Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
The history of sourdough dates back to ancient times. Unattended dough began to ferment, resulting in fluffier bread. Bakers gradually learned to maintain and use sourdough in baking. Using natural yeast, including for a gluten-free sourdough starter, was a laborious process, requiring regular feeding and careful temperature monitoring. Sourdough is sensitive to home temperature and humidity, affecting the outcome.
With the popularity of industrial yeast, sourdough bread slightly lost favor due to its denser texture. However, with the rise of healthier eating, sourdough is experiencing a revival. Natural yeast is considered less harmful, making sourdough bread suitable for a healthier lifestyle.
A gluten-free diet doesn’t mean giving up bread entirely, including sourdough. Sourdough starter can be grown at home using any flour base. Rice flour is commonly used, but sorghum and buckwheat flour are also excellent choices. For myself, I chose sorghum for its neutral taste.
To start, mix equal parts flour and water in a glass jar. I use filtered water. My starter began with 100 g of flour and 100 g of water. Mix thoroughly to avoid clumps, cover with cheesecloth, and leave in a warm place for 10-12 hours. Repeat the process after 12 hours: 100 g of flour and 100 g of water, and mix again. Initially, it took over a week for my starter to accumulate good bacteria and strength.
After baking bread, I store the starter in the refrigerator. Two to three days before baking bread, I take it out and let it warm to room temperature. Then, for 2-3 days, I feed it equal parts flour and water. When the mixture becomes fluffy and bubbly, the starter is ready for baking. The required amount of starter goes into the dough, and the rest goes back to sleep in the refrigerator.
My starter is now over 5 years old and rarely fails. Bread doubles in size. Just in case, I spread some starter on a baking sheet and leave it at room temperature. Over the next few days, I stir occasionally to evenly dry. This dry powder serves as insurance if the active starter dies for some reason. Dry starter awakens with water, just dilute to the consistency of cottage cheese. Then feed as usual. It’s quicker than growing a starter from scratch.
