can’t have too much competition for the new food, and you don’t want it to expand exponentially, either.
Blaine says
My starter is bubbly and smells sour but it definitely hasn’t doubled in size in any given feeding period. What am I doing wrong? It’s been several days now.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid there’s absolutely no way for me to know, Blaine. But you mention “several days.” That often isn’t enough time.
Mary Lou Bartlett says
My starter is doing very well — doubling in size, smells great (well, stinky great). My question is about the consistency of the starter. When I initially touch it during a feeding time, the starter is full of bubbles and spongy looking. But as I disturb it to retrieve the discard, it turns more liquidy – about the consistency of runny pancake batter. Is this okay?
Nicole Hunn says
That’s absolutely okay, Mary Lou. You’re right on track!