I always take the challenge of making something gluten-free whenever our daughter-in-law comes to visit. This week they have been here for Christmas, so I stuffed her sock with a Gluten-free Sourdough Starter from Cultures for Health along with a bag of King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.

Christmas Day, we opened both bags and began fermenting a start. It was slow going the first two days but then overnight the third day, the start had tripled. So it was time to put my research to work making our first loaf.

During the week I had explored three sites for ideas, King Arthur, but they didn’t have bread recipes, just English muffins and flat bread; Cultures for Health with their “Everyday Gluten-Free Sourdough Sandwich Bread;” Jules  “Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread Recipe;” and “The Art of Gluten-free Sourdough Baking,” by Sharon Kane. Each author offered useful recipes and in the end, we followed Jules most closely.

Sourdough Gluten-free Bread Recipe

Ingredients

 Instructions
  • 3 cups (400 grams) Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
  • 1/4 cups (30 grams) buckwheat or cassava flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 grams) dried milk powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp  baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup raw sugar
  • 1 Tbs Arrowroot powder or cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup gluten-free sourdough starter
  • 1 1/4 cup lemon-lime soda or ginger ale
  • Bring ingredients to room temperature.
  • Preheat oven to a proofing temperature between 180-200°F.
  • Sift or whisk all dry ingredients together
  • Beat eggs, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, raw sugar, Arrowroot powder or cornstarch, and gluten-free sourdough starter together in a mixing bowl. Mix  about 2 minutes, until smooth
  • Slowly stir in dry ingredients into the liquid, beating with the paddle attachment on a stand mixer or with a spoon until well incorporated. Run the mixer for two minutes, longer if using a spoon.
  • Transfer batter to an oiled Pullman Pan lightly dusted with flour, or to an oiled and floured parchment-lined pan.
  • Dust the top of the dough with more flour and brush with olive oil for the best results.
  • Cover with oiled plastic wrap and set inside an oven to proof.
  • Let the dough to rise for at least 1 1/2 hours, or up to 3 hours before baking.
    (After 3 hours, it can also be put in the refrigerator for a long overnight rise. If refrigerated overnight, bring the dough to room temperature before baking the next day.)
  • Preheat oven to 350°F or 325°F convection.
  • Remove plastic wrap and score the top of the dough. 
  • If you like a crunchier crust, fill a spray bottle with water and spritz the dough before baking, and every 15-20 minutes thereafter while baking.
  • Bake for 75 minutes. The internal temperature should be 200°F before removing to cool. If the bread is browning too much, you may cover it with foil to keep from over-browning.
  • Once the bread is fully baked, remove to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Allow to fully cool before slicing.
The bread turned out a bit dry, but for our first try, I was pleased. It slices well, toasts up nicely, and tastes great. I think we will try again later next week.
Tell us about your gluten-free experience in the comment section below.

Author: Darryl Alder, retired Scouter and outdoorsman, who spent too many hours over a campfire using a dutch oven, and loves sharing recipes for the kitchen and the campfire. You can read many of his outdoor recipes here.