Classic Gluten-Free Sourdough

The short answer

If you just got a gluten-free starter peaking on the counter, this is the first loaf to bake. The blend is three pantry flours — brown rice for body, sorghum for a wheat-like sweetness, tapioca for chew — with psyllium powder at 5 percent of flour weight, inside the 4–6 percent powder range we use for lean breads. Hydration is about 95 percent, so the dough is thick and scoopable, not a pourable batter and not a wheat ball. Salt sits at 2 percent. We inoculate with 25 percent active sorghum or brown-rice starter at 100 percent hydration, which gives beginners a reliable rise without racing to overproof. Mix the powder through the dry flours so it cannot clump, then let the bowl rest while the gel forms. Proof until the loaf looks inflated and smells gently sour, bake in a 500F Dutch oven, and cool at least two hours. This is the loaf we send people to from the starter guide because the formula is honest, the cues are visible, and the crumb is even enough for toast, avocado, and a weekday sandwich if you slice it thin.

For the method behind gluten-free structure, read the gluten-free sourdough guide and keep a lively culture with the starter guide.

Why it works

• Brown rice supplies structure and mild flavor; sorghum rounds the taste; tapioca adds the chew that gluten-free crumb otherwise lacks.
• Psyllium powder at 5% hydrates quickly and is simple to mix, which is why we teach this loaf first.
• 95% hydration is wet enough for gelatinization but stiff enough for a beginner to mound in a banneton.
• 25% starter shortens the learning curve without pushing the dough into a sour, collapsing overproof.

Nutrition

Approximate values per serving. Always verify labels if you bake for celiac safety.

Substitutions

Psyllium powder (25g)

29g whole psyllium husk (powder is ~85% of husk weight). Gel the husk with 290g of the formula water if you prefer a 10:1 gel, then mix the remaining 185g water with the starter.

Sorghum flour (175g)

Millet flour, same weight. Millet tastes a bit corn-like; fermentation still behaves similarly.

Tapioca starch (125g)

100g tapioca plus 25g potato starch for a slightly more tender crumb. Avoid replacing all the tapioca with cornstarch; the loaf turns brittle.

Sorghum starter

Brown-rice starter at the same 125g. Keep it at 100% hydration.

Storage

Wrap the cooled loaf in a clean cotton towel for 2 days at room temperature. For longer keeping, slice and freeze. Toast brings back the crust.

Notes

• This is the loaf linked from our starter guide. Use starter that reliably doubles; a young, barely bubbling culture will bake into a brick.
• Psyllium powder at 5% (4–6% range) is stronger, gram for gram, than whole husk. Do not also add xanthan.
• 95% hydration should look thick, not pourable. If your brown rice flour is very thirsty, add water 10g at a time until the batter just loosens, staying near 95–100%.
• Weigh flours. Cup measures of rice flour vary enough to wreck hydration.
• Cool fully. Beginners slice early; that is why so many first loaves are called gummy.

FAQ