I’ve been gluten-free since before it was a thing… so a really long time. I’ve learned that the secret to delicious gluten-free bread is a good sourdough starter. Here are my favorite gluten-free sourdough recipes.
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A Quick Note About flour
The type of flour and flour mix makes a huge difference in the flavor of gluten-free baking. Starches and rice flour both result in really dry baked goods. Dark buckwheat and teff are earthy and dense. Here is some general advice for finding a flour that works for you:
Not all types of flour are readily available in all grocery stores. I’m lucky enough to buy my favorite flours from a local miller. Asian grocers usually have cheap tapioca starch. African grocers often have sorghum flour and teff flour. You can also find flour mixes online.
A GF diet based on store-bought white bread or white rice flour is not gut-healthy. Try to bake with at least 50% whole grain flour, which will provide flavor and fiber.
Gluten-free sourdough starters need to be continuously fed the same type of flour to be really vigorous. If you haven’t already started a sourdough starter, I recommend teff or light buckwheat flour, which both ferment very quickly.
My favorite flour is GF oat flour because oats are naturally a bit sticky. However, avoid raw oat flour which is very bitter.
There are a bunch of AMAZING-looking bread recipes from people that aren’t GF but decided to convert their typical bread recipe into a GF one. These recipes don’t have eggs, xanthan gum, or other binders… and they don’t work out. If the pictures look too good to be true, then it probably is…
I’m part of a few blogger forums, so I can tell you the dirty secret of the blogging world. A lot of bloggers use AI written content with stock images. That might work for a pumpkin soup recipe, but it doesn’t work with gluten-free bread. I recommend sticking with recipes that you can trust.
Here are my favorite recipes. They are 100% legitimate gluten-free sourdough recipes that are wholly delicious!
This gluten-free sourdough bread is my go-to for all our bread needs. It is delicious toasted at breakfast, or turned into sandwiches for lunch.
2. Sourdough Pizza
Where there is bread… there is PIZZA! I have several pizza recipes on my site. My favorite is a soft, chewy, psyllium husk crust. The flavor is SO good and won’t go stale like typical GF pizzas. Best of all, it can stand up to a ton of toppings.
I also have a gluten-free thin crust pizza dough that is just as strong and delicious. If you’re looking for a traditional pizza crust, then it’s a good option.
3. Dinner Rolls
This gluten-free sourdough roll recipe took me years to perfect. And it is AMAZING. It’s delicious as a dinner roll and strong enough for hot dogs and hamburgers. Make a double batch and stash these in the freezer because you’ll never want to buy tasteless store-bought buns again!
4. Rustic Boule
I always struggle to decide which loaf of bread I prefer, this one or the sandwich loaf (above). This GF sourdough bread is so delicious. It’s definitely the favorite with non-GF eaters. Perfect for serving at dinner parties or fancy brunches.
Best of all it is a gluten-free and vegan bread!
5. Sourdough Cinnamon Buns
Gluten-free sourdough cinnamon rolls could easily have been #1 on my list… but I felt like I had to start with a few bread recipes, first. Sticky, sweet, and perfect. Even my wheat-eating brother-in-law will easily polish off a plate of these!
6. Chocolate Cake
Sourdough starter is really the secret behind so many delicious baked goods. Unlike wheat recipes, fermenting the batter won’t result in bread-like gluten. All you get is delicious flavor. This chocolate cake is a personal favorite.
7. Cobbler
My sourdough cobbler recipe is one of the most popular recipes on Fermenting For Foodies. That’s mostly because it made the rounds in the gluten-sourdough community. I’m glad it worked out with wheat flour because I’ve personally never tried it! Using a gluten-free sourdough starter is quick, easy, and delicious.
8. Bagels
My daughter wanted bagels, so we created a sourdough bagel recipe together. She loves them so much, that we make them on a nearly monthly basis. Our bagels are often turned into weird and interesting shapes… because who wouldn’t want to eat a butterfly-shaped bagel?
9. Pancakes
I make and use a lot of sourdough starter… however, sometimes it catches up on me. Sourdough pancakes are a great way to use up a bit of extra starter. It’s perfect for a quick breakfast. Best of all, I can leave my tween to flip pancakes while I shower and get ready for the day.
