How to Make a Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter from Scratch
Do you dream fresh homemade sourdough bread, but can’t eat gluten? I’m here to tell you that dreams can come true! Come learn how to make your own gluten-free sourdough starter from scratch with this easy step-by-step guide, using only three ingredients.
The process takes about a week, but requires minimal time or effort each day. By the end you’ll have an active homemade gluten-free sourdough starter – ready to use recipes like our gluten free sourdough bread, delicious gluten free sourdough crackers, or any others you desire.
Note: This post was originally published in March 2020 but has been significantly updated since.
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Before we dive in, I’ll share a few tips, facts, and gluten-free flour options. I’ve also included a handy demonstration video at the end (where I make a wheat starter from scratch, but it’s basically the same process).
Quick Sourdough Facts
- Rather than using instant dry yeast, sourdough relies on fermentation via a starter – a living culture of beneficial bacteria and natural yeasts – to make the bread rise.
- The natural fermentation process and added probiotics makes sourdough bread more gut-healthy, nutrient-dense and easier to digest.
- Once established, a starter must be nurtured with routine feedings to keep it alive. But don’t worry, it’s easier to do than most folks imagine. I store my starter in the fridge and only feed it (add fresh flour and water) once every few weeks… or sometimes as little as once every few months!
- Contrary to popular belief, most homemade sourdough doesn’t taste super sour at all (it’s only called “sour” since it’s made with fermentation). Rather, commercially-made sourdough often includes additives to boost sour notes.
RELATED: Browse my favorite sourdough baking supplies and learn how to store, maintain and feed sourdough starter here.
Gluten-Free Sourdough Flour Options
When it comes to baking gluten-free sourdough bread, there are dozens of GF flour types to choose from! Millet, potato, rice, buckwheat, tapioca, sorghum… the list goes on.
- Most gluten-free sourdough bread recipes call for a combination of several types of GF flours, along with the addition of psyllium husk and/or xanthan gum to help everything bind well in the absence of gluten.Â
- To make a gluten-free sourdough starter, I’ve found it’s best to simply use brown rice flour or buckwheat flour (or half and half.) I used brown rice for this tutorial, which has a more mild, subtle flavored compared to buckwheat. You can also use white rice flour, albeit less nutritious than brown rice or buckwheat.
- Once your starter is established, you can experiment with feeding (maintaining) it a variety of these flours, or even sweet rice flour. Sweet rice flour is less gritty and more sticky than other rice flours, which I’ve found can be helpful as a binding agent.
- Finally, I do not recommend using an all-purpose 1:1 GF flour for this recipe due to the extra additives and gums it contains. I tried to make a gluten-free sourdough starter with a 1-1 GF flour once – it technically worked (rose and got active) but smelled absolutely disgusting.
Supplies Needed
- A large air-tight glass container. I like to use this 2-liter flip-top container (about a half-gallon). A smaller container container will limit the space your starter has to rise. The container should be large enough to allow for the flour/water mixture inside to at least double in size.
- A digital kitchen scale. For the most consistent results, it’s best to weigh sourdough ingredients since various flours have different densities and weights. For example, this recipe calls for 500 grams of flour to start. 500 grams of Arrowhead Mills brown rice flour equates to 3.25 cups, yet 500 grams of their buckwheat is 4 full cups.
- Mixing bowl
- Box cheese grater (to shred the apple)
- Liquid measuring cup
- A moderately warm location
- Recommended: an ambient thermometer or sticky strip thermometer
Ingredients
- Brown rice flour or buckwheat flour (or a mix of both). You’ll use about 750 grams of flour (or 1.7 pounds) total for the entire process. I like to use this organic brown rice flour.
- One organic apple. The apple is what inoculates the starter with natural yeast and beneficial lactobacillus, so I highly recommend going organic for the best results. Non-organic produce may lack the good bacteria needed, and contain chemicals that interfere with healthy fermentation. I prefer use a Fuji, Pink Lady, or Gala apple.
