Gluten-Free Natural Sourdough Starter

Name: Gluten-Free Natural Sourdough Starter
Total time: 5 d
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Signature Cuisine
Ingredients: Buckwheat flour; Brown rice flour; Water; Honey

Features:

Cuisine:

Signature Cuisine

5 days
Serves 4
Medium

Ingredients

Buckwheat flour
Brown rice flour
Water
Honey

Directions

Here’s a step-by-step guide to making your own gluten-free natural sourdough starter.

The moisture content of this sourdough starter is 125% (water to flour ratio), which provides a fairly liquid texture that is easy to rise. Keep in mind that the flour you use may vary in moisture content. If your sourdough starter is too thick, you can slightly increase the water amount.

To enhance the flavor of your baked goods, I suggest using a mix of different flours. You could start with a blend of 50% buckwheat flour and 50% whole grain rice flour, then experiment by adding other flours like millet, quinoa, sorghum, teff, amaranth, and chickpea for more variety.

The initial process of cultivating your sourdough starter will take about 5 to 6 days. After that, you’ll need to feed it regularly to keep it thriving.

Total visits: 11.
Today's visits: 1.

Steps

1 Done	Day 1, morning - Initial kneading 60 g of flour 75 ml of water at room temperature 1/2 tsp of honey Combine all ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl, then cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let it sit at room temperature in a warm, draft-free spot for 24 hours.
2 Done	Day 2, morning Add the following to yesterday's mixture: 60 g of flour 75 ml of water at room temperature Mix everything thoroughly, then cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let it sit at room temperature in a warm, draft-free spot for 24 hours. By now, you should notice some good fermentation activity, with bubbles forming and the mixture rising. If you don't see this happening, consider moving your sourdough starter to a warmer location.
3 Done	Day 3, morning - First feeding Take 40g of the fermented mixture and set the rest aside for baking or discard it. To the measured portion, add: 80 g of flour 100 ml of water at room temperature Mix everything together, then cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let it sit at room temperature in a warm, draft-free spot for 12 hours.
4 Done	Day 3, evening - Second feeding Take 40g of the fermented mixture and set the rest aside for baking or discard it. To the measured portion, add: 80 g of flour 100 ml of water at room temperature Mix everything together, then cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let it sit at room temperature in a warm, draft-free spot for 12 hours.
5 Done	Days 4 and 5 - Feeding twice daily Continue feeding the sourdough starter twice a day, Each time, measure out 40g of the starter, then mix in 80g of flour and 100ml of water in the morning and evening. By the end of Day 5, you should see your starter rising well within 12 hours and developing a pleasant sour smell due to the natural fermentation. If you notice that the starter is rising slowly—especially during cooler months—keep feeding it twice daily for another day or two. If you're using buckwheat flour, it's normal for the surface of the starter to have a slight reddish hue. However, if your starter does not rise, shows signs of mold on the surface, or has an unusual smell, stop the process and start over.
6 Done	Day 6 - First baking In the morning, feed the sourdough starter as you normally would, then patiently wait for it to rise and fall to its peak. Once it's at its best, it's time to bake! Measure out 40 g of the starter and feed it. Use the rest of the active starter right away for your baking.
7 Done	Extending the life of your sourdough starter For the best results, it's ideal to bake daily and feed your sourdough starter once a day. However, if daily baking isn't your thing, you can keep the starter in the fridge to slow down fermentation. It should be fed once or twice a week and then immediately placed back into the fridge. I recommend baking at least once a week to ensure your sourdough starter remains strong and active.
8 Done	Using sourdough starter from the fridge for baking To use the sourdough starter after keeping it in the fridge, you'll need to activate it first. To do this, take the sourdough starter out of the fridge the night before baking, feed it, and leave it at room temperature. By morning, it will have warmed up, become active and risen before settling back down. Your sourdough starter will be all set for baking! Bon Appétit!