By Wendy Stoltz and Florina Dobre / Last Modified On March 7, 2023

If you're a fan of our tried and tested gluten-free bread recipe, you are going to be thrilled about this new recipe for gluten-free sourdough bread! While our other bread recipe is meant to bake in a bread machine or a loaf pan, this one makes a beautiful free-form rustic loaf. 

Your sandwiches will be heavenly on slices of this tangy, chewy, homemade sourdough. Learn all of our best tips and tricks for making the perfect sourdough bread gluten-free.  

I have step-by-step instructions for your to make your own gluten-free sourdough starter, which you will need for this recipe. Once you've mastered it, try these gluten-free sourdough waffles. Looking for more gluten-free bread recipes, these gluten-free rolls are light and fluff, or this gluten-free bread recipe you can make in the oven or in a bread machine.

Want to become a sourdough master? Consider this Gluten-Free Sourdough Masterclass. Udemy also has some other gluten-free cooking courses you must sign up for! Like this gluten-free artisan bread course.

Gluten-free Sourdough Bread Recipe

Making bread, and especially sourdough bread is really an art form. I loved starting the process off by making my very own sourdough starter from scratch. Learning all the ins and outs of the starter is a really interesting process. Waiting 2 weeks until I could use it was not fun.

Once the wait for the starter was over, I immediately had no time to waste. I made this recipe with a few tests and then perfected it more each time. This is the result you've been waiting for. So get your sourdough starter ready or ask a friend for some and follow these steps for a truly amazing gluten-free sourdough bread that is so rewarding to make and even better to eat with a slathering of butter.

Why You’re Going to Love This Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

Making your own bread is so rewarding - There is nothing more rewarding than making your own homemade bread and marveling at it once it is out of the oven. 

Tastes so good - I personally prefer the taste of homemade bread more than store-bought.

No nasties - You know exactly what you have placed in your homemade bread, so no added nasties.

Ingredients In Gluten-free Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Starter - In order to make this bread, you'll need an active gluten-free sourdough starter. The starter provides yeast and also the characteristic sour flavor you want in a sourdough loaf. See the recipe card or the instructions above to learn more about this process. The best-case scenario is that you have a gluten-free friend who can share their starter with you so that you can make this recipe right away.

Warm Water - You don't want the water to be too hot or too cold when you're working with sourdough yeast. Tepid, lukewarm water is ideal for making dough. 

Instant Yeast - This might not be entirely necessary, and I know that it sort of defeats the purpose of using a natural yeast source to make sourdough,  but I add it in to be extra sure that this bread gets a good rise and has lots of airy texture. Gluten-free bread needs all the help you can give it sometimes! 

Sea Salt - To give the bread a bit of flavor. 

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour - This has been tested using our gluten-free flour blends, King Arthur's Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, and Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour (plus 2 tablespoons of xanthan gum). You can experiment using other flours or blends, but you may come out with different results. 

Xanthan Gum - Only add this if your flour blend doesn't already include it. Some, like the King Arthur brand,  have added it for you already!

Equipment Needed for This Gluten-free Sourdough Bread Recipe

To make this simple, rustic loaf of bread, you don't really need any fancy tools. As you get more and more into bread baking,  you may want to look into some of these specialty equipment: 

Danish Dough Whisk - Instead of using your hands or a wooden spoon to mix the dough, this tool was made especially for the job!

Dutch Oven - You can bake a loaf of bread on a metal baking sheet, but if you'd like an extra crusty loaf, you'll want to try baking it in a 5-6 quart Dutch Oven instead.

Banneton Basket or a large glass bowl - This is where your bread will rest to proof before baking. 

If you have any questions about making gluten-free sourdough bread, please leave a comment and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

How To Make Gluten-free Sourdough Bread Recipe

1. Combine all your ingredients in a large bowl. Mix, then knead to form a smooth sourdough bread dough.
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for 2 hours in a warm place until it's double in size.
3. Shape the dough by pulling the edges into the center. Turn it over, so the seam is on the bottom of the dough. Form a ball and then let the dough rest for another 15 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C while the dough rests. 
5. Place the ball of dough on a lightly greased, parchment-lined baking sheet. Dust the top of the dough with flour, and use a sharp knife to cut into the top of the loaf. This will allow the loaf to expand and create crispy ridges on the crust. 
6. Bake for 30 minutes at 400°/200°C.  Then reduce the heat to 350°F/180°C and bake for 30 minutes more, until the crust of the bread is a dark golden brown. 

How To Make A Gluten-free Sourdough Starter

Follow our full instructions on our Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter recipe page.

If you know anything about making traditional sourdough bread, you probably understand that the key ingredient, and the thing that makes sourdough what it is, is a good sourdough starter. 

For a normal sourdough starter, this involves mixing wheat flour and rye flour together with water and leaving it out to collect wild yeast spores. You feed this yeast on a schedule in order to keep it alive and available for baking. 

