“Tell me more about feeding and using a gluten-free sourdough starter!” says Sophia N. on today’s #AskWardee.
I broadcast #AskWardee live each Wednesday at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern) on Periscope and Facebook Live. Both the podcast and video replay of this week’s show are below. Enjoy!
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The Question
Sophia N. asks:
“I just finished listening to Know Your Food with Wardee podcast episode 100 on sourdough starter questions. Is the process of making and sustaining a starter the same if gluten-free flour is used, for example, buckwheat? Also, how is gluten-free sourdough incorporated into gluten-free recipes? Do specific gluten-free sourdough recipes need to be used?”
The Answer
Yes, the process is very similar for feeding a gluten-free sourdough starter.
You might want to look into using a boosted brown rice starter, however. This is because sometimes a gluten-free starter needs a little “help” in the form of Kombucha or water kefir every few days — to keep it active and bubbly.
Tips for Using Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
1. Use a blend of flours rather than just one gluten-free flour. Gluten-free flours have strong peculiarities and each one is different. So use a blend to get more of an all-purpose flour result.
2. Don’t switch flours often when feeding your starter. Stick to a blend or buckwheat or brown rice for a length of time.
3. If you need to switch, allow a transition and also “boost” your starter as I mentioned earlier.
4. Use tried and true recipes.
5. If starting a gluten-free starter is difficult or you just want to start right, there’s no harm in starting with an established starter that you revive in your kitchen.
Here are two sources for gluten-free starters:
- Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter from Sharon Kane (an expert at gluten-free sourdough)
- Cultures for Health Brown Rice Starter
More Resources
- Sourdough A to Z eBook
- Sourdough eCourse
- Free Sourdough Starter Instructions from me — when you get the regular instructions, reply back and request the gluten-free version!
- Allergy-Free Cooking eCourse/eBook
- Gluten Sensitivity & Sourdough: Is Sourdough Gluten-Free?
- The Art of Gluten-Free Sourdough Baking by Sharon Kane (plus she has starters and mixes!)
- Debunking 4 Sourdough Myths (& How To Overcome Them)
- Cultures for Health brown Rice Starter
The Maca Coffee Drink Recipe
In the beginning of this episode I told you about my new favorite drink. Here are the deets!
- DIY Herbal Coffee Substitutes eBook
- The best maca — from The Maca Team
- Stevia (or your preferred unrefined sweetener)
- Cream (I use soured cream that rises to the top of my homemade yogurt.)
Put cream, 1/2 to 1 tablespoon maca and sweetener in the bottom of a mug. Add a small amount of hot “coffee”. Mix well. Mash lumps against the side of the cup to dissolve/mix in the maca. Add more hot “coffee” to fill the mug. Enjoy!
What Is The #AskWardee Show?
The #AskWardee is the live weekly show devoted to answering your niggling questions about traditional cooking: whether it’s your sourdough starter, your sauerkraut, preserving foods, broth, superfoods or anything else to do with Traditional Cooking or your GNOWFGLINS lifestyle.
I share tips and resources, plus answer your questions about Traditional Cooking!
The Details
When: Wednesdays at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern
Where: @TradCookSchool on Periscope or Traditional Cooking School on Facebook
What If You Can’t Make It?
Don’t worry. You can catch the replays or listen to the podcast!
- Come back here to AskWardee.TV; all replays will be up within hours of airing live; the print notes are always posted at the same time I go live.
- Follow @TradCookSchool on Periscope or Traditional Cooking School on Facebook to view the replay.
- Subscribe to the #AskWardee podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, or the Podcasts app. While you’re there, be sure to leave a rating and review!
Want To Get YOUR Question Answered?
Here’s how to submit your question. If we answer it on #AskWardee, you’ll get a gift!
Or, you can…
- Tweet your question to @TradCookSchool on Twitter; use hashtag #AskWardee
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Please do NOT add future questions for #AskWardee to the comments of this post because they might get missed!
Do you use gluten-free sourdough starter? Can you share your tips for keeping your gluten-free sourdough starter alive and well?
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This post was featured in 30 Maca Recipes {so you can get your superfood on!}.
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hello how do you make a all purpose flour with buckwheat please?? I would like to use buckwheat for my sour starter
Hi Roxanne,
We have another #AskWardee on gluten free flour blends here: https://traditionalcookingschool.com/q-a/askwardee/home-grain-milling-101-milling-gluten-free-grains-aw098/
Hope this helps. ~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team
Hello again so I went on that site you told me to check out would this be the blend to make my sourdough starter? Alsois there anyway can just use the buckwheat flour with water if so what ratio of and flour do you recommend? Thank you again for responding
Whole Grain Gluten-Free Blend (Starch-Free)
Sweet brown rice flour* or brown rice flour
Sorghum flour
Buckwheat flour
Millet flour or amaranth flour
Combine and mix equal amounts of the above flours. Store in the fridge or freezer and use as needed. Feel free to add more flours or change up the ratios. For instance, you could use half sweet brown rice flour (for the gelatinous properties) and then the other half of the blend would be a mix of the other flours.
Hi, Roxanne,
Please click on the link above to request a Free Sourdough Starter Instructions from Wardee — when you get the regular instructions, reply back and request the gluten-free version. 🙂
You can just use buckwheat but we recommend a booster for all gluten-free sourdough starters. It’s different for different people though and you should experiment.
