Gluten-Free Beginner Sourdough Bread

Gluten-Free Beginner Sourdough Bread

Rebecca Gerritsen

The perfect sourdough recipe for beginners. The dough is easy to knead and shape. This bread has a soft, yet chewy interior, a beautiful open crumb and a wonderful crunchy crust.

Levain:
60 g active sourdough starter
120 g water
60 g brown rice flour
30 g light buckwheat flour
30 g gluten-free oat flour

Bread dough:
325 g water
22 g psyllium husk powder
300 g levain
15 g olive oil
25 g honey (optional)
90 g gluten-free oat flour
60 g brown rice flour
60 g light buckwheat flour
50 g potato starch
40 tapioca starch
10 g sea salt

BUILD THE LEVAIN
1. Weigh 60 grams of active sourdough starter in a clean jar, then add the water and whisk together.

2. Add the flours and mix until smooth; make sure there is no dry flour anywhere. Cover loosely and ferment the levain at warm room temperature for 6-8 hours, or until it is bubbly and it has risen to a peak, before mixing it into the dough.

MAKE THE DOUGH
1. In a bowl, whisk together the water and psyllium husk powder. Whisk vigorously until it is fully incorporated. After about 15-30 seconds, it will thicken and a gel will form. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix together the flours, starches and sea salt.

3. Add the ripe levain, the olive oil and the honey (if using) to the psyllium mixture and mix until everything is well incorporated.

4. Add the psyllium-levain mixture to the dry ingredients. By hand (I recommend using a large wooden spoon) or using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, knead the dough until it is smooth (about 5-10 minutes). Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour. The final dough should be moist and smooth with some bounce. It shouldn’t be sticky to the touch when you gently touch it with clean hands.

5. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled surface and, with lightly oiled hands, gently knead it into the shape of your banneton, folding sections of the dough back over themselves, rotating as you go. Flip the dough seam side downwards and gently rotate in place to seal the seams.

6. Dust an 18 cm (7 in) round or 25x13 cm (10 x 5 in) oval banneton with some brown rice flour and gently place the dough inside, seam side up. Cover with a damp tea towel and let the dough either proof in a warm place for 3-5 hours or proof in a warm place for about 1 hour before placing it in the refrigerator overnight (8-12 hours). To prevent the dough from drying out in the refrigerator, place it inside a reusable plastic bag.

The dough will not double in size but should expand and puff up. It may take a shorter or longer time than stated in the recipe for the dough to rise well, so remember to look for the soft, puffy texture instead of relying strongly on the exact timing.

7. About an hour before baking, place a Dutch oven or combo cooker on the lower middle oven rack; or a cast-iron skillet, baking steel or pizza stone on the lower middle oven rack and a baking tray (not glass) on the bottom shelf (not necessary if you have a steam oven). Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F).

8. Carefully turn the dough out of the banneton onto a piece of baking paper, and gently remove the excess of flour after the proof. To highlight your scoring, dust the dough with fresh flour using a small sieve. Smooth the surface before scoring the bread as desired.

To bake in a Dutch oven or combo cooker:
Remove the Dutch oven or combo cooker from the oven and carefully transfer the bread along with the baking paper into it. Use the sides of the baking paper as handles. Cover with the lid, return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove the lid and bake, steam-free, for a further 40-45 minutes.

To bake in a cast-iron skillet:
Remove the cast-iron skillet from the oven and carefully transfer the bread along with the baking paper into it. Use the sides of the baking paper as handles. Return the cast-iron skillet to the oven, pour some boiling water into the hot tray at the bottom of the oven and immediately close the oven door. Bake with steam for 25 minutes. Don’t open the oven door during that time. After 25 minutes, remove the water-filled tray from the oven and bake, steam-free, for a further 40-45 minutes.

To bake on a baking steel or pizza stone:
Slide a pizza peel underneath the baking paper and slide the bread along with the baking paper gently onto the baking steel or pizza stone. Pour some boiling water into the hot tray at the bottom of the oven and immediately close the oven door. Bake with steam for 25 minutes. Don’t open the oven door during that time. After 25 minutes, remove the water-filled tray from the oven and bake, steam-free, for a further 40-45 minutes.

To bake in a steam oven:
Just before placing the bread in the oven, turn on full steam. Slide a pizza peel underneath the baking paper and slide the bread along with the baking paper gently onto the baking steel or pizza stone. Bake with steam for 25 minutes, then switch off the steam and bake for a further 40-45 minutes in a dry oven.

Tip: If the loaf starts browning too quickly, cover with a piece of aluminium foil, shiny side up, and continue baking until done.

9. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing it, about two hours. This is very important because it allows the crumb to set and not be gummy.

STORAGE
Best eaten within 2 days. Store the bread in a bread box, paper bag or wrapped in a tea towel at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. On days 3 and 4 it is best to toast the bread. Keeps in the freezer for 3-6 months.

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