You can get some gluten-free sourdough starter from a gluten-free friend, or you can ask at your local wheat-free bakery. 

It might be easier to make your own sourdough starter if those options aren't available to you, though. The full gluten-free sourdough starter recipe will be below, but here's the basic idea.

You may need 1-2 weeks to get a strong, working gluten-free sourdough starter, so plan ahead! 

1. Mix 1 cup of all-purpose gluten-free flour with ½ cup of cool water. I use King Arthur's Measure for Measure Flour for this. 
2. Cover the mixture with a clean towel and let it rest overnight at room temperature. 
3. The next day, discard half of the mixture, then feed it another cup of flour and another ½ cup of water. 
4. Repeat this process every day for 5 to 10 days. Sometimes it could take even longer.
5. The gluten-free sourdough starter is ready when you notice that it only takes a couple of hours for the mixture to double or triple in size rather than overnight. 

Once you have your gluten-free sourdough starter going, it can potentially be kept alive and working for a very long time for sourdough bread baking.

At room temperature, you'll need to feed the sourdough starter every 24 hours or so. 

You can also store the starter in the fridge in an airtight container. At the cooler temperature, it only needs to be fed once weekly. 

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions for gluten-free sourdough bread, please see the complete recipe below.

Tips For Making Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

Feed your gluten-free sourdough starter - Feed your starter at least 4-12 hours before making this sourdough bread recipe.

Follow the recipe - I would suggest sticking to the recipe. It is a tried and trusted recipe.

Use a kitchen scale - If possible, use a kitchen scale to get the correct grammage for the ingredients in this sourdough bread recipe.

Use a mature sourdough starter - Make sure the sourdough starter you use is about 2 weeks old. Preferably longer.

Make sure your bread bakes through - You do not want a gummy loaf, so make sure the bread is at 210 degrees F.

Let the sourdough dough rise - Let the dough rise until it is double in size. No need to use bulk fermentation which is when you let the dough rise for 6-10 hours. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Sourdough Bread Be Gluten-free?

Yes! We wouldn't be showing you this easy recipe if a delicious gluten-free sourdough bread wasn't possible. Not only is it possible to make gluten-free sourdough, but it's also actually easy and fun too!

We are skipping the wheat flour as always, and we have tested this recipe using different varieties of all-purpose gluten-free flour and are very pleased with the resulting loaves. 

This recipe for gluten-free sourdough bread has a dense, fluffy crumb and is super simple to make. 

How Do I Store Gluten-Free Sourdough?

Try to enjoy your sourdough bread when it's fresh. I know you'll want to after you smell it baking, and that's when it's the most delicious! 

Any leftovers can be wrapped up and stored on the counter for a few days. Older bread is delicious when toasted and topped with jam.

What Variations And Substitutions Can I Make In This Gluten-free Sourdough?

We've made this recipe simple on purpose. Are there other flours that might work better? Maybe, but we didn't test them here. If you want to make substitutions in the recipe, feel free, but understand that it will be an experiment.

Come back and let us know how different flours worked for you, please!

Can I Make Dairy-free, Gluten-Free Sourdough?

Sourdough bread is a dairy-free food! Enjoy this bread recipe that is both gluten and dairy free. 

Is Trader Joe's Sourdough Bread Gluten-free?

No, Trader Joe's sourdough bread is not gluten-free.

Is Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread Healthy?

Yes, it is. Microflora in sourdough bread has benefits as it increases your body's ability to absorb vitamins and minerals. It is nutrient-dense, easier to digest, and has a lower glycemic index.

How Many Carbs Are In Gluten-free Sourdough Bread?

This GF sourdough bread recipe has 114g of carbs in it. 

Can You Make Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread Without A Starter?

Yes, you can. And no, it is not with a gluten-free flour blend. You could replace the starter with a milk kefir. However, I have not tested this recipe with these ingredients yet.

What Can I Do When My GF Sourdough Bread Is Gummy Inside?

Bake it until it reaches the correct temperature - Make sure your bread is at 210 degrees F before removing it.

Cool your bread - It is important to let your bread cool completely. I know how tempting it is to slice it immediately. Leave it for at least 6 hours.

Toast it - Toast your bread if it is gummy.

How Many Ppm Of Gluten Is In Sourdough Bread?

There has been some research into the differences between traditional yeasted bread and sourdough yeasted bread when it comes to gluten levels. The fact is that wheat-based sourdough bread has much less gluten in it than regular bread. This is because the dough goes through a process of fermentation where the bacteria in the starter actually start to break down the gluten in the flour. 

Instead of the 80,000ppm of gluten that is in typical bread, sourdough bread has about 2,000ppm.

For this reason, there are some non-celiac, gluten-intolerant folks who can actually eat sourdough without negative reactions. 

That said, I don't recommend that you risk it. Make this recipe instead, so you can be sure that there is NO gluten in your sourdough at all. 

Did you make this gluten-free sourdough bread recipe? Please leave me a comment below letting me know what you thought.