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the best gluten-free sourdough bread
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The Best Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread (dairy-free, vegan)

Servings: 2 boules of bread (or 1 sandwich loaf)
Author: Jenny Prior

Ingredients

Preferment

  • 75g gluten-free starter about 1/4 cup and 2 T.
  • 140g water 1/2 cup + 1.5 T.
  • 130g white rice flour 3/4 cup + 1.5 T.

Dough

  • All the preferment
  • 340g water 1 cups + ¼ cup + 3 tbsp
  • 20g psyllium husk about 4 T.
  • 16g flaxseed ground (2 T., golden flaxseed preferred but regular works fine)
  • 20g Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 ½ T.
  • 8g sugar ½ T., honey is okay too
  • 10g sea salt 1 ½ t.
  • 75g brown rice flour ½ cup + 1 tbsp
  • 175g tapioca flour/starch 1 ¼ cups 3 T.
  • 50g millet flour ¼ cup + 1 T.
  • 50g sorghum flour ¼ cup + 1 T.
  • 40g potato starch ¼ cup + 1 T.
  • t T. baking powder

Instructions

Preparing the Starter and Preferment

  • You will need to get your starter active by refreshing so it is active to mix into the preferment ingredients.
  • Once it is active, mix 75g of your starter with the water and white rice flour in a large capacity mixing bowl. Make sure it is fully combined then cover and leave at room temperature to rise for 3-8 hours until it is puffy and has bubbles. It will become almost double in volume.
  • Make sure to care for your starter before you finish this step!

Make the Dough

  • Once the preferment is active, add the water and psyllium husk to the preferment and mix together to bread up the preferment and allow the psyllium husk to gel for 5 minutes.
  • Gather the rest of your ingredients.
  • In a separate bowl, measure out your dry ingredients: brown rice flour, tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, salt, and baking powder. Mix well until totally combined then set aside.
  • To the wet starter/psyllium mixture, add the olive oil, ground flaxseed, and sugar. Mix well.
  • Then slowly add the dry flour mix to the wet and stir until the ingredients are completely blended and have formed a thick bread dough.

Bulk Ferment

  • Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap or a fresh shower cap. Leave at room temperature to rise for 3-5 hours or place in fridge for 12-18 hours. It will grow about 50% in volume and feel slightly puffy when you touch it.

Divide the Dough *Only for making 2 boules!*

  • Skip this step if you are making a sandwich loaf and go straight to that step to shape all of the dough into a sandwich loaf.
    Divide the dough into two portions that have equal weights. Use an empty bowl. Each portion will weigh about 1010 grams.

Shaping the Dough: Boule or Round Country Loaf Method (see notes for sandwich loaf)

  • For a round loaf, lightly flour the banneton(s) or proofing bowl(s) and the work surface with white rice flour or tapioca starch then place a portion of dough on the flour. Pat the dough to flatten slightly to a 6 inch by 10 inch oval then fold the longer sides in to the middle so that the overlap and stick together. Then from the far end, roll the dough toward yourself to seal the seam you made into the middle of the dough. Use a dough scraper or bench knife to tighten the dough into a ball. *Note the ball of dough will not be as perfectly smooth as a ball of gluten-based sourdough. It will look slightly rough and shouldn’t be overworked because it will become more sticky and messy. If your dough is getting too sticky, add more tapioca starch to your hands and work surface.
  • Once it is in a tightened ball, quickly slide the scraper underneath, then pick the ball of dough up and flip upside down into the floured proofing bowl.

Proofing (Two Steps)

  • Cover both (if applicable) bread doughs with plastic wrap or a plastic shower cap.
  • Leave at room temperature to rise for 1-3 hours (1 hour in warm weather, 3 hours in cold weather).
  • If you aren't ready to bake, or you want more fermentation, transfer the dough(s) to the fridge to do a long cold proof for 4 hours to overnight (up to 12 hours).
  • The dough will rise to almost double in volume.

Preheat the Oven

  • If you are baking boules in a Dutch oven, preheat the Dutch oven with the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
  • If you are baking a sandwich loaf and are using the manual steam method(linkhere) then preheat a pan filled with 1-2 inches of water in the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Bake the Bread: Boule/Country Bread Method (see notes for sandwich loaf)

  • Before baking, you’ll need to score your bread by using a bread lame or bread knife to cut a slash for the steam to escape.
  • For a boule or round loaf, place a large piece of parchment paper over the proofing bowl and by tightly holding the edges, flip the bowl over so that the dough is now right side up on the parchment. Cut a slit that is about ¼ inch deep in the center along the length of the top of the dough or you can cut an X shape on top.
  • Carefully take the hot Dutch oven out of the oven, oven and place the scored round ball of dough into the center of the Dutch oven by lifting it by the edges of the parchment. Firmly close the Dutch oven to seal the dough inside.
  • Repeat with the other boule if you are baking two boules.
  • Place the Dutch oven(s) back into the hot oven. Close the door and reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. After that time, very carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven and place directly on the oven rack to bake for 15-20 minutes longer at the same temperature.

Cool the Bread

  • Place the boules on a cooling rack to cool. If you baked sandwich loaves, carefully remove from the loaf pan to cool on the cooling rack.*
  • Cool the bread for at least 3 hours to let the crumb fully set to avoid a gummy loaf.

Notes

*Note the ball of dough will not be as perfectly smooth as a ball of gluten-based sourdough. It will look slightly rough and shouldn’t be overworked because it will become more sticky and messy. If your dough is getting too sticky, add more tapioca starch to your hands and work surface.
Sandwich Loaf Method
  • Shaping the Dough: Sandwich Loaf Method
    • Generously grease your sandwich pan(s) with coconut oil or other oil or use a parchment paper liner (see the tutorial in this post to make a parchment liner).
    • Flour the work surface with white rice flour or tapioca starch then place a portion of dough on the flour. Pat the dough to flatten slightly to a 8 inch by 10 inch oval then fold the longer sides in to the middle so that the overlap and stick together. Then from the far end, roll the dough toward yourself to seal the seam you made into the middle of the dough. Use a dough scraper or bench knife to tighten the dough into a rounded oval shape. (see *note above)
    • Quickly slide the scraper underneath and lift the sandwich shaped dough into the prepared loaf pan.
  • . Bake the Bread: Sandwich Loaf Method
    • For the sandwich loaf, just cut a slit that is about ¼ inch deep in the center along the length of the top of the dough.
    • Repeat with the other sandwich loaf if you are baking two sandwich loaves.
    • Place the scored bread(s) into the hot steamy oven. Close the oven to seal in the steam. An option to add extra steam is to crack the oven door and quickly spray the walls of the oven with a water spray bottle four to six times then close the door to seal in steam.
    • Reduce heat to 450 degrees F for 35 minutes. After that time, remove steam tray and continue baking at the same temperature for 15 to 18 more minutes.