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
Annette
Hi! I’ve made this starter twice now and at the 48hr mark, both times, I have had a little tiny dot of mold appear. I’m feeling defeated. I live in Virginia and our home stays about 73deg. I’m using all organic products, reverse osmisis filtered water at room temp, and a clean glass container. My glass container is exactly like yours in the photos. I first had the silicone o-ring on so I thought that maybe it was too good of a seal. So, the second time I removed it so it would not be air-tight and could “breathe”. But still got mold. I get a good amount of moisture inside. From your pictures, I see moisture too, so I’m guessing that its normal from the fermentation process. Any thoughts or advice? Should I use a different container to allow more breathing and less moisture accumulation?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Annette, we are sorry to hear you have had a tough time getting your GF sourdough starter going, since mold appears for you around 48 hours, it may be better to do feedings more often than what we recommend in this article. You can start over and use a quart mason jar for your starter, begin with equal amount of water and GF flour (there are recipes for 50 grams of each or 1/4 cup each), on day two, you would discard half the contents before adding the same amount of flour and water as before, continue with this process each day until your mixture becomes more active (doubling in size within a few hours) which should take around a week or so. Hope that helps and good luck!
Fabio
Hi Deanna,
once the starter is ready, what is the ratio for Flour and water? as on the “last day” you have 250GR flour and 220 ML water, is this the ratio to keep or, like a white flour starter, 1 to 1 ratio is used?
Thanks 🙂
Fabio
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Fabio, congratulations on making your GF starter! We would follow the ongoing care and feeding instructions that we outline for regular wheat starters which you can find here. Hope that helps and have fun baking!
Ramona Perkins
Hey,
This is my second try at a GF sourdough starter, first time using your recipe. I am on Day 7, the first 3 days it was very active, then I fed it but ran out of Brown Rice flour so added Buckwheat flour to make up the rest. I left it for 48 hours but it didn’t rise or get any bubbles so I left it another 24 hours, which beings me up to today. I was planning on feeding it today. It still hasn’t risen, it does have a thin layer of fluid on top.
Should I feed it and see if it becomes active or should I scap it and start over? I know that you said that you can use both Brown rice flour and Buckwheat but does it have to be equal parts?
Thanks,
Ramona
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Ramona, I would discard and feed your starter again (step 3) in hopes that it becomes active and rises. The first bout of activity that you experienced is fairly normal to start along with the lagging activity that followed. You can use brown rice flour and/or buckwheat in any combination that you choose so that part doesn’t matter as much, hope that helps and good luck!
Ramona Perkins
Thanks so much, I did discard and feed again and now it is a really happy starter!!!
Ramona
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
So great to hear, have fun baking!
Gwen
Hi Deanna! I made my GF starter and have a loaf bulk fermenting. Crossin my fingers! However, I have A LOT of starter left over. How much should I keep for bread making – 1-2 cups? Also, do I follow your regular starter directions for how much to feed the GF starter – 1 part leftover sourdough starter, 1 part part water, and just under 2 parts flour. You probably say in your directions for GF but I want to make sure I’m doing it correctly. Thank you!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Gwen, yes we use the same feeding directions more of less for GF and regular wheat sourdough starter. As far as how much starter we leave in the jar, if you’ve already added the starter to your loaf, we just put the jar in the fridge with the remaining starter left in it. When it comes time for you to bake again, take the starter out of the fridge the night or day before you want to use it, when it comes time to feed your starter, we discard what starter is left, usually leaving an inch or two of starter in the bottom of a glass quart jar before adding flour and water to feed it. Hope that helps and have fun baking!
Gwen
Thank you Aaron! I appreciate the quick reply!
Sheri
My starter is no longer rising or doubling. It did really well for the first 2 discards and feeds, but its been a week or so now and it hasn’t risen at all after each discard and feed. Should I toss it? It doesn’t have mold and smells like a normal starter- kind of like nail polish or something kinda tangy/harsh. I hope I described it correctly, but it seems like there might still be hope?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Sheri, there is still hope for your starter. If it has been left at room temperature the entire time, have you been discarding and feeding everyday or multiple times a day? If your starter is in a quart or liter sized jar, I would discard down to two inches of starter in the jar, then feed 1 cup GF flour (whatever one you are using) and 1/2 cup water. You may need to add a few more splashes of water as it is mixed together to reach the desired consistency, leave the starter on your counter for 24 hours and see if or how much it rises. This is what we do for inactive regular gluten starters and they will typically rise within that timeframe. Let us know how it turns out and good luck!
Carleigh
Hi!! I was so excited to make a starter for a friend who wants to try GF baking. I got to the step where I need to wait 48hrs before feeding again. I’m at 24 hrs now but the top layer of the starter is starting to look pink… it has risen since I fed it but not fallen back down. Do you think I can continue or should I start again? The rest of the starter has obvious air bubbles and looks good but I’m a bit worried with the top turning pink.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Carleigh, GF “starter” can have a pink hue to it when you are trying to get one going at the beginning, this is especially so if you are using buckwheat flour. The pink should disappear as your starter becomes more active but if it doesn’t go away, starts to smell rotten, or mold forms, discard the starter. For the moment, I would proceed with caution and see if your starter becomes less pink as it becomes more active. Hope that helps and good luck!
