Wholemeal Gluten Free Sourdough Kit Recipe
1. Gather your tools & ingredients
Before you begin, make sure you have:
The wholemeal gluten-free flour (green or black packaging) included in your kit and the white gluten-free 1-to-1 flour to feed your starter (this blend is chosen for best sourdough performance — please don’t substitute a supermarket gluten-free flour, you wont acheive the same results).
- Active starter at peak rise
- A large mixing bowl
- A kitchen scale (accurate weighing = gluten-free success!)
- A dough whisk or spatula
- Bowl scraper
- A cast iron Dutch oven or oven safe pot with lid
- An oven that reaches ~240–250 °C
- A clean bench, patience, and a little curiosity
2. Starter & activation
Ensure your gluten-free starter is active, bubbly and at its peak. Ensuring your starter it at its peak activity is cruicial in a great rise! If you haven’t fed it recently, feed:
- 30–50 g starter with:
- 50 g white 1-1 baking flour gluten-free flour. Its important to feed your starter with the white gluten free flour as the wholemeal (green or black packaging) contains some salt and can slow down fermentation a little.
- 50 g water
Let it rest at ~24 °C until risen, light and bubbly.
Use 100 g active starter for this loaf and remember to keep some left over to maintain your culture.
3. Mixing & initial rest
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wholemeal GF flour | 500 g |
|
Water (if using green packaging) Water (if using black packaging |
550 g 575-600 g |
| Active starter | 100 g |
| Salt (optional) | up to 7 g |
**The GF wholemeal flour already contains salt. If desired you can add up to 7g (roughly 1 teaspoon) but stick with a scale for accuracy!
Optional (but highly recommended) helpful additions:
- 10–14 g (1 Tbsp) apple cider vinegar — boosts fermentation & structure
- 20 g olive oil — improves softness and moisture
- 1 whole egg or egg white (improves the final product consistency)
Optional. Skip this step unless you are struggling to see a rise in your dough. Remembering that it can take up to 6-8 hrs for your gluten free dough to rise.
- 1 tsp instant dried yeast (nice extra lift in cold kitchens)
Mixing:
In your large bowl, weigh and combine the wet ingredients first. Whisk to form an emulsion.
Then add the flour and mix/stir until fully combined with no dry flour patches. Wholemeal GF dough may feel thicker or grainier than the white GF dough — this is normal. Mix for up to 10 minutes to fully hydrate.
Rest:
Cover and allow to rest until the dough has doubled in size. This can take up to 8 hrs with sourdough. If you're using yeast, it is roughly 30 mins.
4. Shape & final proof
After the initial rest and rise, once the dough has doubled in size, mix the dough again. It sounds counterintuitive but it helps degas the dough and actually leads to a better oven spring!
Now turn the dough onto your bench (no need to flour the surface). Pat the dough to smooth the surface.
Place into a floured banneton or lined tin and allow to final proof at ~21–24 °C.
Because wholemeal flour is heavier and higher in fibre, proofing may take longer than white GF dough. Once the dough has risen by ~50%, youre ready to bake— expect up to 8+ hours if you're proofing in the fridge.
Ready when:
- Dough has risen by ~50%
- Surface feels lighter/aerated
- Domed top
Don't push past 50% rise — overproofing reduces oven spring.
5. Preheat & bake
Preheat oven and Dutch oven/pot to 240–250 °C with the dutch oven inside for 30–45 minutes.
If using a Dutch oven:
- Gently flip your dough onto your dough sling and place into the hot dutch oven (smooth side up)
- Score the top
- Mist the loaft with water
- Optional: Drop 2 ice cubes in for steam. Commercial bakeries use steam in their ovens for the first part of their bake so we are essentially emulating this :)
- Bake 30 minutes with lid on
- Remove lid (purge steam), reduce to 230 °C and bake 30–40 minutes more or until crust is firm and deep golden
Without a Dutch oven:
Bake on a tray at 230 °C for 60–70 minutes (Liberally spray your dough with water right before popping it in to the oven, similar to the steps above. We are trying to create a steamy environment for the initial phase of the bake).
If you have a temperature probe, you loaf’s internal temp should reach ~100 °C when fully baked.
6. Cooling & slicing
Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Wholemeal GF loaves benefit from a longer cool — at least 45–60 minutes — so the crumb fully sets.
7. Troubleshooting & tips
| Issue | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dense / heavy | Underproved | Give more time or warmth |
| Won’t rise much | Starter not strong enough | Starter at peak rise before baking |
| Crust too dark | Oven too hot | Reduce by 5–10°C |
| Gummy interior | Sliced too soon | Extend cool time |
8. Enjoy & share
Once cooled, slice and enjoy — this loaf shines with savoury toppings, toasting, or as a hearty everyday bread. The wholemeal flavour is more earthy and nourishing than white GF, with a tender crumb and great structure.
Tag us @DoughMyGodOfficial — we LOVE seeing your bakes!
9. Where to next?
✔ Try an overnight cold proof for deeper flavour
✔ Add seeds or rosemary for extra texture
✔ Use our DMG Bakers Calculator to customise hydration