You’re just one loaf away from something special!

This recipe is for the White Gluten Free Sourdough Bread Kit. If you purchased the Gluten Free 1-1 Baking Flour please head along to this recipe

Thanks for choosing a DMG Gluten-Free Sourdough kit. Whether you’re totally new to sourdough or experienced but new to gluten-free baking, this guide is designed to walk you through the process, step by step, so you feel confident and get a great result.

Tip: Read through the whole guide first, watch the videos then gather your tools and ingredients and start. Knowing what’s ahead always reduces stress and boosts enjoyment.

1. Gather your tools & ingredients

Before you begin, make sure you have:

The specially-selected white gluten fee bread mix by Wild Sourdough that came in your kit (this blend is chosen for best sourdough performance so please don’t substitute a supermarket gluten-free flour, you wont acheive the same results).

• Active starter at peak rise. (See step 2 for starter activation and feeding)
• A large mixing bowl.
• A kitchen scale (accurate weighing strongly recommended).
• A dough whisk & spatula to gently combine (gluten-free dough is different in feel).
• Optional: A bowl scraper for sticky dough, but it’s not critical.
• A cast iron Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot (for best crust and oven-spring).
• An oven that can reach at least ~250 °C.
• A clean bench surface and patience, gluten-free sourdough needs a little different handling than traditional grains.

2. Starter & activation

• If you've just received your kit, ensure your gluten-free starter is active, bubbly and ready. See here for instructions.
  
  
• If you've baked before but your starter hasn’t been fed recently: feed your 30-50 g starter with 55g of warm water and mix until mostly dissolved. Then add 50 g your kit’s white flour (in the kraft paper style packaging), mix until no dry spots remain.
  
  Let it ferment at ~24-27 °C until bubbly and about 30-50% larger which can take 2-6 hrs depending on ambient temperature. Gluten free starters wont double in size like wheat/rye/spelt. You'll know its ready when you see bubbles distributed throughout the starter.
  
  
• Only use the correct amount of starter for your dough and leave some left over to keep your culture going for the next bake (30-50g). The suggested recipe uses around 100 grams of active starter. 

3. Mixing ingredients

In a medium/large bowl, weigh and mix together your dry ingredients

• 350g White Gluten Free Bread Mix flour.
• 8g sea salt.
• Optional: 30g seeds (linseed/flax/pepitas/sunflower)

Optional
1 tsp instant dried yeast. It's helpful for boosting fermentation in colder kitchens.

In a separate large bowl, weigh and combine the wet ingredients. Whisk to form an emulsion of the wet ingredients.

• Water (warm): 375-395 g (start at the lower end)
• Active starter: 100 g.
  
• Recommended additions:
•  15g (1 tablespoon) apple cider vinegar, and 
• 10-20 g olive oil to help with fermentation.
  

Now add the wet ingredient emulsion to your dry ingredients

Use the dough whisk or spatula to mix until no dry patches remain. If you used warm water, this will take up to 5mins. If you used cold water it can take up to 10 mins, but trust us, it's worth it!

Because it’s gluten-free, the dough will feel different, wetter at first and less elastic. Leave the dough to hydrate for a further 15 mins after mixing.

4. Shape & rise

1. Now turn the dough onto your bench (no need to flour the surface). Pat the surface to smooth it out.

2. Shape into your desired shape. You can roll the top of the dough in seeds of your choice for something a little extra, before placing (seeds up) into a lightly floured banneton or lined tin. 

3. The dough is ready to bake when it has risen by ~60% and looks domed.  Judge this by feel and height (use the ribs on the banneton as a guide), not just the clock. Anything more than 60% will lead to less oven spring.

• Cooler temps will lengthen fermentation time. At lower temperatures (less than 24 °C), be prepared for the dough to take some time to rise.  You can expect anything up to 8 hours if proofing in colder conditions. This is where yeast can help boost fermentation

5. Optional cold proof

Once your dough has rised by 50-60%, place the banneton in the fridge for a cold proof: Cover the banneton and dough with a plastic bag and place in the fridge for 8-12 hrs. 

6. Pre-heat & bake

1. Pre-heat your oven and with the Dutch oven or oven safe pot inside to 240-250 °C. Once it hits temperature, wait for another 30 -40 mins so the Dutch oven is also at preheated to 250 °C. 

2. For baking in a Dutch oven:

• Carefully place the proofed dough onto your dough sling in the same orientation it was proofed. (The top of the dough in the banneton will also be the top when baking) and place into the preheated Dutch oven or pot. 
  
  
• Score the top about 1.5-2cm (a clean cut helps the loaf expand).
  
  
• Optional: Drop 2-3 ice cubes in for steam and mist liberally with water. Commercial bakeries use steam in their ovens for the first part of their bake so we are essentially emulating this :)
  
  Bake at 240-250 °C with lid on for ~30 minutes. Then remove lid (purge steam), reduce temp to ~230 °C and bake for another 30-40 minutes (or until crust is your preferred colour). 
  
  
• If you have a temperature probe, it's ready when the internal temperature reaches 100°C and the crust is golden brown
  

3. If you don’t have a Dutch oven:

• Place the dough onto a baking steel/tray with baking paper.
  
  
• Spray the dough liberally with water for steam and bake at ~230 °C for 60-70 minutes. Or until the crust is golden brown and internal temperature is 100°C.

7. Cooling & slicing

• Once your loaf is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely  on a rack before slicing. We know it's torture , however cutting into your loaf too early will result in a gummy crumb.
  
  
• After cooling, slice and enjoy! This loaf is designed to be white, lighter in colour and flavour, with a crisp crust and soft crumb.

8. Troubleshooting & tips

• Dense or heavy loaf? Check proof time (did it rise ~50%?), ensure starter was active and warm.
• Under-proved dough? Might lead to lack of oven-spring — give a little more time next bake or use slightly warmer proofing temp.
• Over-proved? The structure may collapse, large holes or thin crust.
• Crust too dark / burning? Consider dropping oven temp 5-10 °C or shortening bake time; each oven behaves differently.
• Cold kitchen? Use warm spot for proofing or sonsider boosting with yeast (≈24-26 °C is ideal).

9. Enjoy & share your success

Once your loaf is cooled and sliced, spread your favourite topping or enjoy it plain. Because it’s gluten-free white sourdough, it’s perfect for everyday eating — sandwiches, toast, relish it!

We’d love to see how it turned out — tag us @DoughMyGodOfficial on Instagram to share your photo and thoughts. What surprised you? What will you try next time?

10. Where to go next

• Try a cold proof (proof in fridge overnight) for deeper flavour, once you’re comfortable.
• Try different shapes (batard, loaf tin) or add seeds/herbs.
• Keep your starter strong and healthy for regular baking.
  

Final Word

We’re so glad you’ve chosen Dough My God for your gluten-free sourdough journey. Baking your first loaf can feel big — but if you follow this guide you’re well on your way to delicious, confident results. Every bake teaches you something new.

Be patient, stay curious, and enjoy. Here’s to your first gluten-free sourdough loaf — and many more to come!

Need help?
If you hit any snags, or just want to share your success — get in touch at ohcrumb@doughmygod.com.au