Cooking and Serving: 21 minutes | 10 slices bread
Ingredients
How to make gluten free sourdough bread
Description
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour hr | Total Time: 21 minutes | Servings: 10 slices bread
Ingredients
How to make gluten free sourdough bread
Instructions
“The texture is like real (gluten) bread — soft and spongy with a firm crust.
Notes
* Ingredients & substitutions
* How to make gluten free sourdough bread
* Gluten Free Sourdough Bread Recipe
* Storage instructions
“The texture is like real (gluten) bread — soft and spongy with a firm crust.
This has become my go-to recipe for making bread routinely. I haven’t bought any
gluten-free bread since discovering this recipe!”
This gluten free sourdough recipe and our simplified gluten free sourdough
are not a deep dive into all things sourdough. Instead, we’re keeping it super
simple with a 2-ingredient starter, and a 7-ingredient bread (including salt and
Think of it more like a workhorse kind of white bread that’s great for lunches.
In my bread book, GFOAS Bakes Bread, I have a whole chapter on wild yeast
sourdough recipes and we go deep.
Here, the rules are a little relaxed, the process takes less work, and you still
get a yeasty, tangy loaf of sourdough bread after a single day of baking (and
about 20 minutes of active time).
If you have commercial yeast on hand and you need a loaf of bread today, I
recommend our simplest gluten free bread recipe
be patient, sourdough bread baking is worth the time.
A loaf of gluten free sourdough bread, sliced and whole.
loaf of gluten free sourdough bread, sliced and whole.
* Keep it simple. If you’ve been confused stick with me. All that matters is that you can use the right ingredients
combined in the right way, and judge when the bread is risen enough for
* What’s a starter? A sourdough starter is a fermented mixture of flour and
water that captures and cultivates yeast from the flour and the surrounding
air. It’s different from commercial yeast you buy in the store, which is a
single, isolated strain of yeast.
* Do you have a starter? If you’ve come here from our gluten free sourdough
(a mixture of gluten free flour and water), you’re more than halfway there.
If not, create your starter, then come back in 5 to 10 days.
* Get your starter ready to use. If your starter is active, but hasn’t been fed
within the last 8 to 10 hours, feed it first. Discard 1/3 of the volume, mix
in 4 fluid ounces spring or distilled water (tap water has chlorine that
could kill the yeast) and 70 grams gum-free gluten free flour
or another gluten free flour blend without xanthan gum with a non-metal spoon
or spatula, close the lid loosely, and let it sit for about 2 hours or until
Risen gluten free sourdough starter in glass jar with glass lid
gluten free sourdough starter in glass jar with glass lid
If you are enjoying making bread, you must try out both my gluten free pumpkin
bread and gluten free
Ingredients required to make the recipe prepared on the counter.
required to make the recipe prepared on the counter.
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS
This recipe is written to use the flour and water sourdough starter recipe on
this blog, which is a very wet starter, with a a “hydration ratio” of 160%. For
every 1 gram of flour, there are 1.6 grams of water.
To try making this recipe using a different sourdough starter, you must
rebalance the amount of water to flour in the starter.
For example, if your starter has equal parts gluten free flour and water (a 100%
hydration ratio), add some water (or more milk) to increase the hydration.
Instead of the 165 grams of starter called for in this recipe, try 100 grams of
that equal-parts water-and-flour-starter and 65 grams of water in this recipe.
Milk and butter add richness and tenderness to the bread. If you’re dairy free,
the milk can be replaced with unsweetened and unflavored nondairy milk (my
favorite is almond milk). For the butter, try a vegan butter alternative like
Melt or Miyoko’s Creamery brand or Earth Balance buttery sticks, not oil.
All of my recommended all purpose gluten free flour blends already contain
tapioca starch/flour as an ingredient. This bread rises much better and has a
softer, more tender crumb when you add more tapioca starch to the loaf.
You can make the recipe with 3 1/2 cups (490 grams) all purpose gluten free
flour, though, but it’s a better bread with 3 cups all purpose and added tapioca
* Digital kitchen scale: Measuring everything starter and everything else, will give you predictable results the first
time, and every time. The simple Escali scale is great; nothing fancy needed.
* Stand mixer with paddle attachment: Creating a smooth dough that rises well
works best with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. If you don’t have
one, you can pulse the dough a few times in a large food processor (a plastic
blade is ideal). You can also try mixing really hard dough whisk.