- Un-chlorinated or filtered water. Avoiding chlorine is important when it comes to any fermentation process, including making sourdough. A basic carbon filter is enough to remove most of the chlorine from city tap water. You can use bottled water in a pinch, but don’t use distilled water! It’s too sterile and “stripped down” to support a healthy sourdough culture.
Instructions
Day 1: Mix Flour, Water and Apple
- Start by washing the apple well under hot running water, but don’t use soap or another vegetable wash. Then use a clean cheese grater to shred the apple, including the skin.
- In a large clean mixing bowl, combine 500 grams of brown rice or buckwheat flour, one grated organic apple, and 360 mL of lukewarm filtered water (about 1.5 cups). Mix thoroughly. The texture should be like thick sloppy dough – not dry and crumbly, but not soupy wet*.Â
- Transfer the mixture into a large, clean glass container with a lid. Mash down the wet dough to remove any air pockets. If possible, try to avoid getting gunk all over the sides of your container (which is more likely to grow mold). Use a silicone spatula to clean up the sides if needed.
- Mark the level of the mixture on the side of the container using a glass pen or rubber band so you can easily monitor the starters’ growth.
*PRO TIP: Throughout this process, if your starter ever seems too dry or far too wet, feel free to add a splash more water or flour until the desired consistency is reached as described. The amounts I’m providing are a general guide since different flour types and brands will have slightly varying weights.
Days 2-3: Rest and Wait
- Now tuck the container in a moderately warm location and let it sit for 72 hours.
- The ideal fermentation temperature for starter is around 70-75°F (23°C). Cooler temperatures will slow the activation process and increase the chances of mold, so if your home in the cold side, see tips on how to keep sourdough starter warm below.  Use a simple stick-on thermometer to easily monitor the temperature.
- Over the next three days, your starter should start to get active, bubbly, and rise. It may even rise and then fall back down again, which is a sign that it needs to be fed soon (step 3). The starter will also start to smell a little funky, malty, and semi-sweet – reminiscent of apple cider vinegar.Â
Ways to keep sourdough starter warm:
- Find a warm spot in your house, such as next to or on top of a warm appliance. For example, my kitchen has under-cabinet lights that put off heat when they’re on, making the cabinets above quite warm and cozy.
- Use a starter heating pad. I love and use this handy warming plate to keep my starter warm AND under the bowl of proofing dough later. I’ve also found that using warm water in the starter and dough will help boost activity.
- Oven light trick. Most oven light bulbs emit warmth, so turning on the oven light (but keeping the oven itself OFF) can create a nice warm spot in the back of the oven for your starter or proofing dough. However, I’ve heard horror stories when folks accidentally pre-heat or bake their starter! So if you try this, be sure to make a reminder that it’s in there – including for other members of the household.Â
- Proofing box. If you’re a regular baker with a chronically cool home, it may be worth investing in a proofing box – which can keep both your sourdough starter and proofing bread dough at the perfect temperature!
Day 4: First Feeding
After 72 hours (or about three days, it doesn’t need to be exact) it’s time to feed your starter for the first time. The process of feeding a sourdough starter usually involves discarding a portion of it before adding fresh flour and water.
- First, open the lid and stir the starter with a clean utensil to knock out the air and bring it back down to its original volume.
- Next, remove and discard about half of the volume of starter in the container. I usually just eyeball it, using the mark or rubber band line on the container as a guide. Discarded sourdough starter can be composted, fed to chickens, or used to make other sourdough goodies like gluten-free sourdough discard crackers.
- Now add an additional 250 grams of fresh brown rice or buckwheat flour and about 180 mL (about 3/4 cup) of lukewarm water to the mix. Stir thoroughly to combine. I usually mix it right in the starter container, though you can also mix everything in separate bowl and transfer it back in. It should be a slightly thinner consistency than the original mix.
- Clean up the sides of the container as needed so you can monitor the rise again (and possible fall).
