Experiment in gluten free sourdough bread #1

Decided I wanted to try my hand at sourdough. I used to make it a lot before having to go gluten free and made some pretty killer bread. But working with non-wheat flour? That was going to require research and experimentation.

First up was making a GF sourdough starter. I found this recipe from Don't Waste the Crumbs and gave it a try.

So I pulled out my brown rice flour, a bowl, measuring cups and a coffee filter. Mixed up the rice flout with water and stashed the bowl on the microwave so it was out of the way and covered the bowl with the coffee filter.

Fed it for several days and I had wild yeast and live sourdough. Kept feeding it, tho not as regularly as the recipe said.

Finally was able to look at making bread, so I looked around and found this recipe on art of gluten-free Baking.

Started to gather my ingredients and realized I didn't have sorghum flour. So decided to use oat flour instead. Hauled out my kitchen scale and started assembling my dough.

Then I discovered I didn't have enough of a couple things. Starter for one, I was about a cup short. Same with my oat flour. Well, I was experimenting so onward I went.

I used fresh whey from the yogurt I had just strained instead of water. Since I was short on starter I just used more whey to get the dough consistency I was looking for. Once I reached it, I poured the dough into a bowl I sprayed with cooking spray (no parchment paper, really need to buy some) and popped it into my oven I had warmed up for a few minutes so proof the dough overnight (I had planned on making the bread earlier int he day, but ended up spending the afternoon and evening over at friends).

Next morning I got up, pulled my dutch oven out of the cupboard and into the oven it went. Oven set for 425F and let it heat up while I had my morning coffee and read my emails. I did pull my dough out of the oven before doing this btw.  Once the oven came to temp, I pulled out the dutch oven, sprinkled in some corn meal and slide the loaf into the dutch oven and into the oven to bake.

The aroma coming from my oven while it baked was divine. Smelled of sourdough baking, so that was a good sign.

As I had to get to the pool and then to work, I had to pull the loaf out before it read 205F internal temp. It was a few degrees shy. I also put it on the cooling rack without resting int he dutch oven as long as it should. But as I have said, experiment.

Finally was able to check out the loaf when I got home:




Definitely under cooked, but looking like it should. It was a very dense bread, the loaf had been a lot higher when I pulled it out to cool, so there was some shrinkage.

But the flavor! OH MY!!!!! Sourdough goodness in every bite. Toasted up pretty well and was very yummy with butter on it.

Too flat to make sandwiches with, will experiment again and see if I can manage a sandwich sized and shaped loaf. But to do that I need to make new starter and this time make sure I have more than enough. Also need to find a decent container to keep it in once I get it going and storing it int he fridge when not needed.

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