GF Sourdough

[GeordieGirl]

Due to a number of ongoing health issues one of the things I have had to do is cut gluten out of my diet.  

 

Now, I don't know what it is like where you live, but the texture of gluten-free bread that is made here is a cross between cardboard and rubber.  When I was in England I bought some wonderful GF bread which was almost like normal bread and although we can buy the same brand here, it is AUD8 per 350gm (12.3oz) loaf and because it is imported, it has been frozen.  However, one of the features of this bread is that it is made with sourdough, so I have done some research and I am now attempting to make my own sourdough starter so I can have a go at making my own GF bread.  

 

The sourdough method involves 'catching' natural airborne yeast and using that to make your bread so you don't have to use commercial yeast.  

 

I was wondering if anyone here has done this themselves and has any hints or tips as I am very new to this and it can be a bit hit and miss initially. 

[Ahuvah]

Watching with interest too.

[bohemian]

My wife has started to make a 'starter' too today.  This is her research.  She has culled information from all over, and her experience of previous sourdough starters she has made, which were successful.

 

 

MAKING A STARTER

Choose a suitable clear container.
Make a measure on the side (in order to measure growth).
Weigh the container, make a note of this. (I've taped this to the bottom).
Begin to make your "culture", and this process can take 5-7 days or so, depending on your room temperature. (THE CULTURE BECOMES the "starter").

The guidelines here assume an a.m. beginning.
DAY 1: weigh 50g RYE FLOUR, 50g WHITE FLOUR, and mix well with 100g water. (Boiled and cooled).......YES weight is important. *
This will become what is called a 100% hydration starter.
LEAVE FOR 24 hours

DAY 2: Check for signs of life (bubbling )
This may or may not have begun, if yes, continue the steps. (If none, you may leave longer, or continue.....it's yours, .......it's up to you).
Step - DISCARD ALL BUT 75g. VERY IMPORTANT* 
Step - NOW FEED THE CULTURE, 75g water, 25g rye flour, 50g white flour.
Beat well * cover loosely, leave 12 hours.
After 12 hours, discard, feed and beat as before with the 75:25:50 ratio.

DAY 3: am Continue as before, (even if it seems as though there is no life).
Pm as before, and each day every 12 hours thereafter.

WHEN the CULTURE doubles itself in 12 hours and looks bubbly, you may begin to feed it with white flour only (optional. This is because the yeast in the rye flour is a better but will have served the purpose in getting the culture going). 

DAY 5-7: the culture doubles in size in 8 hours. 
Congratulations - you now have a 100% hydration STARTER.

* Reason it's important: the culture needs to be fed its own weight regularly. Can you imagine the container size if you didn't discard? 
* Any discarded culture or STARTER can thenceforth be saved in the fridge, and incorporated in other baking or breads etc. Or just discard.
* Every time you have fed the culture, use a spatula and clean the inside of the container wall, and gently pat the top flat (but don't burst the bubbles), to enable you to see the level of growth.

 

 

Once you have done this, you can use it to make your bread (recipes abound on the internet).  
  

[GeordieGirl]

On 02/11/2016 at 7:30 AM, bohemian said:

My wife has started to make a 'starter' too today.  This is her research.  She has culled information from all over, and her experience of previous sourdough starters she has made, which were successful.

 

 

MAKING A STARTER

Choose a suitable clear container.
Make a measure on the side (in order to measure growth).
Weigh the container, make a note of this. (I've taped this to the bottom).
Begin to make your "culture", and this process can take 5-7 days or so, depending on your room temperature. (THE CULTURE BECOMES the "starter").

The guidelines here assume an a.m. beginning.
DAY 1: weigh 50g RYE FLOUR, 50g WHITE FLOUR, and mix well with 100g water. (Boiled and cooled).......YES weight is important. *
This will become what is called a 100% hydration starter.
LEAVE FOR 24 hours

DAY 2: Check for signs of life (bubbling )
This may or may not have begun, if yes, continue the steps. (If none, you may leave longer, or continue.....it's yours, .......it's up to you).
Step - DISCARD ALL BUT 75g. VERY IMPORTANT* 
Step - NOW FEED THE CULTURE, 75g water, 25g rye flour, 50g white flour.
Beat well * cover loosely, leave 12 hours.
After 12 hours, discard, feed and beat as before with the 75:25:50 ratio.

