Gluten-Free Sourdough White Bread

We love our gluten-free sourdough bread! But sometimes, nothing beats a classic white loaf. So we decided to give our tried-and-tested recipe a little twist and experiment with lighter gluten-free flours.

The result is a mild sourdough bread with a beautifully crisp crust and a soft, tender crumb. Perfect for breakfast, sandwiches, or simply enjoyed with a little butter.

We deliberately chose to bake with gluten-free sourdough because we often found the flavor of yeast-based breads a little too overpowering. And one of the most important things we’ve learned along the way? Don’t give up too quickly! With every loaf, you’ll get a better feel for the dough, and your sourdough starter will continue to mature and develop over time.

Reading time: Approx. 4 minutes

Preparation time: 20 minutes the evening before • Starter fermentation: 8–10 hours • Dough preparation: 30 minutes • Dough proofing: 2–3 hours • Baking time: 90 minutes

Ingredients for 1 Loaf

For the Sourdough Starter

• 140 g gluten-free sourdough starter
• 80 g gluten-free flour blend, e.g. Caputo
• 110 ml water, at room temperature

For the Bread Dough

• Prepared sourdough starter
• 160 g gluten-free rice flour blend, e.g. KOMEKO Toastgenuss
• 120 g tapioca starch
• 8 g salt
• 20 g psyllium husk powder
• 50 g sunflower seeds
• ½ tsp bread spice blend (cumin, fennel seeds, and coriander)
• 350 ml water, at room temperature
• 1/2 Teaspoon Xanthan

You’ll also need: A little gluten-free rice flour for dusting your work surface and proofing basket, plus some olive oil for your hands.

Let’s Get Baking!

1. Prepare the Sourdough Starter the Night Before

• The evening before baking, thoroughly mix the gluten-free sourdough starter, flour blend, and water in a large bowl.
• Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and leave the starter to ferment for approximately 8–10 hours at room temperature (24–28°C / 75–82°F).
• By the next morning, your starter should have visibly risen and developed small bubbles.

2. Prepare the Sunflower Seeds

• Place the sunflower seeds in a bowl and cover them completely with water. Leave them to soak.
• After soaking, drain off any excess water. This allows the seeds to absorb some moisture before being added to the bread dough.

3. Prepare the Bread Dough

• The next morning, it’s time to make the dough!
• First, combine the rice flour blend, tapioca starch, salt, and bread spice blend in a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, thoroughly whisk the psyllium husk powder with 350 ml of water. The mixture will quickly become thick and gel-like – that’s exactly what we want!
• Now add the prepared sourdough starter and drained sunflower seeds to the psyllium mixture.
• Combine everything with the dry ingredients and mix using a dough hook on medium speed for approximately 3 minutes, until a smooth, evenly combined dough forms.

4. Shape the Bread

• Transfer the dough onto a work surface lightly dusted with rice flour and gently shape it into a round loaf.
• The dough should still feel slightly moist but hold its shape well.
• Our tip: Rub a little olive oil onto your hands before shaping the dough. It works wonders for preventing the dough from sticking!
  

5. Let the Dough Rise

• Generously dust a proofing basket with rice flour and carefully place the shaped dough inside.
• Cover with a linen cloth and leave to rise in a warm place at approximately 25–28°C (77–82°F) for around 3 hours.
• The dough is ready for baking when it feels soft and elastic and has visibly risen.

6. Bake the Bread

• Once the dough has finished rising, carefully turn the proofing basket upside down and gently transfer the loaf into a cast-iron Dutch oven.
• Place the Dutch oven on the lowest rack of a cold oven. We deliberately skip preheating, allowing the sourdough a little extra time to rise inside the pot as the oven heats up.
• Score the surface of the loaf 2–3 times with a sharp knife or bread lame.
• Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and bake at 230°C / 445°F (fan-assisted oven) for approximately 90 minutes.
• Optional: If you prefer a darker, crispier crust, remove the lid for the final 30 minutes of baking.
• The bread is ready when the crust is beautifully browned and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

7. Let the Bread Cool Completely

• Remove the finished loaf from the Dutch oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
• We know it’s tempting, but don’t slice it too soon!
• Cooling is especially important when baking gluten-free sourdough bread. The crumb needs time to set properly. Cutting into the loaf too early can leave the inside sticky or cause the bread to collapse.
• A little patience really pays off!

Storage Tips

We keep our bread in the refrigerator, where it stays fresh for several days.

Alternatively, once the loaf has cooled completely, you can slice it and freeze it. This way, you’ll always have a portion of homemade gluten-free bread ready to enjoy for up to 3 months.

Our Shopping Tip

For this light sourdough bread, we particularly love using KOMEKO Toastgenuss, a gluten-free rice flour blend.

And if you’re looking for the perfect knife to slice your homemade gluten-free bread, you’ll find our specially marked gluten-free bread knife in our shop.

Our Verdict

A light, gluten-free sourdough loaf that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The sunflower seeds add a little bite, while the lighter flours give the bread its wonderfully mild flavor.

We can’t wait to hear what you think of this version!

Have you ever tried baking gluten-free white bread with sourdough? Let us know – we’d love to hear about your experiences and ideas!

Happy baking and enjoy!