For almost 2 years I have been trying to perfect my Sourdough recipes. Finally around a year ago I sat down to read Sandor Katz ‘ The Art of Fermentation’ again. It is a book which is an an Encyclopaedia on fermentation and took me almost a year to go through it – 2018 – 2019 & then again in 2020 . Finally the flood of sour dough boule’s on my social media feeds gave me enough motivation and got me creating a starter again because my I didn’t pay attention to my earlier starters.

Being in a lockdown has helped the whole process, as feeding my starter has been like a daily ritual. Also the fact that after a month of the lockdown in India, my stock of baking essentials got over and I was busy grinding my own flours added to the whole Sourdough Baking spree. I couldn’t buy many ingredients as the shops I get my stuff from was shut down and couldn’t order online as Amazon and many other carriers were taking orders only for essentials and well, according to them gluten free products are not essential and that is basically because even in India most people assume that gluten free folks are fad dieters and that is something I talk in detail about in my book . Inspite of having close to 8 million (a rough estimate but it is for sure more) Celiacs in India and the FSSAI a guidance note on Celiac Disease we still face problems to get stuff . Thankfully I live in Karnataka where raw Millet grains, dals (lentils & beans) and rice flour is always available . I bought grains and dals and just ground them.

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month and I find its very important for people know the many difficulties we Celiacs face. Even when I was sick tired , mouring the loss of a loved onein 2020 and recovering from consecutive throat infections …during this COVID 19 crisis I had to soak, rinse, dry and grind my own flours. So while I am thrilled at all the new recipes I have come up due to the lockdown, there were days where I hated having to be gluten free and just ate nothing but rice, curd or dal.

Anyhow during days where I felt like I just couldn’t bother cooking or baking, seeing my sourdough starter bubble was a great mood booster. So first things first what is ‘Sourdough’ .

“Sourdough is the most common English language word to describe a mixed culture for rising bread (as well as many other culinary applications) . Essentially it is backslopping, simply using a bit of previous batch to start the next one. This is how virtually all bread was made until two centuries ago” – Sandor Ellix Katz , The Art of Fermentation.

Starting and maintaing a sourdough starter is all about patience besides that its just exactly what Sandor Katz describes it. If you make curd at home, idly/dosa or appam you will be at home with maintaing a sourdough starter. Its somewhat the same process.

I have tried many variations of sourdough starters with gluten free flours but what I liked the most was a simple brown rice flour starter . You can also use a mix of jowar, millet, flax seed, quinoa and also use a fruit or yoghurt combination. If you are a person who likes a distinct sourdough flavour please try out the other options but I prefer a simple brown rice or sorghum/jowar and water combination.

Sourdough starter – Brown Rice/Sorghum and Water

Take a glass jar or plastic container. Add a 1 Tablespoon (tbsp) of brown rice or sorghum/jowar and one 1 tbsp of water. Stir it. Again at night, do the same.

The next day morning , discard some of the starter and again feed it and stir it. Same procedure in the night. You don’t always have to throw away the discard you can use it for a lot of other recipes ( Hand made gluten free pasta with sourdough ) . Repeat the process for 6 days. In the meanwhile always make sure you stir the mixture during the day so that there is no mold formation. On the 7th day you should have bubbly sourdough ready to be used for bread. Do cover the jar but not tightly, just put a lid and leave it or cover it was a cloth. If it is tightly closed there will be no room for the wild yeast to develop.

Once you have a mother starter all bubbled up, use as much for your recipe calls for and store the remaining in the fridge. In the fridge do close the starter jar tight. Feed it once in a week or so, to ensure it does not die. Whenever you want to use it get it out of the fridge, feed it and in a few hours your starter will be ready to use.

Trouble shooting – My starter is inactive ?

Feed it a little with another flour. If you are using sorghum, feed it with brown rice. Or drop a raisin or a slice of apple into it

I do not want a sour bread ? Feed your starter often and don’t leave it in the fridge to ferment.

A mature starter is best to bake with in my experience.

Now that we know how to make a starter lets look at making a Sourdough Bread.

Gluten Free Sourdough Loaf Bread – Dairy free, Eggless

Pre-ferment

Ragi ( Finger Millet flour ) – 90 gm

Water – 90 gm

Starter – 90 gm ( feed it 3 hours before mixing the pre-ferment)

Mix the 3 in a bowl and cover it. Leave it overnight if you are kitchen is not a warm and humid one. I live in Bangalore where we have have no issues with humidity and have comfortable weather throughout the year unlike most of the country. If you live in a hot and humid place please keep it in the refrigerator.