- Now, put the container back into a warm location and let it sit for 48 hours this time.Â
Troubleshooting notes
If your starter didn’t rise at all during these 48 hours, allow it to sit for another day before moving on to the next step. Yet if it rose and fell back down (look for smears on the container) then it is time to feed again. If it’s acting particularly lethargic, try feeding with half brown rice flour and half buckwheat.Â
Note that it’s common for the first bout of activity to be more vigorous and obvious than after the first feeding. That’s because different short-lived bacteria quickly ferment the starter at first. Yet these are not the same type of bacteria and yeast we desire long-term in our starter, who are slower to develop.Â
Day 6: Feed Again
This step is easy! Simply repeat the same discard and feed process that you did previously. Stir it first, discard half, and add more fresh flour and water like we did in the previous step. Yet this time you want to make it a splash more wet than before – like a wet, sloppy dough. Use 250 grams of flour and about 220 mL (just under a cup) of lukewarm water this time.Â
Now, let your almost-ready gluten-free sourdough starter sit for 24 hours If all goes well, it should rise and fall within this time period. The apples should be pretty much be disintegrated by now too.Â
Day 7: It’s Ready!
If it’s bubbly and active within 24 hours of the last feeding – congratulations – you just made a new gluten-free sourdough starter from scratch! It’s now ready to bake with. Try our rustic gluten-free sourdough boule loaf recipe here.
But first, be sure to name your starter. It’s tradition among the sourdough community and considered bad baking luck if you don’t! Check out our round-up of the best 60 Punny Sourdough Starter Names for plenty of fun ideas.
If you’re not ready to bake yet, simply store your starter in the refrigerator and see the tips below to learn how to take care of it.
Storage and Ongoing Care
Now what? If you aren’t ready to bake yet, simply store your starter in the refrigerator and then head over to our guide on how to maintain and feed sourdough starter. It covers the pros and cons of storing it at room temperature vs the refrigerator, when and how to feed it, and how to ready a starter for baking.
TIP: it’s best to use sourdough starter for baking several hours after feeding, once it’s reached “peak activity” – which is when it’s at least doubled in size, is no longer actively rising, but before it deflates again. And remember, never use ALL your starter in a recipe! Always save at least a half cup to feed and keep going.
FAQ: What’s that dark liquid on the top of my sourdough starter?
When a sourdough starter goes unfed for a while, it will form a layer of dark liquid on top called “hooch”. The yeast in starter produces hooch (an alcohol) as a natural byproduct of the fermentation process. Hooch is not harmful, but is an indication that your starter is hungry and needs to be fed.
When you see hooch, you can either pour it off the top or simply mix it back in, and then discard and feed as usual. However, mixing hooch into the starter will make it extra sour-tasting. Since we store our starter in the fridge and often go many weeks between baking/feeding, it almost always has a layer of hooch on top.
And that’s how to make a gluten-free sourdough starter!
So, how’d it go? I hope this article got you one step closer to making all your sourdough dreams come true. Please feel free to ask questions and leave a review below. Thanks for tuning in, and happy baking!
For all you visual learners, here is a quick video showing the process of making a classic wheat sourdough starter. The flour is different and the water amount varies slightly, but otherwise it is essentially the same process! My gluten-free sourdough starter never gets quite as bubbly as my wheat one.
Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter Recipe
Equipment
- Large air-tight glass container (2 liter or half-gallon)
- Kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients Â
- 750 grams organic brown rice flour (and/or buckwheat flour)
- 360 mL filtered water, room-temperature
- 1 large organic apple
InstructionsÂ
Day 1
- Wash your apple, but avoid using soaps or produce wash. Using a cheese grater, grate the organic apple into semi-fine shreds. Use the skins, but discard the core.
- Add 500 grams of brown rice or buckwheat flour, the grated apple, and 360 mL of lukewarm un-chlorinated water (about 1.5 cups) to a mixing bowl and thoroughly combine.