10. Waffles
We make waffles every Sunday morning. Crispy, buttery, and delicious, this sourdough waffle recipe can be served with savory or sweet toppings.
Do you have a favorite gluten-free sourdough recipe to share? Post in the comments section!
Without an active, happy starter, your bread will be dense and won't rise well when it hits the oven. I feed my starter with brown rice flour, but you can use sorghum, millet, or most other wholegrain flours for your starter. I would not recommend using a premade gluten-free flour blend, or a starch.
*Whole grain gluten free flour options include brown rice flour, millet flour, sorghum flour, buckwheat flour, and teff flour to name a few. **See the sourdough starter recipe post for more details about how to work with the starter and get it going. Ripe starter is starter that's been fed within the past 12 hours.
While the natural bacteria may make it easier to digest, and the fermentation process decreases the amount of gluten, it still does not reach 20ppm (parts per million) or less of gluten, which is how the United States defines gluten-free foods.
Longer cold fermentation (proofing) will give the bacteria more time to break down the gluten. Ideally, keep your sourdough in the cold fermentation process for at least 24 hours. Substituting some whole wheat or rye flour for some of the bread flour in your sourdough will give your loaf an overall lower gluten levels.
An easy way to create a good environment for gluten-free bread to rise is to turn your oven to 200 F; when it reaches this temperature, turn off the oven and place a shallow baking pan partially filled with hot water on one of the shelves.
Sourdough bread may be easier to digest than white bread for some people. According to some studies, sourdough bread acts as a prebiotic, which means that the fiber in the bread helps feed the “good” bacteria in your intestines. These bacteria are important for maintaining a stable, healthy digestive system.
The way sourdough is made breaks down the fructans as well as the gluten. So even though sourdough is not completely free from gluten or fructans, it is easier to digest. This is because it has lower levels of gluten and fructans.
Measure room temperature starter or remove ¼ cup starter from refrigerator. Feed starter with GF flour and water every 4 hours by using one of the following methods: If using a scale to measure ingredients, combine equal amounts by weight of starter, water, and GF flour.
Toasting doesnt deactivate gluten , but it kills moldy spores and significantly deactivates wheat germ agglutin - a lectin known to cause inflammatory changes in the gut.
Sourdough bread is a low gluten bread. Sourdough bread and rye bread are often considered ideal alternatives for those on a reduced-gluten diet, because they both fall into the category of low-gluten bread.
Breads made from rice, sorghum, teff, millet, cassava, buckwheat, amaranth, oat, almonds, and pure corn lack gluten. Hence, their flour can be incorporated into baking gluten-free breads. You can identify whether the bread is gluten-free by checking the ingredients on the product's label.
Proofing tends to be much faster with gluten-free bread. While it can take up to 6-8 hours in cooler weather, bread is often ready for baking in 1-2 hours. Overproofing is common, but will not harm the final bread.
The wild yeast and bacteria in a sourdough starter break down some of the carbohydrates and proteins found in flour, says Kate Scarlata, a Boston-based dietitian and author of The Low-FODMAP Diet book. When bread is made with fast-rising yeast, the bacteria don't have time to do any pre-digesting.
Gently press your finger into the dough on the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it's underproofed. If it springs back very slowly, it's properly proofed and ready to bake. Finally, if it never springs back, the dough is overproofed.
Most commonly, the issue here has to do with temperature (which is very important). If your sourdough starter is kept at a low temp, even 70°F (21°C), it will slow fermentation activity and appear to be sluggish, taking longer to rise and progress through the typical signs of fermentation. The solution: keep it warm.
When sourdough bread dough doesn't rise, it's usually because the starter you used wasn't active enough. To remedy this problem, make sure you're using recently fed, active starter with lots of bubbles. Also, next time try using warm (not hot) water when you mix up the dough and rising it in a warmer location.
If your starter is struggling to double, place it somewhere warm, like inside a turned off oven with a light on. You can also try feeding twice a day to nudge the starter along. Once the starter has doubled in size, is bubbly, and has a sweet-sour aroma, it's ready to use in your gluten free sourdough bread recipe.
You will know it's ready if it has lots of bubbles, and doubles in size after a few hours when fed. Unfortunately, gluten free starter doesn't pass the float test like a regular wheat active starter would. So determining if it is ready will be based on appearance and if it is bubbly and doubling in size.
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