~Peggy, TCS Customer Success Team
Hi again. So I live right by a health food store it just came to my mind can I just pick up any gluten free all purpose flour and use it for my sourdough starter and if so does it matter how much water or flour i use to make starter? can i do cup of all purpose flour and cup of water then go from there with
On day one, mix one cup of flour and one cup filtered water. Stir vigorously, making sure to scrape down the sides and incorporate everything. Place a clean tea towel over the bowl and set aside. Allow it to sit for 24 hours.
On day two, discard half of the mixture and repeat the process. Add one cup flour, one cup water, stir vigorously and cover.
Hi, Roxanne,
You can try a blend but we recommend a single flour for the gluten-free starter. We usually use brown rice flour. You can use the blend as the additional flour in a recipe.
~Peggy, TCS Customer Success Team
I see, I think I was just getting confused then? So for my sourdough starter its fine to just use only buckwheat, But when i go to make the bread then use a all purpose flour with it.
sorry for all the questions
Yes it is Roxanne. 🙂
~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team
can i use coconut kefir for my booster in my sour starter?
Yes you can use coconut kefir to boost your sourdough starter.
~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team
how much coconut kefir should i add?
Hi Roxanne,
We recommend 1-2 Tablespoons at each feeding. 🙂 But you may need to adjust that if you are using flours other than brown rice flour.
~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team
wish i can remember all my questions at once but they just pop up as i go. so how much coconut kefir should i add and what day should i add it? Today is my first day making the sour starter
Hi Roxanne,
We recommend 1-2 Tablespoons at each feeding. ? But you may need to adjust that if you are using flours other than brown rice flour.
~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team
I just made my sour starter today with 1/4 buckwheat and 1/4 water. I made at 10:30 a.m. on here it says wait 12 hours before feeding it again but can I wait a full 24 hours then discard half then feed tomorrow
Today is the 2nd day of my sour starter and so far it seems good it has some small bubbles there not too big but i can kinda see them under the top surface and its kinda starting to get a sour smell. ive been feeding it every 12 hours like you guys recommend. Some websites say 24 hours the first 2 days but I went with what you guys said since I wasnt sure because i’m using less flour each time i feed it 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 water
Hi, Roxanne.
12 hours is what we recommend. For more in-depth help I recommend you try our 30-day free trial so we can answer your questions more thoroughly then we can via comments. Here’s a link to sign up: http://tradcookschool.com/pula
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
The only thing with that 30 day trial you have to remember to cancel I dont have the money right now as I was just let go from my job.
Hi, Roxanne,
We do send out a reminder email prior to billing so there are no surprises. 🙂
~Peggy ,TCS Customer Success Team
So i made my sour starter on Tuesday using buckwheat flour I realized last night that on the first day I made my sour starter I used 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup flour so then that I night for some reason I thought it was suppose to be 1/4 so I placed 1/4 Tuesday night and then same on Wednesday morning and night My sour started getting a slight sour smell Tuesday night and then by Wednesday the smell became a stronger sour smell so I looked up online to see if that was normal and also came on here and thats when i read I was suppose to be doing 1/2 cup so hour after feeding my sour starter last night I added another 1/4 cup cup to it to make it a full half cup. Now did I ruin it and do I need to start over? Your feedback would be much appreciated please and thank you
Hi Roxanne,
As long as your ratios are the same you’re fine. So if you’re feeding 1/4 c flour and 1/4 c water, your starter should be fine.
~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team
yes ratio is the same. I just went from 1/2 cup t0 1/4 cup to back to 1/2 cup. Thank you for responding back to me.
I am on day 4 of a GF starter. On day 3 the starter had expanded so greatly that it was poofing out of jar, slightly lifting the paper towel cover!! I stirred it down and divided it, and fed it 1/2 C flour (1/4 cup sorghum & 1/4 C Bob’s GF AP flour w sweet rice flour in it), plus the scant 1/2 C water. At the evening feeding it hadn’t risen much, and again I discarded about half, & fed as above. Same this a.m. It is still hardly rising…maybe 1/2 – 1 inch above rubber band marker. It smells nicely sour tho’. Wondering if I’m not discarding enough? To the 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 C flours, about how much starter should I leave in jar? I’ve been leaving a generous cup, but wondering if I need less. Also I have homemade kombucha…maybe I should begin boosting with it…1-2 T of the water? Thank you very much for any help, Kaylee
Hi, Kaylee: I’m sure your starter is just fine — especially since it smells nicely sour. It’s not going to rise up so high at every feeding, but it wouldn’t hurt to boost it with your kombucha now and then. It sounds like you’re doing all the right things! Make sure it’s not too close to your kombucha — or any other ferments in your kitchen. Try to keep them about six feet apart (think social distancing!), if possible, or they can interfere with each other. 🙂 —Sonya, TCS Customer Success Team
I’m glad that you talked about gluten-free flours have distinct characteristics, and each one is unique. To create a more all-purpose flour product, employ a mix. One of my parents’ friends needs to know this article because they are trying to find specific information about it in a couple of days. Thank you for the tips about gluten-free sourdough.