DAY 3: am Continue as before, (even if it seems as though there is no life).
Pm as before, and each day every 12 hours thereafter.

WHEN the CULTURE doubles itself in 12 hours and looks bubbly, you may begin to feed it with white flour only (optional. This is because the yeast in the rye flour is a better but will have served the purpose in getting the culture going). 

DAY 5-7: the culture doubles in size in 8 hours. 
Congratulations - you now have a 100% hydration STARTER.

* Reason it's important: the culture needs to be fed its own weight regularly. Can you imagine the container size if you didn't discard? 
* Any discarded culture or STARTER can thenceforth be saved in the fridge, and incorporated in other baking or breads etc. Or just discard.
* Every time you have fed the culture, use a spatula and clean the inside of the container wall, and gently pat the top flat (but don't burst the bubbles), to enable you to see the level of growth.

 

 

Once you have done this, you can use it to make your bread (recipes abound on the internet).  
  

Thank you for this information but unfortunately I can't use the flours you have suggested because they contain gluten.  I am using organic brown rice flour which is gluten free.  Using gluten free flour makes a difference to the rise so you don't have to discard any as it doesn't rise in the same way.  However, although it hasn't risen yet, after 6 days, it is still alive and is bubbling and smells the way it should so I know it's still going okay. Just a matter of patience, I suppose ... a quality I am working on so this is another way to practice it. 

[tekmantwo]

On 11/1/2016 at 4:30 PM, bohemian said:

My wife has started to make a 'starter' too today.  This is her research.  She has culled information from all over, and her experience of previous sourdough starters she has made, which were successful.

 

 

MAKING A STARTER

 

  

 

14 hours ago, GeordieGirl said:

Thank you for this information but unfortunately I can't use the flours you have suggested because they contain gluten.  I am using organic brown rice flour which is gluten free.  Using gluten free flour makes a difference to the rise so you don't have to discard any as it doesn't rise in the same way.  However, although it hasn't risen yet, after 6 days, it is still alive and is bubbling and smells the way it should so I know it's still going okay. Just a matter of patience, I suppose ... a quality I am working on so this is another way to practice it. 

I'm not even going to pretend I can cook, to me it's some kind of dark art, foreign to this guy who lived on drive thru or microwaved TV dinners for way too long.  However,  I may have to try this.

 

 I love bread, the smell of it cooking will flat stop me in my tracks... I am glad you gave precise weights, when I read a recipe and see  'dash'  or  'pinch', I'm like, what the heck is that?...if I got a pinch of salt, you're over your levels for about a week,  I don't have small hands. 

And  'dash'....whats a footrace got to do with cooking? 

 

I'm German,  mostly, and I have a little machining and a lot of precision work in my background.  When someone says they're just gonna  'throw'  something together for dinner,  I can't watch...I will go insane.  Or maybe I have already,  how would I know?  All you all seem ok to me....

[GeordieGirl]

The quantities are the same for gluten free but it doesn't actually matter how much as long as the ratio is the same  ... 1:1  I started with 1/2 cup of flour/1/2 cup of filtered water and then fed it 3 times a day with 1/4 cup of each.  If you have a water filter on your tap you don't need to boil your water.

 

Anyway, I got up this morning and there it was - a beautifully risen GF sourdough starter.  So exciting.  I am about to go and have my first try at making GF Sourdough bread.  Watch this space, I will update you with how it goes.  Maybe. Unless it's a total disaster and then you might not hear from me at all.    

[tekmantwo]

Nice...

Hope it works for you,  it's a great start. ..

[blue-jay]

On November 6, 2016 at 1:22 AM, GeordieGirl said:

The quantities are the same for gluten free

 

What kind kind of flour did you use? A store bought gluten free flour blend?

[GeordieGirl]

2 hours ago, blue-jay said:

What kind kind of flour did you use? A store bought gluten free flour blend?

I used organic brown rice flour that I bought from the shop, sister Jay.   Haven't made the perfect loaf of bread yet though it is improving each time,  but it makes awesome pancakes and I also made some very yummy pumpkin scones with it. 

[Tortuga]

14 hours ago, GeordieGirl said:

yummy pumpkin scones

We love pumpkin scones, we had some at a Starbucks in the airport in Hawaii once, they must have been made locally because we haven't found the same ones at any other Starbucks..