- Transfer the mixture into a large glass airtight container that has enough room for it to at least double in size, minimum. (Ours usually quadruples while fermenting) Pack the mixture down into the bottom of the container. Close the lid.
- To monitor growth, mark the side of your container with a washable marker or rubber band at the top level of the mixture.
Days 2-3
- Let the mixture sit for 3 days (72 hours) at a temperature of 70-75 degrees F. It should bubble and rise during this time.
Day 4
- After approximately 72 hours, thoroughly stir the mixture and then discard half of the amount. Then, thoroughly mix in another 250 grams of flour and 180 mL of tepid filtered water (about 3/4 cup) to the remaining starter mixture. This is called "feeding" the sourdough starter. You can do this either in a separate bowl, and put it back into a now-clean ferment vessel, or like we do, mix it in place.
- Re-mark the container to note the height of the mixture. Let sit at 70-75 degrees, for 2 days or 48 hours this time.
Day 6
- After 48 hours, repeat the same discard and feed process as done previously. Discard half, feed, mix, mark the level, and cover again. This time, make it slightly more wet – using 250 grams of flour and about 220 mL of water.
- Allow the sourdough starter mixture to sit for a final 24 hours.
Day 7
- If it rises and falls after the last feeding, you now have a happy and active gluten-free sourdough starter! Store it in the refrigerator when not in use, taking it out to warm up and be fed weekly. See more feeding and maintenance tips here.
Notes
- If there is no activity, let it sit another day or two.
- If your starter has risen and fallen, or, if seems to not rise after the first discard and feed, and instead it has a dark liquid formed on top (called hooch), it may actually be overly active and hungry! Stir in a little more flour (and warm water as needed, if it becomes too thick and dry) and let it sit again. Wait a day or two to see if it perks up and begins to rise and bubble.
- If your home is cold, try to find a warmer spot if possible! Use a starter heating mat, or place it inside the oven with the oven OFF but oven light ON to create a nice warm environment.
- If the starter doesn’t rise at all after the first discard and feed, try opening the lid of your jar. Cover it with a coffee filter or something else that will prevent fruit flies or other debris from getting inside inside.
- Ensure that you use an organic apple.Â
- Throughout this process, if your starter ever seems too dry or far too wet, feel free to add a splash more water or flour until the desired consistency is reached as described. The amounts I am providing are a general guide. Different flour types and brands will have slightly varying weights.
209 Comments
CheyenneScarpelli
Can I make a 1/4 amount of starter, and how much apple would I use?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Cheyenne, yes I believe you can make it with less amount of ingredients. If you want to cut it into a 1/4, just use 1/4 of an apple and see how that goes. You will also want to reduce your subsequent feedings to 1/4 as well. Hope that helps and good luck!
Karen
I made two starters at the same time. One brown rice flour based and the other buck wheat based. The first rise of the brown rice was exponential in rise. It was bubbly and exploding out of the container. I moved them both to larger glass containers and after their first feed they both stopped rising. Thinking it was temperature, we are getting a bit cool here, I moved them near the heating vent. The buck wheat flour one is bubbly but didn’t rise the brown rice flour one it just doing nothing except separating. Since placing them near the heat vent they have each turned pink on all surface areas, especially the buckwheat. I am assuming they have gone Miley and I need to start again. Am I correct? Also, if it is too wet will that prevent it from rising?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Karen, GF starters have a tendency to turn a pink hue and as long as it goes away within a few days it should still be good as long as it doesn’t smell bad. You may not notice as much of a rise with GF starters (especially brown rice flour) but they will start to form bubbles and also smell slightly sour when it becomes more active. With traditional wheat sourdough starters, we have found that when a starter is too wet, it rises and falls much quicker than one that is a better texture. Hope that helps and good luck!
Mary Ann Laun
Wow! The extra day of feeding makes such a difference and now it’s multiplied double in size! I used all buckwheat flour to start and then fed with brown rice flour
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Glad you got it figured out, enjoy your homemade GF bread!
Kristen
Hi! I have a question. I didn’t scroll down to the recipe and was just following along the paragraphs, and I peeled and washed my apple before realizing I shouldn’t have. I’ve already mixed the grated apple in to the flour and water. Should I start over, or will I be alright? Thank you!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Kristen, you might as well just let it go and see if you can get the ingredients to become active. Hopefully there is still enough good bacteria and yeast to get it active. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Simon
My wheat starter had to pass a “float test” (a spoonful floats in a bowl of room-temperature water) to show it was ready to bake. My GF starter is rising, but doesn’t seem to pass the float test. Would you expect the GF starter to be able to pass a float test? Thanks!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Simon, we actually have never done a float test on either our regular wheat starter or GF starter. If your starter has been forming for the recommended amount of time, we consider it active and ready when it rises (doubles in size) and smells (yeasty, sour) like one would expect out of an active starter. Hope that helps and good luck!
Mary Ann Laun
Deanna… I started my gf sourdough starter last Thursday and I have never had double the rise. Maybe 1/4. Even though I finished all the steps, I just cited to feed it one more time today. I want to make GF sourdough bread for my sister’s birthday next week. Do you think it could possibly be that I used only buckwheat flour to begin?
I have been feeding with brown rice flour.
Mary Ann
Sara Tilford
Does apple cider vinegar work too?!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Sara, it seems some people occasionally add ACV to their already established starter to give it a kick start but I am not sure of solely using ACV to start a sourdough starter as I don’t think there is enough sugar to get the bacteria and yeast active. Hope that helps and good luck!
Lisa Rein
Hi folks
My starter rose at lot at first but now I’m in the later stages of the process and it smells great and has bubbles but has stopped rising. Any thoughts? Thanks so much. Lisa
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Lisa, we have found that different flours have varying levels of rise and they usually don’t stay at peak rise for long. If your starter is bubbly and smells good that is a great sign, and you can probably use it in baking if it is established enough. We ended up using brown rice flour most often for our starter and when we wanted it to get a jolt of activity, we added some buckwheat. Hope that helps and have fun baking.
Kelsey
I’m very excited to try this since our daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease several months ago! I’m curious if you’ve tried any other GF flours (almond, coconut, etc)? Thanks so much!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Kelsey, we haven’t experimented too much with using coconut or almond flour. We have done combinations of rice, millet, buckwheat, among others, it’s something that will take a little experimenting to see what works best for you. However, most loaves we have made have tasted better than any GF bread we have every bought. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Dee
Am watching my starter rise – it is the 3rd day. It only came up about 1/8th of the way in the 2 qt jar but it smells nice and looks thick and bubbly. I hope it is ok. Wondering if it’s ok to refrigerate it at this point since the house is really hot 88 deg and I won’t be getting to stir it and make crackers from the 1/2 discard until tomorrow. I just don’t want it to go bad.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Let us know how it works out, usually we keep it at room temperature for around 5 days when we are trying to make a starter from scratch. We found buckwheat flour gives the starter an extra kick. Good luck!
Evelyn
Ive just made my first ever GF Sourdough Starter, (exciting!) but where to put it??
Im in Qld Australia, its winter here, and particularly cold this week!!
Ive wrapped a towell around it and put it in the Linen cupboard for now.
I used to do this when making Yogurt, but there was a water heater near that cupboard., but not with this.
My oven light doesnt work (I just found that out now!)
Is a towell enough? Ive got a thermometor coming, but not for a week.
Any help valued, thank you
Evelyn Joy
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Evelyn, if you are still trying to get the starter going, just try and keep it in the warmest part of your house. It may be a little sluggish but just do your best to keep it as warm as you can. Once you get it started and active, you can keep it in your refrigerator for long term storage and take it out once you’re ready to bake. Hope that helps and good luck on getting your starter going!
Evelyn
Thanks for you help Aaron, and for all the work to create this recipes for us, Much appreciated!!
