Gluten Free Sourdough Bread
Gluten free Sourdough Bread (long fermentation version)
These instructions will yield you one (1) 800 gram oblong loaf which will be baked freeform on a sheetpan lined with parchment. This loaf is a true levain style bread, and while it is a lean dough, the lengthy fermentation process yields a loaf with a good crust on the outside, and a moist “custardy” interior with a more open crumb than most other gluten-free breads.
Once you have made a couple of loaves and get the feel of the final bread you can start to experiment with substituting different grains, or folding in flavourings such as herbs, olives or dried fruits to your dough.
The recipe scales down if you prefer to bake off a smaller 400 gram boule, or doubles if you prefer to bake off a couple of loaves at the same time.
Timing : For optimal texture, this recipe will take about 24 hours from start to finish, so plan
accordingly. You always want to begin the breadmaking process with a starter culture that is at room temperature, and has been fed at least 12 hours prior to beginning your bread.. A vigorous starter culture is essential to nicely textured bread with a more open crumb, as it is the only source of leavening. If you are pressed for time, and still want to make a sourdough with all the flavour of your starter, there is a “quick” version of this recipe that has a couple of additions to the ingredients list, and a slightly different set of steps.
Things you will need to make this recipe:
● Scales for measuring
● 1 small bowl for dry ingredients
● 1 medium bowl for wet ingredients and mixing the final dough
● Coffee grinder for grinding psyllium husks and buckwheat groats
● Whisk for mixing the psyllium husk into the wet ingredients
● Lid to cover your medium pot (or simply cover with plastic wrap/clingfilm)
● Optional - stand mixer with dough hook if you are mixing a double or triple batch
● Optional - Danish dough whisk for mixing the dough (pictured)
● Sheetpan lined with parchment paper
● Square or round cake tin or other ovenproof dish for water.Ingredients:
● 50 grams starter
● 25 grams sorghum flour
● 25 grams millet flour
● 50 grams water
● 25 grams psyllium husk or psyllium husk powder
● 420 grams water
● 50 grams buckwheat flour (or groats ground into flour in a coffee grinder) or GF oat flour
● 25 grams amaranth flour (you can substitute brown rice, or sorghum or millet here but
amaranth will give a better crust)
● 125 grams tapioca starch
● 100 grams cornstarch (or potato starch - I prefer the crust with the cornstarch)
● 6 grams salt (approx 1 tsp)
● 1 tsp powdered pectin (Optional, but helps create a more irregular, airy crumb) - I use
Bernardin “no sugar needed” pectin, but you can also use Pomona’s pectin (mix both
packets of powder together then measure out).
Step 1:
If you have stored your starter in the fridge, 24 hours before you want to bake, take the starter out of the fridge. Let it stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours, then feed it as per the instructions on maintaining your starter.
If your starter is at room temperature, feed it about 2 hours before you plan to bake bread
Step 2:
Measure out 50 grams of starter into the medium bowl. Add 25 grams millet flour, 25 grams of sorghum flour and 50 grams of water. Stir to combine, and cover for about 1 hour.
We are gradually building up an active yeast culture here and creating an intermediate starter that will ensure the loaf has good leavening.
Step 3:
Grind the psyllium husk if you are using whole psyllium husks. You want a fairly fine
consistency - the finer you can grind the psyllium husk, the smoother the exterior of your loaf will be, and the easier it will be to get a clean scoring pattern on your loaf.
Add the 420 grams water to the medium bowl, and whisk in the psyllium husk powder so it is well combined with no lumps. Let it sit about 10 minutes until it forms a gel.
Step 4:
Grind the buckwheat groats if you are using them. This does not need to be super fine, as the
buckwheat kernels are quite soft and will hydrate fully during the long fermentCombine all the dry ingredients in the small bowl, and add to the wet ingredients. It will form a
fairly stiff dough that I mix first with a Danish dough whisk, and finish kneading with my hands..
Continue to knead it, adding a small amount of flour as needed to prevent it sticking to your hands, until it forms a some what smooth ball.
Step 5:
Bulk rise and “fold and turns”: 6 hours
If you have time, you will perform a couple of “fold and turns” during the bulk rise. This helps incorporate air into the fermentation process, as well as helps smooth out the dough. Do this twice, at 2 hours and 4 hours into the bulk rise. Simply fold up a small amount of dough from the bottom of the ball to the top - because this is a gluten-free dough, it will be more of a gentle fold than the really stretchy “fold and turn” you can do with a wheat-based sourdough. If you don’t have time to do this, the loaf will still be a good loaf - let it sit, undisturbed and covered for 6 hours.
Step 6:
Form your final loaf.
Just like with a wheat based dough, getting a good surface tension on the exterior of your loaf is an important part of creating the final form. To get an artisan “look” to your bread, and really support that final loaf form, I like to use a banneton lined with a flour cloth, but a stainless bowl lined with a teatowel also works equally well.
Your dough should feel slightly springy, and be a bit larger in volume at the end of the bulk rise.
You will gently fold it into the final shape you want - either a round or an oblong batard type shape, always folding from the top to the bottom, tucking everything into the bottom of the loaf as you go.
Dust the towel lined banneton or bowl with flour - I like to use sweet rice flour or tapioca starch for the contrast in color, but any flour will do. Lay the final loaf upside down in the banneton and cover loosely with the ends of the towel.
Step 7:
Final proof 8-18 hours
Pop your banneton or bowl into a larger plastic bag and wrap loosely. Let rise overnight, up to 18 hours.
Step 8:
Scoring your loaf - this step is important, as it will allow your loaf, and give you a nice open crumb. Without scoring, 2 things can occur. First, the loaf may blow out the side, rising sideways rather than up, or second, the crust on the loaf may hold, and allow minimal rising, giving you a denser loaf rather than a more open crumb.Gently turn your loaf out, right side up, onto a parchment lined baking sheet. With a sharp knife or a sharp lame, make at least one 3/4” deep score the full length of the loaf. You want to score your loaf just before putting it in the oven, and if you have a spray bottle handy, give it a spritz of water on the top just before putting it in the oven.
You can experiment with different scoring patterns, and they can create a beautiful decorative effect on your final loaf.
Step 9:
Baking your loaf:
A half hour before baking set up your oven with one rack near the bottom, and a second rack in the top ⅓ of your oven. Place your cake pan with hot water in it on the top rack, and preheat your oven to 450F.
Place your scored loaf on the baking sheet on the bottom rack,
Bake at 450F for 50 minutes.
Step 9;
Cooling the loaf - take the finished loaf off the sheet pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Let the loaf cool at least 2 hours before cutting it open. The crumb will be quite moist when it is still hot
Alternative baking methods:
1. a preheated Dutch oven, with the lid on for the first 25 minutes, uncovered for the final
25 minutes. If you choose to bake in this manner, you don’t need the extra pan for water..
2. Directly on a baking stone in your oven, with a pan for steam.
“Shortcut” version
- Add 1 tsp instant yeast to the recipe, and forego the overnight proof - you can mix and
bake the bread within about 4 hours. The crumb will be a bit lighter, but less flavourful.