Wholemeal Gluten Free Sourdough Kit Recipe
1. Gather your tools & ingredients
Before you begin, make sure you have:
The wholemeal gluten-free flour (green 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 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 80–100 g active starter for this loaf and remember to keep some back to maintain your culture.
3. Mixing & initial rest
Add to a large bowl:
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wholemeal GF flour | 500 g |
| Water (room temp) | 550 g |
| Active starter | 80–100 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, 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 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