Julia
Hello I have attempted this recipe 2x now and both have resulted in mold forming on top on the 3rd day. It got quite active on the 2nd day, almost double, dropped on the 3rd day before I went to do first dicard and feed and also mold. I used buckwheat flour. I really want to make GF sourdough so would like to keep trying, any suggestions?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Julia, that is too bad to hear your starter keeps molding, it may be the apple which is causing your starter to mold by day 3. You can try the starter method without apple, it just takes a bit longer and requires more oversight. You will be feeding equal amounts by weight of flour and water, using a large jar add 50 grams of buckwheat or brown rice flour and 50 grams of water and let sit for 24 hours, keep feeding the same amount without discarding any each day for 7 days. On the 8th day, discard half of the starter and feed the same amount, by the next day, your starter should be fairly well established and bubbly to start using in baking. You may also want to store the starter in the fridge when you aren’t going to be baking. Hope that helps and good luck!
Julia
Thank you very much Aaron, appreciate you taking the time to reply and I will for sure give this a try….fingers crossed!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
You are very welcome and have fun baking!
Katie Henderson
Good afternoon!
I am attempting to make a gluten free sourdough starter, and am on the second feeding step. I discarded half of it as instructed, and then fed it brown rice flour and water for the second feeding. It hasn’t done much in terms of growth and I was wondering if that was normal. It really ballooned up at the beginning, so I’m wondering if this is normal. It’s starting to smell more like sourdough and not so weird as it once did.
Is this normal for it to remain pretty flat on the second feeding? Thank you so much! I’m really looking forward to eating sourdough again!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Katie, if it is smelling more like sourdough, that is a great thing as it is building its beneficial bacteria and yeast. I would wait at least 48 hours and even then, if your starter hasn’t risen much, wait one more day (72 hours) before moving onto the next step of discarding and feeding again and proceeding with the instructions. Hope that helps and hopefully you will be baking GF sourdough bread in no time!
Lynnsey
Hi! I was getting ready to do my first feeding and I noticed on my jar and at the top there seems to be mold that has formed! I’m wonder what I did wrong and if it’s salvageable
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Lynssey, I wouldn’t try and salvage the starter once mold forms, unfortunately, it seems GF starter in particular can have more of a tendency to start to mold. I would focus on the temperature the starter is in and try and keep it around 70-75 degrees F. This will help your starter become active more quickly which should reduce your chances of mold forming. Did your starter rise or become active after the first 3 days?
Lynnsey
Yes it became very active by the second day it had nearly doubled on volume. The room it stays in is a fairly warm room and stays about 72 degrees consistently. It’s also the room I ferment my regular sourdough in as well. If it does double and rise that soon is feeding it sooner okay or should I hold out the 3 days.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Lynnsey, since your starter became active so quickly, it could be a good idea to discard and feed after it nearly doubled in volume. You can likely get by with feeding it less flour and water and go with a scant cup of GF flour(s) and 1/2 cup water (compared to what recommend for the first discard and feed on day 4), you may need to add a splash or two more water if it seems too thick. If you get the ingredients to rise and fall again, just keep up with that feeding regiment until you build the beneficial bacteria and yeast enough to have a finished starter. Good luck!
Trisha
Hello, I’m starting my started today, I however cut it into 1/4 portions, as I don’t need so much. I just need a loafe of bread a week. But when I mixed the ingredients, it’s dry, I added a bit more water to have it at the consistency of what biscuit dough would look like. Is it suppose to look drier in the beginning, my dayghter has a sourdough starter that’s gluten and gets is obviously established, but hers is much smoother in texture?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Trisha, you may need to add a tad more water but you can see in our first image of all of the ingredients combined, it is still fairly chunky but there is enough moisture there so all of the ingredients are fully combined.
Synnøve Aldenhamn
Hi
Thanks for a great glutenfree sourdough guide.
I Wonder. You write,- close the lid.
All the other instructions I’ve read online says the lid should not be totally vlised since it producer gasses.
So I Wonder,- Shall the lid he sealed tight when put on?
Thank you very much.
Best regards from Norway.
Synnøve
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Synnøve, we don’t find the lid to cause any trouble at all if you are using a flip top jar with a rubber gasket. If you were going to be using a mason jar with a metal canning lid, you would want to just screw it on loosely and not sealed all the way. Hope that helps and good luck!
Maddie Braun
Hey there! 🙂
I got to the last step and waited two days because it didn’t do anything. Still isn’t doing anything and there’s a clear liquid of water on top. I used brown rice flour. What should I do to help make it better? Hope to hear from you!
Thank you!!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Maddie, clear liquid floating on the top isn’t an issue and is something that happens to even active sourdough starters. If you made it to the last step in the directions then your mixture became active and rose but once you discarded and fed a second time, the mixture didn’t become active and rise? If your soon to be GF starter smells yeasty, then at least you know it contains the beneficial bacteria that you are looking for. The mixture will be most active around 70 degrees F or just over, we have found buckwheat flour to cause our starter to be more active than brown rice flour alone, if your mixture has already risen and fallen and you are on the final step on the second discard and feed and the starter hasn’t risen after 24 hours, I would wait another day, then discard and feed once again with buckwheat flour and hopefully your mixture will be active enough to become fully active. Hope that helps and reach out if you have any other questions.