* Loaf pan: You don’t need a fancy Banetton basket for this loaf. A standard
loaf pan works great. You could also bake this loaf in a hot Dutch oven for a
crispier crust. Just shape the dough with wet hands into a dome on a small
piece of parchment paper, heat the Dutch oven, place the loaf inside on the
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE SOURDOUGH BREAD
Once your starter is ready for baking, making the bread is quick and easy. Whisk
together the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (gluten free flour
blend including xanthan gum, add tapioca starch, some sugar and salt), add the
wet ingredients (sourdough starter, milk, and butter), and beat with the paddle
until very well combined.
Round metal mixer bowl with white flour and metal wire whisk inside the bowl.
metal mixer bowl with white flour and metal wire whisk inside the bowl.
Same bowl with yellow pats of butter, white milk and light brown liquid
sourdough starter on top of dry flour.
bowl with yellow pats of butter, white milk and light brown liquid sourdough
starter on top of dry flour.
Same mixer bowl in mixer with mixer head tilted up to reveal paddle attachment
with whipped-looking raw soft bread dough in bowl and on paddle.
mixer bowl in mixer with mixer head tilted up to reveal paddle attachment with
whipped-looking raw soft bread dough in bowl and on paddle.
LET IT RISE, THEN BAKE
Transfer the raw bread dough to a prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top. Cover
and let rise until it’s about 50% bigger than when it started. It won’t double,
and rising will take at least 3 hours, and up to 6 hours or more.
Cut a 1/4-inch deep slit down the middle of the risen loaf and bake at 400°F for
30 minutes, then finish baking at 350°F. The internal temperature will be at
least 200°F when it’s done.
Overhead image of raw unrisen sourdough bread dough in single smooth layer in
gold standard loaf pan lined with brown parchment paper.
image of raw unrisen sourdough bread dough in single smooth layer in gold
standard loaf pan lined with brown parchment paper.
Same loaf pan with raw dough, now risen in pan and a horizontal slice down the
loaf pan with raw dough, now risen in pan and a horizontal slice down the
Same loaf pan with sourdough bread baked into golden brown loaf.
loaf pan with sourdough bread baked into golden brown loaf.
Let cool on a wire rack, then slice the loaf and serve!
Side image of loaf of bread with brown crust and white crumb with 8 slices cut,
and whole thing sitting on a brown bread board, with a bread knife in
image of loaf of bread with brown crust and white crumb with 8 slices cut, and
whole thing sitting on a brown bread board, with a bread knife in background.
Go Ad-Free
GLUTEN FREE SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Rising time: 4 hours hrs
Yield: 10 slices bread
sliced loaf of gluten free sourdough bread on brown wood board with knife cuts
loaf of gluten free sourdough bread on brown wood board with knife cuts
Make this crusty gluten free sourdough bread with a soft crumb and bake it on
the same day. No special ingredients or confusing instructions!
* Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or try pulsing in a food
* Glass jar for starter with loose-fitting or cloth lid
* Nonreactive (no metal) spoon or spatula silicone, plastic, wood all work
* 3 cups (420 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend
* 3 teaspoons xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
* 9 tablespoons (68 g) tapioca starch/flour
* 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
* 1 ½ teaspoons (9 g) kosher salt
* ¾ cup (165 g) gluten free wild yeast sourdough starter
* 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) warm milk, (about 95°F), plus more tablespoon
* 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* Melted butter, for brushing on top to help browning (optional)
* Grease a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Set
* In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large
bowl with a hand mixer fitted with dough hooks, place the all purpose flour,
xanthan gum, tapioca starch/flour, granulated sugar, and salt, and mix or
whisk to combine well.
* Add the starter, 1 1/2 cups of milk, and the butter, and beat on medium speed
to combine. This is a batter-style bread dough, so it won’t resemble
traditional bread dough, but rather a soft cookie dough.
* Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat until the dough has taken on
a whipped appearance (about 5 minutes). The dough should be tacky to the
touch, but should hold its shape when scooped.
* If your dough feels at all dry to the touch, add more milk beating it in until well-combined, until the dough reaches the proper
* Transfer the bread dough to the prepared loaf pan. Using a moistened spatula,
press the dough into every corner of the loaf pan and spread the top into an
* For a more traditional loaf shape, pile the dough a bit more toward the
* Cover the loaf pan with lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a
warm, draft-free place until it’s reached about 150% of its original size, at
least 4 hours. It will not fully double in volume, and will rise more in the
oven than it does raw.
* Even traditional yeast bread dough will take longer to rise properly in
colder, drier weather and less time in warmer, more humid weather.
* This wild yeast sourdough bread will take longer to rise than any other, and
will depend in part upon the age of your starter.
* This bread dough is much less likely to overproof and take on that
pock-marked appearance than bread made with conventional yeast. If you’re
unsure about whether the bread has proofed enough, allow it to keep rising.
