Gluten Free Sourdough Bread

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Love this bread, I’m now experimenting with different GF flours. One thing that has been consistent is a white, hard crust on the top. I thought it might be a hydration issue, so for the latest loaf, I made the dough moister than the other two loaves I’ve tried. Same thing. I bulk ferment for about 5-6 hours on the counter, put the dough into a loaf pan & proof in the fridge overnight, then bake in a 475-degree oven for 1-hour. The bread is delicious but doesn’t look very pretty as it doesn’t have a nice brown crust. Any thoughts? Thanks for such a great recipe!

Are you baking this recipe in a loaf pan rather than an enclosed baking vessel like a dutch oven? That could be causing it to dry out. The high temp may be too much for a loaf that isn’t baked with trapped steam.

Hi there! I would also try to proof it overnight in the fridge in a bowl or basket covered with a damp towel. See if that helps!

Thanks so much, and this makes sense. I have some in the oven now in a pre-heated loaf pan covered by another loaf pan. I’ll see if that helps keep the steam in & will let you know how it works.

Melissa, thank you! It worked & the bread is delicious. It looks nice also.

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I’m glad it turned out well!

While GF Sourdough Starter took more feedings and more days to build than any wheat/AP starter I’ve made, it’s been so hardy and responsive so far!

I think I’ve pulled it from the refrigerator and fed it maybe three times since mid October, and it always doubled within 6-8 hours.

Finally I’m actually baking with it again…an attempt at a true celiac-friendly loaf. Meaning nothing was milled in my wheaty Mockmill, and I was super careful in my use of containers and tools.

I can’t wait to see how it comes out.

Here it is. Thank you @SiePatters for the awesome starter method and bread recipe!

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@Fermentada THAT’S a gluten-FREE loaf? Totally impressive! And the scoring is so pretty too.

Leah

Wowza! Gorgeous! How does it taste?

Thanks @Leah1 and @joesterreicher

I won’t be tasting this one – it’s for a friend whose daughter has celiacs. But this recipe in general makes a really really good bread. As in, my picky gluten-spoiled kids like it.

The recipe used 350g Breadtopia GF bread flour and 100g of other GF flours. My first bake had oat flour for that 100g and it was so tasty. (My second bake was seriously overproofed and was super-sour.) This third bread has 100g brown rice flour, and fermentation was on point, so I suspect it’ll be good.

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Thoughts on using teff flour for the other GF flour, Mellissa? I love the flavors of teff.

I suspect it would work fine. Let’s loop @SiePatters in on this teff question since she may have used it in her GF breads (or regular breads).

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I actually haven’t used Teff in gluten free or regular sourdough breads yet.

When I baked this loaf the crumb was very wet a spongy. I’ve only tried a few gluten free formulas (my daughter-in-law is gluten sensitive) and this one showed the most promise. The taste was enjoyable enough, but the crumb was so spongy it made it not edible. I baked it for 60 minutes at 475, the bottom was as dark and crusty as it could get without burning. I did get a bit of oven spring. I used the full amount of water (550 grams) because it took that much to get the dough to fully mix. My starter was performing well (though I did use white rice flour instead of brown rice because I had much of white on hand). Any suggestions? I’m rather new at the gluten free side of sourdough.

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I used the lower water amount with my last bake (brown rice flour). I guess I suggest using the lower amount of water. It takes more time for the flours to hydrate, and the dough looks like the surface of a brain and not smooth, but that should help the crumb be dryer.

I used teff and Breadtopia’s gluten free flour to make bagels this evening. I still don’t love the texture but the teff was a very nice addition. Will try in a gluten-free boule some day soon.

Same here. I’ve tried this recipe a few times and it’s always spongy and kind of wet inside, gummy really, which is inedible. I also baked for 60 min on 475F and any longer the bread would burn. Any words of wisdom?

I used 450-470 grams of water and the results were rather excellent. Of all the gluten-free recipes I’ve tried for my gluten-free daughter-in-law when they visit our home, this one is by far the best. Lower hydration was definitely the key for me, and she said it was the best GF bread she has eaten.

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@RobDavis @crismreis I’ve edited the recipe to list the @SiePatters 's original 470g water rather than a range of 470-550g. Mea culpa there! While I’d needed more than 470g water for home-milled oat flour as the complement to the GF bread flour, I think this is very rare and it’s best to use the smaller amount of water 99% of the time. It should require some work to incorporate all the dry ingredients, but the rise will be taller and the crumb not damp.

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