Gluten Free Sourdough Pain d’Epi (Wheatstalk Bread)

My sourdough starter “Sophie” is in good form, and I’ve been feeding her for a couple of days in anticipation of another bake. Instead of my usual round or oval loaf though, I decided to step out of my comfort zone with this beautiful Gluten Free Pain d’Epi, also known as Wheat Stalk Bread (ah, the irony).

Ever since I got my gluten free sourdough starter established (read about it here), I’ve had a few bucket list recipes that I wanted to make. This is one of them.

For the flour, I used the Artisan Flour Blend from Better Batter and as usual it did not disappoint. The flavor was fantastic, and the bread was perfect for dipping. This was my first time making a gluten free version of this style loaf and it was SO good.

This post contains affiliate links.

Ingredients:

200g Better Batter Artisan Flour Blend, about 1-1/2 cups
4g salt, about 1 tsp.
235g warm water, about 1-1/8 cups
70g active GF sourdough starter, about 1/4 cup
8g olive oil, about 1 tbsp.
10g honey, about 1 tbsp.
more olive oil for brushing
coarse salt, for topping

Preparation:

Combine the flour and salt and whisk well. Add the starter, honey and olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the warm water. Note: Use all of the water, the Artisan Blend flour needs more liquid than usual to fully hydrate. Increase the speed and knead for 5 minutes to form a soft, supple dough.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and proof in a warm place for 4 hours. I used my proofing box.

Here is the risen dough. Place it in the refrigerator overnight to really develop that sour flavor.

The next morning, bring to room temperature. You can see how nicely the dough has puffed up, and there are lots of happy air bubbles!

It smells so good already! Now transfer the dough onto an oiled cutting board and divide it in half. You can use a scale or just eyeball it.

With oiled fingers, gently press each section into an oval shape. Don’t use a rolling pin, you don’t want to deflate the air bubbles.

Use a bench knife to do a letter fold with each section.

Next, with oiled hands, roll each piece onto a log. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with cornmeal where you will lay out the loaves.

Once the dough has rested, you should easily (again, with oiled hands) be able to shape each log into a long thin baguette, about 15″ x 2″. Lay them on the baking sheet, leaving space in between.

To create the wheat stalk pattern, use scissors to snip the loaves every few inches (don’t cut all the way through), and as you snip each section, pull it over to one side, alternating left and right.

Now brush the loaves with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. I infused my olive oil with garlic and rosemary, and the aroma as it baked was wonderful.

Bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack. The internal temperature should read 210º. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

I was really pleased with how the loaves came out, especially with this being a first attempt. The smell of freshly baked bread (REAL BREAD!) filled the entire house.

I recommend you allow the bread to cool for at least 4 hours before slicing, so the center won’t be gummy. Trust me, you will have a hard time waiting!

And now for all my bread friends who have been patiently waiting, check out that crumb! I made up some dipping oil with Tuscan seasoning, fresh garlic and rosemary. My sister came over and we had a pasta dinner. She said she couldn’t tell the bread was gluten free!

So, have you got your sourdough starter going yet? It will take your gluten free baking to the next level with results you never dreamed possible. Read about my sourdough starter Sophie here.

Notes ♪♫ This bread is best eaten the day it is baked. Leftovers can be refreshed in the microwave or toasted. Store at room temperature up to 2 days.

Print This Post

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Pancakes

My gluten free sourdough starter Sophie is getting more bubbly each week. She turned one month old recently, and I was getting ready to bake another loaf of bread in the morning. But first she had to be fed a couple of times, and there was the inevitable discard. You know I don’t want a bit of this magical culture go to waste, so I thought I would test a small batch of Sourdough Discard Pancakes.

It was my first-time making pancakes with sourdough and I was pleasantly surprised. The familiar sweetness of pancakes with just the right amount of savory sourdough flavor, who knew? Using the sourdough discard seemed to give my pancakes an extra high rise too. These pancakes were hearty and filling, guaranteed to satisfy big appetites.

I made 5 pancakes with my test batch, about 1/3 cup batter each. Double the recipe for a family breakfast.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. melted butter plus more for the griddle
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup sourdough discard
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cups milk (I used 2%)
120g. gluten free all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

This post contains affiliate links.

Preparation:

Melt the butter in the microwave and set it aside to cool while you gather the other ingredients.

Combine the first 5 ingredients, butter through vanilla in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Use a batter whisk to stir the wet and dry ingredients together with 2/3 cup milk. If the batter is too thick, you can add a little more milk, 1 tbsp. at a time to reach the right consistency.

Preheat your griddle or nonstick skillet for 10 minutes and let the batter rest.

Hint: Do you know why they say the first pancake always comes out a little weird? It’s probably because the griddle wasn’t hot enough.

When you are ready to begin, butter the griddle or skillet generously and begin spooning out your pancakes. I like a nice big pancake, so I scooped the batter out with a 1/3 cup measuring cup. You can make your pancakes as large or small as you like.

Keep a close eye and be ready to flip the pancakes over as soon as the bottom is set, time will vary depending on how large you make the pancakes.

