gluten-free sourdough starter

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gluten-free sourdough starter

Not only is this sourdough starter easy to create, it's also extremely easy to maintain. It does initially take several days to get one going, but once it's begun, the "hard" part is over. And when not in use? It rests patiently in the refrigerator until the next time it's called upon. In my home, there's always a jar of our gluten-free sourdough starter standing at the ready because you just never know when a hankering for a fresh, warm slice of bread will wash over you. Comfort food at its finest ♥

Ingredients

• organic brown rice flour

• water

Supplies

• glass jar

• cheesecloth or paper towels

Directions

1. Day 1: Add ½ cup of brown rice flour and ½ cup of water to a clean glass jar or large bowl; stir thoroughly. Cover with a paper towel or cheesecloth and let sit for 24 hours at room temp. The mixture should be thick, but nice and smooth; add a bit more water if necessary.

2. Day 2: Add in another ½ cup of brown rice flour and ½ cup of water; stir well. Cover and let sit quietly at room temp. There won’t be much of a difference at this point in the appearance (or smell) of your starter.

3. Repeat Day 2 instructions 12 hours after the first feeding on day 2.

4. Day 3: Add in another ½ cup of brown rice flour and ½ cup of water; stir well. Cover and let sit undisturbed at room temp. At this point, your starter may have doubled in size, there may be some foam and numerous bubbles visible through the glass, and it might have a light yeasty odor.

5. Repeat Day 3 instructions 12 hours after the first feeding on day 3.

6.  Day 4: Add in another ½ cup of brown rice flour and ½ cup of water; stir well. Cover and let sit undisturbed at room temp.If the starter smells lightly yeasty and there are numerous air bubbles, maybe some foam or a dome-shaped top, then the starter is ready for baking. If none of the above signs have yet appeared or they seem very weak, continue feeding your starter as outlined above until the yeast colony shows signs of vigorous activity. I have found the temperature in my kitchen to be a factor; too cool will slow down the growth of the yeast while nice and warm will have your colony growing rapidly. If the temperature seems on the cooler end, you could try placing the starter in the oven overnight (oven off, but light on) and that should be enough extra heat to get things moving.

7. Cover and refrigerate the active starter if not needed immediately for baking.

maintaining the starter

While the cold temperature of the refrigerator dramatically slows down the growth of the yeast, you’ll still need to occasionally maintain the starter. Once a month, add equal amounts of flour and water (I use ¼ cup measurements), stir it well, and place it back in the refrigerator. I swap out the jar for a clean one with each feeding and keep it covered with either cheesecloth or a paper towel (held in place by a rubber band) so that the starter can breathe.

As long as I use the starter to make at least one loaf of bread each month and feed it after using it, I never have a need to “maintain” the starter beyond that.

waking up the yeast colony

1 or 2 days prior to using the refrigerated starter, take it out and allow it to come to room temperature. Once the starter has warmed, I’ll start to notice bubble activity as the yeast wakes up. Feed it equal amounts of flour and water (I use ¼ cup measurements). Feed the starter again 12 hours later. Once you begin to see foam or a dome-shaped top, the starter is ready to use.

For the record, I never follow the above “appropriate” waking steps prior to using. I simply stir it thoroughly and add it to my recipe. If the bread is allowed to rise (especially overnight), it always makes for a strong sourdough flavor. Feed the starter prior to returning it to the refrigerator. 

And that's all she wrote. Pretty basic, right? Now all I need to do is get some bread recipes on the blog so that you can give it a go! (I'm on it ;)

Much love,

Melinda