Learning that wheat is not on the menu anymore can feel heartbreaking. What about sourdough bread and that intoxicating aroma and flavor? With a little adjustment, even people with gluten intolerance can enjoy a slice of warm sourdough bread.
If you are just starting with gluten-free baking, everything will seem strange at first. Take time to learn about the process and be very forgiving of mistakes. No one makes a perfect loaf the first time.
USING A GLUTEN-FREE SOURDOUGH STARTER
OurGluten-free Sourdough Starteris gluten-free and maintained with brown rice flour. If rice is a concern, there are a few alternative methods to using this starter. You can...
- Begin with acommercial starterandtransition it to a new flouronce active.
- Create a wild yeast sourdough starter.
- Create a starter frommilk kefirorkombucha.
It's also important to note that gluten-free sourdough starterswork fasterthan gluten sourdough starters. Because of this, plan tofeedthestarterevery4-6 hoursatroom temperature. If refrigerated,the starter will need to be refreshed every3-4 days.
CHOOSING INGREDIENTS FOR GLUTEN-FREE SOURDOUGH BAKING
High-gluten flours have a mix of properties that create a soft, chewy, leavened bread.Gluten-free flours must be combinedto achieve comparable results. Follow a tested recipe or make substitutions following ourGuide to Flour Substitutions in Gluten-free Sourdough Baking.
Without gluten, there is nothing to hold the flour together.Culturing the dough will help the proteins to form a better structure, but to create a loaf of bread that rises and can be sliced easily,some sort of binder will need to be used. Consult ourGuide to Binders in Gluten-free Sourdough Bakingto learn more about choosing a binder.
MIXING AND BAKING GLUTEN-FREE SOURDOUGH BREAD
Gluten-free bread dough will be athick batter,similar to brownie batter. You can order our pre-culturedgluten free sourdough bread starter. Since there is no gluten to develop, thedough is not kneaded. Astand mixeris a good investmentif youplan to bake frequently.
The batter-like dough tends tospread during proofing and baking, so it is best baked in apan.A trip to the kitchen store or an online search will reveal a plethora of fun pans for your breads!
Proofing tends to be much fasterwith gluten-free bread. While it can take up to6-8 hoursincooler weather, bread is oftenready for baking in 1-2 hours. Overproofing is common, but will not harm the final bread. If the dough has risen too much,stir it downin the pan and let it rise for another20 minutes,then bake as directed.
Always cool bread before serving. While slicing into a hot loaf is tempting, thebindersused to make a sandwich loafdo not work fully until cooled.Slicing into ahot loafwill cause it tocollapseandbecome gummy.
DEALING WITH FAILURE
Every baker experiences failure occasionally.Learning a new skill set like gluten-free baking means there will be failures in the beginning.
Bread that doesn’t rise well makesgreat bread crumbs. Misshapen loaves can be turned intostuffingor french toast. Rarely is there a loaf that is completely unusable.
With some practice and attention to detail, sourdough bread can be made and enjoyed at home for afraction of the costof a commercial loaf of gluten-free bread. And it will be much more flavorful!
GET STARTED BAKINGGLUTEN-FREE SOURDOUGH!
Contact uswith any questions or concerns, then browse our complete list ofSourdough Recipesand get started today!
