Gluten free sourdough information and starter
posted February 2026
Although the gluten free bread products have improved immensely since we started our gluten free journey many years ago, it’s still hard to find bread or buns that will hold together for a sandwich and be fun to eat. I recently started experimenting with gluten free sourdough bread and buns, and am quite pleased with the results. The recipes I found make very good bread. Sourdough bread is made with a "starter" yeast mixture that you keep alive between uses, and then feed before use to get the volume of starter you need. Sourdough takes extra planning and regular care, so it’s not for everyone. The sourdough starter should be used every week or two to keep it strong. Most recipes will require that the starter be refreshed the night before you want to use it. If you want to try it, here is what I’ve learned so far.
There are good commercial gluten-free sourdough starters available, but they contain rice flour, which we cannot use. I used this recipe to start my own from scratch, using half millet and half sorghum flour. https://www.natashashome.com/gluten-free-sourdough-starter/. In addition to following her instructions closely, change to a clean jar each time you feed your sourdough, or you can get mold (I found out the hard way). After your starter is at least a week old, you can save your discards in the refrigerator and make one of the great “sourdough discard” recipes on the internet.
posted February 2026
Although the gluten free bread products have improved immensely since we started our gluten free journey many years ago, it’s still hard to find bread or buns that will hold together for a sandwich and be fun to eat. I recently started experimenting with gluten free sourdough bread and buns, and am quite pleased with the results. The recipes I found make very good bread. Sourdough bread is made with a "starter" yeast mixture that you keep alive between uses, and then feed before use to get the volume of starter you need. Sourdough takes extra planning and regular care, so it’s not for everyone. The sourdough starter should be used every week or two to keep it strong. Most recipes will require that the starter be refreshed the night before you want to use it. If you want to try it, here is what I’ve learned so far.
There are good commercial gluten-free sourdough starters available, but they contain rice flour, which we cannot use. I used this recipe to start my own from scratch, using half millet and half sorghum flour. https://www.natashashome.com/gluten-free-sourdough-starter/. In addition to following her instructions closely, change to a clean jar each time you feed your sourdough, or you can get mold (I found out the hard way). After your starter is at least a week old, you can save your discards in the refrigerator and make one of the great “sourdough discard” recipes on the internet.