Gluten Free Sourdough

Yields: 1 loaf

Making any sourdough, let alone gluten free sourdough can seem like a daunting process, especially if you have never tried your hand at it! The great secret to making gluten free sourdough is that the same concepts as making glutenous sourdough apply! For a step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe head to our Gluten Free Sourdough Guide.
The original recipe was developed by our friend, Mary Thompson. Thanks Mary!

The Starter

• 160 g Anita’s Organic Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

• 130 g non-chlorinated water

The Levain

• 25 g starter 

• 180 g Anita’s Organic Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

• 175 g non-chlorinated water

The sourdough

• 30 g ground pumpkin seeds 

• 15 g ground sunflower seeds 

• 280 g water 

• 12 g ground flax seed 

• 16 whole psyllium husk 

• 2 tbsp olive oil 

• 310 g Anita’s Organic Gluten Free All Purpose Flour 

• 15 g brown sugar 

• 15 g maple syrup 

• 1.5 tsp salt 

• 1 tsp crushed caraway seeds 

The Starter

1. EVENING OF DAY 1: In a medium size clean jar, mix 40 g of flour with 40 g warm water and cover with a loose fitting lid or cloth. 

2. MORNING OF DAY 2: Add 40 g flour and 30 g water to the jar from the day 1 mixture. No discarding any starter until signs of activity. 

3. EVENING OF DAY 2: Add 40 g flour and 30 g water to the same jar from the previous feeds. 

4. MORNING OF DAY 3 (THE FIRST DISCARD): Into a clean jar put 40 g of starter, 40 g of flour and 30 g of water. Throw away the rest of day 1 and day 2 starter (we will save the discard when it contains the good yeast after about a week). If your starter is showing signs of activity with small bubbles and liquid on top, it is ready to discard. If you don’t discard, you will end up with a huge amount of starter that you don’t need and it takes a lot more flour to feed. To do this, put 40 g of the starter into a clean jar and discard the rest. Add 40 g of flour and 30 g of water. Repeat this feeding routine twice a day until the starter rises and falls on a regular basis. At this stage if your house is a little cooler you may decide to feed your starter once a day. It will need feeding if it has a layer of liquid on the top or if it does start to rise and then falls again. The smell will be more sour when it is hungry.

The levain

1. MORNING: In a clean jar add 25 g starter, 30 g Anita’s Organic Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, and 30 g non-chlorinated water.

2. NOON: Feed previous feeding 85 g starter with 50 g Anita’s Organic Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, 50 g warm water.

3. EVENING: Feed the starter from the previous feeding with 100 g Anita’s Organic Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, and 95 g water.

The sourdough

1. Blitz the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a magic bullet or similar appliance.

2. In a bowl, weigh out the flour, brown sugar, salt and caraway seeds and add in the seed flour. 

3. In another bowl add the warm water, syrup and oil. Sprinkle the psyllium husk on top of the water and whisk immediately to prevent lumps forming. Add the levain to the water mixture, stirring to combine, then pour the wet ingredients into the flour. 

4. Mix well by hand or use a kitchen mixer with a dough hook. 

5. FERMENT: form the dough into a ball, place it into a covered bowl and rest in a warm location, until the dough just begins to rise. Place the covered bowl into the fridge, overnight for the bulk ferment. 

6. SHAPE: the next day remove the dough from the fridge and leave it at room temperature until it has warmed enough to work with. Tip the dough out onto a lightly dampened surface. Knead with wet hands until it is somewhat smooth and then use a little white rice flour to finish. Place the dough into a benetton or tea towel lined bowl, dusted with white rice flour. 

7. PROOF: place the dough (still in the banneton) and inside a plastic bag. Rest at room temperature until it has risen, feels puffy, spongy and soft on the sides and in the centre. It is easy to overproof gluten free doughs. 

8. SCORE: preheat a dutch oven to 450°f (232°c).While the oven is heating, cut out some parchment paper for the dough to sit on. Lightly wet the dough with water, dust some white rice flour on the top and score a pattern. 

9. BAKE: gently slide the paper with the dough into the dutch oven. Cover and bake for 25 minutes to steam the bread. Reduce the heat to 400°f (200°c), remove the lid to allow the loaf to brown and cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow and is not soft and under-baked. Place the hot sourdough on a wire rack for a few hours, to cool before slicing.