I left mine for 10 hours.

After 10 hours I added the following wet ingredients to the bubbly pre-ferment.

  • Non dairy – almond milk ( lukewarm) – 260 ml , you may use dairy milk as well or any other non dairy substitute.
  • Olive oil or a neutral vegetable oil preferably cold pressed oil – 2 tbsp
  • Psyllium husk – 25 gm
  • Honey – 2 tbsp

Mix the wet ingredients well and then add to the same bowl

  • Ragi flour – 155 gm
  • Sorghum – 130 gm
  • Tapioca starch – 110 gm
  • Flax seed – 1 tbsp
  • Dried strips of orange peel – 1tsp
  • Salt – 1.25 tsp

Mix and knead for a minute or so ,the dough should be tacky , a little wet but not completely dry.

Cover the bowl and leave to ferment on the counter for 3- 4 hours or leave to ferment in the fridge for 12 or more hours for a distinct sour flavour.

When your dough has doubled in size prepare a mini loaf pan with parchment paper or just grease it with butter or oil.

Take a baking tray of hot water and place in your oven and pre-heat your oven at 200 Degree Celsius for almost 40 minutes.

As the oven is pre-heating transfer the dough from the bowl into the greased loaf pan. ( I used a stainless bowl for the entire process from the leavin to the bulk ferment, you could use a bannetone for the bulk ferment as well) .

With a blade score the top of the bread just 2 simple slanting lines.

Then bake the dough at 200 C for 20 minutes and then 180 C for 40 minutes. After it bakes make sure , after 10 minutes you keep it to cool on a rack. Slice when it is fully cooled down.

You can store this for a day or two on the counter or in the fridge for 5 days or freeze it for a longer shelf life.

Glutenfree Sourdough Bread- 2

  • 1 cup of brown rice flour
  • 1 cup of sorghum flour
  • 1/2 cup chickpea flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca or potato starch
  • 1/4 moong dal/ mung bean flour
  • 1/2 tbsp chia seed powder or psyllium husk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp any kind of sugar, I prefer coconut or brown sugar
  • 500 -510 ml of water
  • 4 tbsp of sourdough starter

I used the following flours as these were what I had on hand and I liked the flavour of it. You could also use a simple commercially available gluten free flour mix but keep an eye on the water so the dough is not too sticky .

Method

  • Prepare a standard bread loaf pan with parchment paper or prepare a baking tray with parchment paper. If you have run out of parchment paper just grease and flour the pans.
  • In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly.
  • In another bowl pour the water and add the sourdough starter
  • To the wet mixture add the dry ingredients and mix it.
  • You will get a sticky dough, transfer the dough into the loaf pan carefully and cover it with an oiled cling wrap or wet tea towel . If you want the bread to be baked into a boule, transfer the dough to a baking paper in an oiled bowl or a dutch oven . Cover it with a wet tea towel.
  • Leave it to rise and ferment overnight. In the morning pre heat the oven to 200 degree celsius, place a baking tin with water along with the loaf pan or tray to ensure the baking process doens’t dry out the flour mixture (If you are baking in a dutch oven, you don’t need the steam by its side) .Then sprinkle some rice flour and then score or make a design on it if you want to. Bake the bread for 50 to 60 minutes. I always give a 10 minute + or _ time for baking to account for various oven sizes and weather.
  • When the bread is baked make sure you wait for it to cool down and then slice. My bread tastes good when toasted. The bread freezes well and if you are using it within 3 days,place slices in an airtight container and then refrigerate it.

What I like about sourdough bread is that it does not need any baking powder, xanthan gum, eggs and the fermentation makes it easier to digest and it is is great for my gut and I am sure will be so for most Celiacs, gluten intolerant and people with other dietary restrictions.

If you try this recipe, do tag me on Social Media

Instagram/Twitter @jagglutenfree

Facebook @GFIndia

If you are looking for regular gluten free bread recipes check these out –

Gluten & Dairy Free Multi Grain Bread

Gluten Free Burger Buns

To know more about Celiac Disease, gluten free living and more information do check out my book

5 thoughts on “Gluten Free Sourdough Breads and More

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *