How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

Want to learn all about How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter? And preferably in the easiest, most fail-proof way possible? Well, you've come to the right place.

The world of gluten-free recipes is a niche already, but then add on sourdough to it and it becomes even more specialized. There is a lot of gluten-free sourdough starter misinformation out there, and I've sorted through a bunch of it to bring you as comprehensive of a guide as possible.

If you're completely new to sourdough, I recommend reading this entire article as there are bits of helpful information laden throughout.

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What to expect:

In this post, I'll:

• Teach you how to make a gluten free sourdough starter that is active and bubbly within 1-2 weeks
• Teach you how to maintain/store your gluten free sourdough starter for both frequent and infrequent bakers
• Go over the recommended tools to get started
• Explain some basic sourdough terminology
• Thoroughly explain the difference between active sourdough starter and discard and their preferred uses
• Provide a gluten free sourdough starter troubleshooting FAQ to prevent and/or treat any common hiccups along the way
• Share my Facebook group, Gluten Free Sourdough Baking Recipes and Advice, so that you can post photos, share recipes, and get advice in live time.

This method of making a gluten-free starter will yield a delicious base for gluten free sourdough bread and plenty of discard to use in recipes such as gluten free sourdough pancakes, gluten free sourdough crackers, gluten free sourdough banana bread, gluten free sourdough pizza crust, gluten free sourdough pie crust.

If you're wondering how to make a gluten free sourdough starter, first and foremost, the world of sourdough is a fun process that anyone can start. And it's very forgiving, so don't get too in the weeds. The only ingredients you will need are gluten-free flour and water! More on the specific types of flour later.

What is sourdough? How does it work?

A lot of science is happening to make sourdough possible. Sourdough is essentially the harvesting of an active colony of wild yeast (the good bacteria) that can be used to leaven breads and other baked goods.

A mixture of flour and water acts as the food (sugar and starch) for microbes such as bacteria and acid-tolerant yeasts from the flour itself and surrounding environment. The bacteria and yeasts use up all of the energy, producing acids (as well as alcoholic byproducts) that prevent other forms of microbes from growing. This lactic acid also produces the "sour" flavor we know and love. As time goes on, the lactic acid grows vigorously along with the yeast, producing enough CO2 to aerate the active starter and give rise to bread and other goods.

Note: Because yeast and bacteria from the environment start feeding on the flour and water almost immediately, it's important to establish a healthy colony of good bacteria before using the starter. It's likely that bad microbes are involved in the very beginning, and it may even produce strange smells at first. After about a week, the starter should have a good colony of lactic acid bacteria (found in yogurts, cheeses, and other milk products) to make the starter so acidic that it kills off the early colonists, and it should smell pleasant and yeasty.

What are the benefits of eating sourdough?

Sourdough is known and loved for its health benefits. While sourdough does contain the gut-friendly bacteria lactobacillus, these probiotics are killed off in baking so it doesn't translate to probiotic absorption. However, sourdough is still a fermented food, meaning the bacteria and wild yeast living within the starter predigest the starches in the flour, making the food easier to digest for you as well as potentially keep your blood sugar more stable. For these reasons, it is believed that sourdough can improve or help ease the gut.

For those living with Celiac Disease (like myself), we tend to ingest a lot of rice in many different ways and forms. Sourdough can give you the opportunity to ingest more different types of grains, including sorghum, millet, or buckwheat.

Can you really make a gluten free sourdough starter?

Yes, it is very much possible to make a gluten free sourdough starter to harvest natural yeasts to rise bread! The only difference between a gluten free sourdough starter and a traditional starter made with wheat is the use of gluten-free flour. You can even use several different types of gluten-free flour, or a combination of several, to make a starter.

A gluten free sourdough starter doesn't rise quite as much as a traditional one, but nevertheless you can make delicious gluten-free products with it.

Don't want to make a starter from scratch? This Sourdough Starter Culture packet gives you a head start with a dehydrated gluten-free sourdough starter culture and directions to follow to maintain it for years to come. I love this website because there's also cheesemaking, yogurt, kombucha, and fermented vegetable kits. The GF starter is also available for purchase on Amazon here.

Which gluten-free flours should I use?

The three types of gluten-free flours I currently recommend are super fine brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and millet flour. I find that a 100% brown rice flour starter is the easiest to maintain for beginners. Sorghum is also beginner-friendly, but it does tend to absorb water a little differently and require a slightly different ratio. If one of your goals for getting into gluten free sourdough is to consume more whole grains, you can transition into using a combination of flours. Two months into my starter's lifetime, I switched over to using half brown rice flour and half sorghum.

Buckwheat flour can also be used to make a gluten free sourdough starter, but I don't have personal experience with doing so. I have read accounts that the top layer of buckwheat starters can turn pink, so it may not be as beginner-friendly, as this can be confused with mold. Buckwheat starters also may not appear as active and take longer to produce bubbles.

My recommendation: Do not use all purpose gluten-free flour mixes to create a gluten free sourdough starter. Think Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 or King Arthur GF Measure for Measure. While some people have reported initial success using flour mixes, you can encounter trouble down the line. This is because these flour mixes don't contain pure flour but are mixed with starches and gums. These starches and gums are completely unnecessary ingredients in a starter and can affect the texture, making it stretchy or gummy or just plain strange. It's also much more expensive to feed a starter off of branded mixes.

You can later use GF all purpose flour mixes when baking bread, just not for the starter itself.

Common sourdough terminology to know:

• Hooch - A grayish liquid (alcoholic byproduct produced as wild yeast ferments) that collects on the top of sourdough starter. Hooch is not harmful and it doesn't mean your starter has gone bad. Hooch is an indicator that your starter is hungry (maybe you missed a feeding, neglected it for awhile, or have been improperly feeding such as the ratio of starter-to-flour-to-water is off).
• Discard - The inactive portion of starter you remove before every feeding. You don't actually throw this portion away, but store it in a separate Discard jar for use in recipes that don't need active yeast to leaven it, such as pancakes, chocolate chip cookies, etc. More on that below. The reason we remove a portion of starter every time is so the starter doesn't get huge and hard to maintain. Since we feed equal portions starter-to-flour-to-water, it simply would get out of hand fast. Think of all the flour you would need to buy to maintain a 300g and growing starter - yikes!
• Banneton basket - Also known as a proofing basket, these are used to shape bread as it rises. Especially helpful for wetter loaves that would lose their shape otherwise. A banneton also gives the loaf the pretty ridge design you sometimes see, giving it an artisanal look. These proofing baskets come in several different shapes and sizes, but I recommend sticking to smaller sizes for gluten-free bread, such as a 7-inch boule (circular) banneton basket. You can also get an 8-inch oval banneton basket to make longer loaves (a batard).
• Boule - Boule means "ball" in French. This is simply referring to the round loaf of sourdough bread you traditionally see. This term is often used instead of saying "bread", such as "sourdough boule".
• Batard - A French term for a short, oblong (or oval) loaf of bread.
• Bread lame - A lame is a thin razor blade used to cut and score bread before baking. This serves two purposes: slits in the bread are necessary to allow steam to escape otherwise it will burst through somewhere of its choosing and not yours, and you can get creative and make artisanal patterns on the tops of your boules.
• Bulk ferment (fermentation) - This is the first rise of the dough after it's all mixed up and before shaping into boules or loaves. "Bulk ferment" refers to the dough rising in a single mass, not divided into loaves.

• Proofing - This is the dough's second/final rise after shaping into boules or loaves and before baking.
• Retard/retarding - A technique that slows down the fermentation of the sourdough boule, which helps prevent over-proofing. Typically, this process involves proofing the dough in the refrigerator overnight (also known as cold fermentation).
• A Danish whisk - A popular type of whisk for mixing up sourdough starter. It has several coils that are designed to cut through dough without over-mixing. It can also get inside the corners of a jar really well.
• Hydration - This simply just refers to how much water is in your starter. For example, 100% hydration (the only kind of hydration I will be recommending here for now) is equal parts starter-to-flour-to-water. In other words, 100 grams of starter should be fed with 100 grams of water and 100 grams of flour. I personally find this term to be a little confusing for a beginner, and from here on out will only be referring to specific gram measurements.

What ingredients will I need to make a gluten free sourdough starter?

You only need two ingredients to make a gluten free sourdough starter:

• (1) Gluten-free flour such as brown rice flour or sorghum flour

See section "Which Gluten Free Flours Should I Use?" above for more information. Do not use gluten-free all purpose flour mixes since they are not pure flour and contain unnecessary starches and gums.

• (2) Room temperature filtered water.

Later on, if you store your starter in the fridge you can use cold filtered water (think fridge-filtered water), but in the beginning, it's important to store the starter at room temperature on the counter and use room temperature water. This gives the starter the best chance for quick development. You can use bottled water, spring water, or a reusable water filter pitcher. Note: Do not use distilled water. Important minerals are removed from distilled water that can benefit the yeasts and bacteria in the starter.

What supplies will I need to make a gluten free sourdough starter?

You will need a few supplies in order to get started making a gluten free sourdough starter, but the necessary supplies and upfront costs are minimal.

Must-Have's:

• A medium to large-sized glass wide-mouthed mason jar. The size really depends on how much starter you want to maintain. I personally like to keep a 100g starter, equaling 300g once the flour and water is added. You also need room in the jar for the rise and growth of the starter, typically doubling in size. For this reason, I recommend using a 24 oz (about a quart) or 32 oz jar to be safe. A wide-mouthed jar is preferred simply because it's easier and less messy to pour flour and water inside and to stir really well.
• A lid or square of cloth, and a rubber band or hair tie to cover the jar. It's up to you whether or not you prefer to use a loose-fitted lid (not screwed on all the way) or a square of cloth fixed closed with a rubber band or hair tie to cover your sourdough starter. There's some differing opinions out there on this topic. One thing that's for sure is sourdough partially uses the wild yeast from the environment (the air) and the CO2 it produces needs some place to escape to, so covering it loosely is best. However, it still needs to be covered enough to protect it from bugs invading it. I recommend using the cloth for the first two weeks while the starter grows then a loose-fitting lid afterward. However, when or if you put the starter in the fridge, keep it covered with a lid screwed on tight. This prevents it from absorbing fridge smells. Think hard-boiled eggs you may have on a shelf below.
• Jars or containers for the Discard to be stored in the fridge until used. This could be any combination of food storage jars. However, I recommend using glass whenever possible.
• Kitchen scale. This is absolutely necessary in order to ensure you're using the correct weight of every ingredient. I don't recommend using cup measurements because one cup of water weighs significantly more than one cup of flour, yielding an unbalanced, watery starter. Also, different gluten-free flours have different weights. This is partially why sorghum flour absorbs water differently than brown rice flour. A scale also helps when discarding some of the starter, because you can accurately get the starter down to the amount you want to maintain (in my case, 100 grams). I'm actually using the scale I used for when I sold items online. If you have a mail scale lying around, before buying another, first check and see if it measures grams.
• Non-reactive spoon for stirring the starter such as wood, stainless steel, silicone, or a Danish whisk. Do not use spoons made of aluminum or copper.
• A small silicone or wooden spatula that can fit into the jar to scrape the sides clean. The cleaner the sides of the jar, the less risk for unwanted things like mold to start growing.

Like-to-Have's:

You don't need these items until you're ready to bake your first loaf of bread, at least two weeks from beginning the gluten free sourdough starter. I recommend waiting about a month to bake bread, since the starter gets stronger and produces more rise over time.

• Banneton bowls, or other proofing baskets. I recommend two 7-inch bannetons.
• A lame
• A small to medium-sized Dutch oven, for baking the bread in. Dutch ovens with the lid on make the crust of the bread nice and chewy. I recommend buying one that's no wider than 1-2-inches the size of your proofing basket or bowl. This encourages the bread to rise up and not out.
• Reusable mason jar lids. These are convenient for keeping discard in the fridge. I prefer these over the metal kind that wear out and rust.
• A sourdough starter temperature control device is super convenient for guaranteeing your starter is kept at a steady temperature so that it rises timely for whipping up some bread dough.

Want this process simplified? You can also purchase sourdough starter kits that include jars, in-the-jar thermometers, silicone spoons and scraping spatulas, cleaning brushes, etc. all in one, or a jar with a built-in thermometer, feeding/growth band (it just slides up the jar! No rubber band or ponytail needed), and markings to tell the net weight.

How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter:

Below is the way I learned how to make a gluten free sourdough starter with some trial and error. I recommend using superfine brown rice flour for beginners as it becomes active very quickly and produces large, fluffy bubbles. Sorghum starters may need a slightly less ratio of flour (closer to 80g than 100g) and tend to not produce quite as many large bubbles.

Prep the Jar:

• Clean the jar with hot soapy water and dry with a clean towel. It's important to use a clean jar to prevent any potential bacteria from contaminating the starter while it's becoming established.
• Weigh the jar on a kitchen scale. Stick a label or piece of tape onto the jar and write the weight in grams on it. You can also make a note in your phone.

Days One and Two: Twice a Day Feedings

In the Morning:

• Add 50g gluten-free flour and 50g water to the clean jar. Stir really well using a non-reactive spoon. The consistency should be thick and pasty when stirred but settle into a flat, smooth surface on the top when at rest. You can wiggle the jar to get it to flatten. If it isn't smooth on the top and staying chunky, add a little more water (no more than 5-10g at a time). If it's too thin and watery, you might have overdone it on the water and will need to increase the flour. Be sure to reduce the amount of water at next feed so you can maintain your starter at the desired amount of grams.
• Scrape down the sides of the jar well and wipe the mouth of the jar and under the rim with a clean towel. Cover the jar with a square of cloth and a rubber band, or a lid sitting on top (not screwed all the way tight to let air flow in.)
• Set in a slightly warm place, not too close to the sink or any air vents.

At Night (about 12 hours later):

• Repeat: Feed the starter with 50g flour and 50g water, stir well, and scrape down the sides of the jar.

The consistency should be thick and pasty when stirred.

But settle flat on the top when at rest. Give the jar a wiggle to help it settle.

Days Three through Seven: Discarding and Once a Day 50g Feeds

Your gluten free sourdough starter should be having some bubbles by now and maybe even some yeasty, alcoholic, or sour smells. The good bacteria is fighting off the bad in this phase, and so there may be some "false starts" of good rise and then periods of it becoming less active. This is normal as the starter strengthens.

• In the mornings; discard the starter down to 50g. Add in 50g flour and 50g water, stir, scrape down the sides well, and cover loosely. We will up the amount to 100g in the following week, but for now 50g is best to cut down on waste. Note: Don't save the starter until it produces consistent pleasant aromas and bubbles (sometime around day 10-14.) For now, you will need to compost or trash the discard since it has too high of a concentration of bad bacteria to be safely ingested.
• Set in a slightly warm place, not too close to the sink or any air vents.
• If your starter still hasn't produced any bubbles by day 3, or if your house is hot or humid, I recommend sticking to twice a day feedings 12 hours apart.

Days Eight through Fourteen: Increase to 100g Feeds

You did it - you learned how to make a gluten free sourdough starter!

Your gluten free sourdough starter should now be active and bubbly. If your starter has been producing consistent results with good rise, a lot of bubbles, and a pleasant smell, you can start using the discard in recipes. If your starter still only gets a few bubbles and not much rise, just keep up with consistent feedings. You can also add in one teaspoon of honey at each feed to try and get it happy. Switching to larger 100g feedings should also help to propel the starter's growth.

• In the mornings; discard the starter down to 100g. Add in 100g flour and 100g water. If using sorghum flour, you may only need about 80g since it absorbs water a little differently than brown rice. Stir, scrape down the sides really well, and cover loosely.
• Set in a slightly warm place, not too close to the sink or any air vents. Watch for peak activity (when your starter is at its highest rise), usually between three to five hours after feeding.

Onward:

• After week two, your gluten free sourdough starter should be active, bubbly, and smelling pleasant and yeasty. You can now maintain your starter at your desired amount of grams (I like 100g, but some prefer to maintain smaller starters such as 50g.) If baking often, I recommend keeping the starter at room temperature and feeding equal parts starter-to-flour-to-water twice a day. If not baking often, I recommend storing your starter in the refrigerator and discarding/feeding once a week. Before baking with the active starter, you will need to give it two big feeds, usually about 150g starter to 150g flour and 150g water.
• If you're still having some troubles with your starter after week two, you can read through my post for troubleshooting tips and/or leave a comment with your questions.
• Happy baking!

What is the difference between using the sourdough starter and the discard in a recipe?

Great question! A lot of people get the two confused, but it's really simple to understand once you know the difference.

Discard is the portion of the gluten free sourdough starter that is removed before every feeding. Remember, you don't actually throw this portion away. The discarded portion of starter is considered inactive. This is because the wild yeast and bacteria have already consumed all of the energy - the flour and water - and no new energy is added to it. Because the discard is no longer active, it can be used in recipes that don't need yeast to leaven them. Think of all the baked goods you can make that don't need rise time - pancakes, brownies, cookies, banana bread and other quick-breads, crackers, pie crust, discard pizza crust, etc.

Starter, on the other hand, is the active portion of your sourdough. The wild yeast and bacteria feed on the newly added flour and water at each feeding, consuming the energy and producing carbon dioxide, giving it (and your baked goods) a rise. You'll typically want to use your starter at peak rise to bake bread and other goods that need to rise, such as pizza dough or focaccia.

If you're still confused, read more about it here: Sourdough Starter vs. Discard | What is the Difference? | Gluten-Free Sourdough

Now you can see that making a sourdough starter yields two forms of baking; discard is a more relaxed form of sourdough baking that allows you to make goods that don't need to rise, and the active starter is used for baking bread or other goods that need rise time. Soon you'll find yourself eating sourdough at any and every opportunity.

Where to Store an Established/Active Gluten Free Sourdough Starter:

There are two places you can store your starter: at room temperature on the counter or in the fridge in a kind of sleep mode. Below are my recommendations on which option to choose based on how frequently you want to use your starter. Basically, you will learn over time to get in a groove with your starter where you know if you want to bake on this day, then you have to prep it on these days.

For frequent bakers:

• Want to bake bread or baked goods that require rise time two or more times a week?

If you're this type of baker, I recommend always leaving your starter out at room temperature on the counter. Note: To reduce flour usage and cost, you may want to keep a smaller starter (50g or less) on the daily and then feed two large feeds (150g or more) before baking.

For infrequent bakers:

• Want to bake bread or baked goods that require rise time once a week? Maybe you don't even know when, maybe once a month?

If you're this type of baker, I recommend storing your starter in the refrigerator. This is because you aren't baking with it enough to justify feeding it daily (using up flour unnecessarily which increases cost to maintain). Simply remove the starter from the fridge one or two days ahead of when you want to bake and give it two big feedings. For example: If Friday's are your baking day, remove the starter from the fridge Thursday morning. Discard and feed Thursday morning, then discard and feed Thursday night. Note: Keep in mind that if you're not baking with the starter once a week, it's still important to get it out and discard and feed the starter once a week while it's being kept in the refrigerator. This prevents mold growth and keeps the starter happy.

Where to store Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard: Do I have to do anything to maintain it?

I recommend storing sourdough discard in a glass jar (or jars) in the refrigerator. It's totally fine to keep adding to the same jar over a period of different feedings and discards, simply just give it a stir every once in awhile to mix the older discard in with the new. Also, be sure to pour off any hooch that collects on the top before adding in new discard or stirring it. If you mix the hooch in, the discard will become more sour.

Sourdough discard can last a good while in the fridge (I've kept my oldest batch up to three weeks), but it's best used in recipes that don't need active yeast within 1-2 weeks. The older the discard, the more sour the flavor will be. It's recommended to use newer discard for sweet recipes such as pancakes, and older discard for more savory recipes such as crackers, etc. Honestly, I've used two week old discard in pancakes and didn't notice a difference. It really depends on your starter - the flours you use, hydration ratio, and frequency in which its maintained.

You don't have to do anything to maintain sourdough discard, other than giving it a stir here and there if it's been sitting awhile. Some people online claim to feed their sourdough discard - this sounds crazy to me. Discard is no longer active, therefore you don't need to feed it. Feeding it would essentially be like creating a whole other jar of starter.

If you have more discard than you can use up, you can also freeze it for later use. Just make sure it's completely defrosted before using it in a recipe.

Can I turn a traditional wheat sourdough starter gluten-free by switching flours?

Yes and no. This really depends on why you're asking. Since we only discard a portion of the starter at a time and add in new flour, you can never be certain what amount of wheat or gluten still resides in the mixture. It could take a really long time to turn it completely gluten-free, if ever.

Were you just diagnosed with Celiac Disease and can no longer ingest wheat? In this case, I highly recommend starting over with all new gluten-free flours. It's not worth it to risk ingesting any amount of gluten. It only takes about two weeks to make a starter, so you'll be baking bread again in no time.

Are you just wanting to try out eating gluten-free with no medical diagnosis? In this case, it would be totally fine to use your current starter but swap to gluten-free flour. However, keep in mind it takes a long time to turn it (if ever) completely gluten-free, so it may not be a fair trial period to see if going gluten-free makes you feel any better or worse.

Troubleshooting:

What consistency should my gluten free sourdough starter be?

We're going for thick and pasty. Some people describe it as thick pancake batter, but I don't think this is a good description - that sounds too watery from my experience and too much room for personal interpretation. The consistency should be very thick (pasty when stirred) but still settle into a flat, smooth surface on the top when at rest. You can wiggle the jar to get it to flatten. If it isn't smooth on the top and staying chunky, add a little more water (no more than 5-10g at a time). If it's too thin and watery, you might have overdone it on the water and will need to increase the flour. Be sure to reduce the amount of water at next feed so you can maintain your starter at the desired amount of grams.

What do I do if my gluten free sourdough starter isn't doubling in size or bubbling much?

Sometimes a sourdough starter will rise and double in the first few days of being established and then become inactive for a time after. This is kind of a false start due to the good bacteria fighting off the bad.

For good rise and doubling, always be sure that your starter is the right consistency. See above section. If it's been a week or longer and your starter still isn't rising much, you can try adding in 1 teaspoon of honey per feed for a couple of days or until bubbly. This increases the amount of sugar for the yeast to feed on, and should make it quite happy. It's always good to place the starter in a warm place as well, between mid-to-upper 70s to 80 degrees. Just keep in mind that if the location is warm, you may need to feed and discard the starter twice a day or it will produce a lot of hooch and could start smelling like acetone.

Another thing you could try to give your starter a boost is switching up the flour you're using. Using only sorghum? Add in some brown rice flour, or do a 50/50 mix of both. I personally find I have the best bubbles with super fine brown rice flour. Sorghum rises for me, but not quite as much.

What do I do if there's mold or an off color on my starter or jar?

If you just have a grey or dark liquid on top, that's hooch and it's perfectly safe to just pour it off and keep trudging along. It just means the starter is hungry or unbalanced. See definition of hooch in the Common Sourdough Terminology section.

Small visible white mold spots can be scraped off with a spoon, the starter underneath still being safe to use. I haven't had this experience - I'd honestly probably throw it out but I tend to overreact.

However, if you're seeing any kinds of orange or pinkish hues or streaks either on the starter or the jar, you will need to scrap the whole project and start again with a clean jar. This is a bad kind of bacteria that can cause infections. This seems to be a pretty rare occurrence, and I have not experienced it myself. This bacteria may be caused by the environment in which the starter is kept. In other words, be sure that your starter isn't too close to the sink or any vents blowing air, and keep the counter or surface the jar is on wiped clean and dry.

Why does my gluten free sourdough starter smell like acetone/nail polish remover? Is it safe to use?

Yes, it's safe to use and keep baking with a sourdough starter that smells strongly like acetone. All this smell means is that your starter is very hungry/unbalanced. Be sure that you are feeding it the proper ratios and getting it to the proper consistency. Read above sections under Troubleshooting for more details on consistency. It's also possible that you aren't feeding the starter as frequently as you should. A starter kept at room temperature or in a warm place, especially in humid environments or in the summer time, will need to be fed and discarded twice a day instead of once.

To get rid of the strong acetone smell as quickly as possible, I recommend discarding a little more of the starter than normal (for example: get it down to 50g instead of 100g), and feed and discard twice a day. It may take several weeks to normalize.

Other smells that can occur may come off as vinegary or sweet, this is also completely safe. If your starter has a foul smell that causes you to wrinkle up your nose and doesn't smell like acetone or vinegar, you should probably throw it out and start again with a new clean jar.

Can I use a gluten-free all purpose flour mix for my starter?

No, please don't!

Do not use all purpose gluten-free flour mixes to create a gluten free sourdough starter. Think Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 or King Arthur GF Measure for Measure. While many have reported initial success using AP flour mixes, you can encounter trouble down the line. This is because these flour mixes don't contain pure whole grain flour but are mixed with starches and gums. These starches and gums are completely unnecessary ingredients in a starter and affects the texture, making it stretchy or gummy or just plain strange. It's also much more expensive to feed a starter off of branded mixes.

When should I switch out the jar/transfer to a clean jar?

In some pictures of sourdough starter you see online, you'll notice a messy jar with starter stuck around the rim or smears climbing up the jar. Even though we're in the business of fermenting, it's important to keep a tidy jar. Always scrape down the sides of the jar into the starter to keep them clean of smears (potential places for mold growth). I also like to wipe the mouth and just under the rim of the jar, where condensation can build up and cause mold over time.

Additionally (I'm a little OCD about this, but I do live in a humid climate), I have four cloth squares for the top of the jar that I switch between. I switch them out about once a week and wash it to give it a refresh. If you're especially troubled, you could switch to a new washed and dried clean jar every other week, giving the old jar a nice run through the dishwasher. If using a mason jar lid, you can also run those through the dishwasher and replace.

For switching jars, simply wait until the next discard/feeding time and spoon the starter into the new clean jar.

I've read to discard half of the starter at every feed. Do I have to discard half?

This is another instance of misinformation. A lot of guides suggest discarding half of the sourdough starter at every feed, but this isn't the most accurate wording or method. As earlier mentioned, I recommend 100% hydration which means maintaining equal parts starter-to-flour-to-water. This means for 100g of starter, you need to feed it 100g of water and 100g of flour.

The problem with discarding HALF of the starter is that it will quickly become unbalanced. 100g of starter + 100g water + 100g flour = 300 grams total. If you divide 300g in half, that's 150g. Now you would be feeding 150g starter with 100g flour and 100g water. Then, at the next feeding, the starter would now weigh 350g (150+100+100). If you divide 350g in half, you'll have 175g starter. As you can see, by dividing the starter in HALF, your starter will grow in size every day, day after day. The starter will outnumber the flour and water ratios, starving the wild yeasts and bacteria of their food source. You will likely have a starter that produces a lot of hooch and smells strongly of acetone.

Instead of dividing the starter in half, I recommend discarding it down to your desired amount of grams to maintain. For example: If you want to maintain 100g of starter, remove as much discard as it takes until you get down to 100g left. To do this, you must first place the jar with the starter in it on a kitchen scale, then subtract the weight of the jar itself (measured previously before the starter was ever in it) from the weight currently on the scale. Then, spoon out enough starter until there's only 100g left in the jar. Place the discard in a jar and refrigerate. Finally, feed the remaining starter with 100g flour and 100g water and give it a stir.

Let's say the jar by itself weighs 338 grams, but with the starter it weighs 638 grams. That means the starter weighs 300g. If you want to only maintain 100g of starter, you will need to discard 200 grams. As you can see, this is much more than half. I like to subtract the total weight (638) from what I need to discard (200g), which equals 438g. Leave the jar on the scale and spoon out the starter until the weight goes down to 438g. Then, you add in your 100g flour and 100g water, bringing it right back up to 638g total with the jar. You should be able to get really comfortable with this method, and it will guarantee a well balanced starter.

I don't know if I want to make a starter from scratch. Is there anywhere I can buy a gluten-free sourdough starter?

Yes, this Sourdough Starter Culture packet gives you a head start with a dehydrated gluten-free sourdough starter culture and directions to follow to maintain it for years to come. I love this website because there's also cheesemaking, yogurt, kombucha, and fermented vegetable kits. (Use the code WONDERS15X on Cultures For Health's website to get 15% off!) The GF starter is also available for purchase on Amazon here.

You can also check a local Facebook group to see if anyone in your area has a gluten-free starter they can share. (Do your due diligence in vetting the source when scheduling meet-ups and guaranteeing it's Celiac-safe.)

Just keep in mind that even if you purchase a starter, you will need to learn how to maintain one. This means no matter if you start it from scratch or buy a part of an existing culture, you will need to get comfortable with feeding, discarding, and baking with sourdough.

Did you make this Gluten Free Sourdough Stater? Leave a 5-Star Rating Below!

You can also join my Facebook group, Gluten Free Sourdough Baking Recipes and Advice, to share recipes, post photos, and get advice in live time. Currently we have 6000 members and growing!

What are you going to name your gluten free sourdough starter?

For the longest time, my starter was nameless. I didn't want to get too connected with it in case it went kaput and I didn't want to pick a name just for the sake of a picking a name - it felt weird to me.

However, one day it occurred to me that I take my starter out of the fridge and feed it on Wednesday's. Well, now my starter's name is Wednesday! Both for the love of Wednesday Addams, and so I never forget what day of the week I'm supposed to feed it. Of course, this could get very confusing if I decided to change my baking day and then it turns out Wednesday starts getting fed on Friday, but nevertheless...

Let me know in the comments what you're going to name your starter, or what the name of your current one is!