* When the bread is nearing the end of its rise, preheat your oven to 400°F.
* Remove the plastic wrap and, using a sharp knife or lame, slash the top of
the loaf from one short end to the other about 1/4-inch deep.
* Brush the top of the risen loaf generously with melted butter before baking
as an optional step to aid the loaf in browning.
* Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and allow to bake for 30
* Reduce the oven temp to 350°F, rotate the pan 180° around, and continue to
bake until center of the loaf reads 200°F on an instant read thermometer
(about 30 minutes more).
* The crust may not darken as much as you expect, but the loaf should sound
hollow when thumped quickly with a finger.
* Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread to cool for about 10 minutes
in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before
* To freeze the bread, cool the loaf completely, then slice, wrap tightly and
freeze the slices. Defrost as many slices at a time as you need in the
My favorite gluten free flour blends are Better Batter’s original blend gluten
free flour and Nicole’s Best multipurpose blend (with 3 teaspoons added xanthan
gum). King Arthur Flour’s gluten free bread flour should also work here. Their
Measure for Measure blend will not work. Caputo Fioreglut flour
well, but place the wet ingredients in the mixer bowl first or the flour blend
will stick too much to the bowl.
I don’t recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour for yeast, but
I have been able to make a passable loaf adding an extra 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan
gum to the dry ingredients.
Cup4Cup changed its formula and doesn’t seem to work as well as it has in the
past, so I don’t recommend it. To make your own blend using one of my “mock”
recipes, please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends
Whatever you choose, please measure your ingredients (cups) for consistently good results.
Feeding the sourdough starter.
If your mature gluten free sourdough starter
is active, but hasn’t been fed within the last 8 to 10 hours, feed it first
* Discard 1/3 of the volume
* Mix in 4 fluid ounces spring or distilled water and 70 grams gum-free gluten
or another gluten free flour blend without xanthan gum (Nicole’s Best works
great) with a non-metal spoon or spatula.
* Close the lid loosely
* Let it sit for about 2 hours or until bubbling again
Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber:
2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
How high will this bread rise?
This recipe is for a batter-style bread, not our bread recipes that call for the
more complex gluten free bread flour
so it has only one rise. It produces an everyday, but flavorful loaf of bread
with a crisp crust and a soft crumb.
How long will this gluten free sourdough bread take to rise?
This rise takes quite a bit of time. In all of my recipe testing, I’m yet to see
a rise that took less than 3 hours, and have even let it rise for 8 hours
without overproofing.
If you’re unsure about whether or not the bread has proofed enough, allow it to
How do I know when my dough is done proofing?
The dough should rise to about 150% of its original size when it’s done
proofing. That means that it should be 50% bigger than when it started. Unlike
conventional bread, this loaf will not double in size, or rise to 200% its
Can you let this dough rise overnight and bake in the morning?
Yes, since this recipe rises so slowly without overproofing, you can make the
dough before bedtime, shape it in the loaf pan, cover the pan, and set it to
rise during the night. When you wake up, bake the loaf and enjoy. You can also
start the process in the morning, let it rise and bake about an hour before
Can I make this bread with psyllium husk instead of xanthan gum?
Try using 20 grams of psyllium husk powder instead of adding xanthan gum and
instead of an all purpose gluten free flour with xanthan gum already added.
It’s been cold and dry where I live. Will my bread still rise?
Yes. All yeast bread takes longer to rise in cool, dry environments than in
moist, wet environments, but it will rise. Just be sure you’ve covered the dough
as it rises so it doesn’t dry out, and be patient while it rises, however long
Is it necessary to add a sweetener like sugar to the bread mix?
Yes, the sugar helps feed the yeast. Instead of using granulated sugar, you can
use half as much honey, though, if you prefer.
A cut in half gluten free sourdough bread, sitting on top of a wooden cutting
cut in half gluten free sourdough bread, sitting on top of a wooden cutting
This flavorful loaf of gluten free sourdough bread is made with the simplest
wild yeast sourdough starter. No commercial yeast at all!
flavorful loaf of gluten free sourdough bread is made with the simplest wild
yeast sourdough starter. No commercial yeast at all!
Fresh homemade bread is always best the day it’s baked. Once cool, you can wrap
this loaf tightly in plastic wrap and it will stay fresh at room temperature for
For longer storage, you can wrap it tightly unsliced, or slice it and place it
in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze the bread for up to 2 months. Remove as
much air as possible from the bag, since air creates freezer burn. Defrost the
whole loaf to slice if unsliced, or defrost
Refresh bread that’s begun to go stale baking in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes. It will taste fresh as the day it