Anne
Hi! I had a great starter beginging. Got through the first feeding, did well for the followiung 48 hours and then when fed the second time, it isn’t bubbling or rising! Dang! I’m wondering what you think may have gone wrong? The after the first feed, the mixture was pretty liquidly, but it rose and was happy and active. Now I’ve feed it for the second time, similar liquid contnet but doing nothing. Should I put some more flour in there?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Anne, unfortunately we have found gluten free sourdough starters to not be quite as active as regular wheat based sourdough starters. We have found buckwheat flour to lead to a more active starter, in your case I would still discard some of your starter if it has been a few days and then feed it again. Try and get the starter to a more in between texture where it isn’t too wet but isn’t too stiff either. We have also found that the GF starters don’t rise for as long of a period of time before they deflate and come back down to their original level. With GF baking there is a lot of trial and error, seeing what works and doesn’t work, it definitely takes some experimenting. Hope that helps and good luck on your GF baking journey.
Jeanne Wilson
Just got it all mixed up… Thank you so much for addressing gluten-free! Had a hard time finding a vessel for 500 g of brown rice flour plus the water in the apple… Why is such a large starter? Thank you again for all that you do
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Jeanne, we start off with a large volume of flour mainly because that is the way we learned to make it. You could always pare down the amounts and try to get an active starter with less volume. Let us know how it works out and good luck!
Magdalena
My (new made) starter rose way over double already after less than 48h and fell back again. So it seems hungy. It smells acidic and when I open the container it makes a big sizzz.
Do I still have to wait till 72 hours to start the first feed or do you think that it’s best to do it now when it’s hungry?
Thanks for your help!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hello Magdalena, I would probably wait until at least 48 hours before you proceed. The starter may be slightly hungry but it is still forming a population of beneficial bacteria that takes time. Even if you waited the full 72 hours, it won’t “die” in that time. Congrats on the active soon to be starter!
Kelsey
Thanks Magdalena for asking this question! Mine doubled in about 36 hours using brown rice flour and I was wondering the same thing. I’ll wait it out a bit longer!
Kim
I am just over 48 hours in and my starter base little bit of mold on top. It otherwise looks good and is about double in size and bubbly. I removed the mold and put the lid back on, but didn’t tighten the lid. Is it okay that it mlded? Any suggestions on why or what I can do to stop any more mold? I had cleaned my container with water and vinegar at the beginning as suggested. Thanks for the great instructions and recipe!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Kim, you should be fine with removing the visible mold as long as it was only on the surface and isn’t in the starter itself, maybe feed and discard it a few more times before you need to use it just to be safe. You can leave your lid tightened all the way on and try and keep your starter around 75 degrees is best. Feeding your starter more often will also reduce the chance of mold. Hope that helps and good luck!
Kim
Thanks for your quick reply to my question. I’m sorry to ask another question, but I just fed my starter for the second time and I forgot until after I added the flour to discard. I got out some of the starter, but not as much as I was supposed to. How will this affect it going forward? Or will I need to start over now?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Kim, you don’t need to start over but it’s good to discard as it gives yours starter more room to expand (after you feed it) as there is more room in the vessel when there is less material inside it to begin with. Good luck!
Ruth Case
I am trying your sourdough starter recipe. Added and organic apple, and the first four days the starter rose nicely.
Since then I have been discarding and feeding the starter. One day it seemed to have a little activity, but these last several days it has not seemed to rise at all. I think it is the right temperature. I want to start adding so I can bake, but don’t know if how to make it more bubbly and active.
Ruth Case
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hello Ruth, we have found that using buckwheat flour in our GF starter really helps activate the starter more than other flours. If your starter smells slightly sour then at least you know there is some beneficial bacteria within it. Just be sure to keep it at the right temperature (about 75 degrees Fahrenheit) while playing with your ratios to make the starter using the right amount of flour and water. Hope that helps and good luck!
Ruth Case
Thanks. I will try this.