Gluten free, corn free, soy free sourdough starter

This is the starter before it is mixed. You can pour off the liquid (hooch) or mix it in. I decide based on how thick or thin the starter is.

After I accepted my new food status I began to bake and quickly discovered an aching for sourdough products. It was a difficult hunt searching for a gluten, soy and corn free sourdough starter but I have had some bread, pizza crust and pancake success.

How to make sourdough starter

• Materials
  

Glass container (no metal)

wooden spoon (no metal)

distilled or spring water (or some tap water which has sat out overnight)

raisins or grapes

rice, millet and sorghum flours

• Day 1
  

1 cup of rice flour

1 cup of spring water

10 raisins

Pour into glass container. Stir with wooden spoon. Top with raisins. Cover with a towel and sit in a warm, dark corner.

• Day 2
  

Remove raisins after about 12 hours.

1 cup of millet flour

1 cup spring water

Stir, cover and return to dark corner.

• Day 3
  

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup spring water

Stir, cover and return to dark corner

• Day 4
  

1 cup rice flour

3/4 cup spring water

Stir, cover and return to dark corner

• Day 5
  

1 cup rice flour

3/4 cup spring water

Stir, cover and return to dark corner

This is my starter right after I have fed and stirred it. It immediately begins to bubble.

• Your starter is finished when it rises and bubbles after it is fed (you add flour and water). Mine takes between 3 to 6 hours to double in size.
  


• If it begins to smell a bit 'sour' after the first few days, that is OK. It is a wild sourdough yeast!



• It may take more than five days to create the starter, just keep feeding.



• I added and removed the raisins to attract wild yeasts....I do not think you have to do this step.



• If you run out of room in your glass container, just pour some of the old starter out before you feed it some more.



• I lowered the amount of liquid because I thought my starter was too runny...adjust as you see fit. It should be the consistency of thick pancake batter.



• Once your sourdough is active take the following steps...
  

1. If you are baking often, leave your sourdough out on the counter. Feed every two days. You will also need to feed your starter to keep enough on hand to cook with.



2. You may also store your starter in the refrigerator and feed once every 10-14 days. I remove it from the cold, let it come to room temperature, feed it, let it rise and then put it back in the refrigerator. I give in between 18-24 hours after it has been fed before I return in to the refrigerator. Make sure the lid is tightly sealed (unless it is still bubbling, then wait until your starter has settled)
   

HAPPY BAKING!

Pizza crust, sourdough buckwheat pancakes, sourdough bread and cinnamon raisin sourdough bread recipes to follow.