You should get a nice rise as soon as you flip them over.

When the second side is set check the center for doneness with a toothpick. I had to flip mine another time or two.

Here’s breakfast! This was a delicious and filling pancake; one was more than enough for me. Look how thick it is!

Once they were cooled to room temperature, I wrapped the rest of the pancakes individually in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer safe bag. They will keep for a couple of months in the freezer (at least) and can be defrosted and reheated in the toaster or the microwave.

Notes ♪♫ I used and recommend Better Batter Original Gluten Free Flour in this recipe. It is a high-quality flour that will change the way you bake!

Use this link to shop Better Batter and remember to use my code MGFC30 at check out for 30% off your full price purchase.

Print This Post

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard English Muffins

The Adventures of Sophie the Sourdough

Recipes for sourdough discard are as plentiful as there are sourdough bread recipes. These Sourdough Discard English Muffins were my first experiment using discard, as Sophie, my gluten free starter continues to develop.

So, what exactly is sourdough discard? In simple terms, when feeding a new sourdough starter, you will be adding flour and water at least twice per day. As your starter grows, part of the process requires that you discard some of the mixture. This keeps the starter at a reasonable quantity while feeding the organisms that will eventually produce that wonderful sourdough flavor.

Even after your starter is well established and living in the fridge, you will still need to feed it regularly, and unless you are a prolific baker there will always be “discard”.

It’s all part of baking with sourdough, but that doesn’t mean your excess starter needs to be thrown in the trash. I mean just look at those English Muffins! I knew when I made this batch that Sophie and I were going to have some incredible BREAD adventures this year.

In some cases, recipes made with discard like this one are actually “sourdough enhanced”, meaning that they use the sourdough discard along with traditional leavening ingredients such as commercial yeast and/or baking powder. When I first made these English Muffins, Sophie was about a week old. Not mature enough to raise a loaf of bread by herself yet, but ready to enhance the flavor! If you love bread like I do this recipe will make you very happy!

This post contains affiliate links.

Ingredients:

75 g. (1/3 cup) milk (I used 2%)
275 g. (1-1/8 cups) water
15 g. (3 tbsp.) whole psyllium husk
2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. canola oil
2-1/4 tsp. instant yeast
140 g. (1/2 cup) gluten free sourdough discard
240 g. (2 cups) gluten free flour (I used Better Batter Original Blend)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter for the griddle
cooking spray
cornmeal for sprinkling

Shop Better Batter and use my Code MGFC30 for 30% off full price items!

Preparation:

Combine the milk and water together and microwave 30 seconds. Whisk in the whole psyllium husk, yeast, sugar and canola oil.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Use a dough whisk to combine the wet and dry ingredients with the sourdough discard. Turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times to form a cohesive dough.

Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350º and heat a seasoned griddle on medium.

Butter the griddle and coat 8 muffin rings with cooking spray. Arrange the muffin rings on the griddle and sprinkle cornmeal inside each.

(Note-muffin rings are optional, the muffins will hold together without them.)

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 95g. each. Rub a little oil into your hands, then roll each piece of dough into a ball and flatten slightly with your palm.

Place one piece of dough into each muffin ring and sprinkle more cornmeal on top.

Cook on the first side for 5 minutes, then use tongs and a spatula to turn them over. Carefully remove the rings with tongs and cook 5 minutes longer.

Transfer the muffins to a parchment lined baking sheet, and place in the oven for 10 minutes longer or until the internal temperature reaches 210º (check with a thermometer).

Cool several hours on a rack before toasting. Wrap leftovers individually and place in freezer safe bags.

Notes ♪♫ I used and highly recommend Better Batter Original Flour Blend in this recipe (use the link for 30% off full price). Remember, every gluten free flour blend is different, so if you use another brand you may need to adjust the flour to liquid ratio.

Print This Post

Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

I have been a “Bread-head” for a very long time. In fact, before my Celiac diagnosis, I baked my own bread every week, and even milled my own flour from organic wheatberries. Eventually I began working with sourdough and had a very robust starter for 6 years. But you know what happened next. Once I learned that I had Celiac disease it all came to an abrupt end, and I had to go back to square one.

*In case you were wondering, you cannot convert a regular sourdough starter to gluten free. Even after many feedings, the starter will still harbor gluten*

This post contains affiliate links.

That brings us to today’s post. Gluten Free Sourdough bread has been at the top of my 2024 recipe bucket list, but first I needed an active starter.

Meet Sophie

Take a look! After 2 weeks of feeding, she is bubbling away and ready to go to work. I’m so excited (and hungry) for all the breads Sophie and I are going to make together! We are already having fun with sourdough discard recipes. So, stay tuned for more of Sophie popping up in my kitchen adventures this year. And when you do, you can always come back to this post to read about how it all “started” (hehe)!

Key takeaways for establishing a sourdough starter:

Maintain a steady 75-80 degrees.
Use filtered water (not tap water)
Use whole grain gluten free flour, either sorghum or brown rice
Feed twice a day 1/4 cup (30 g.) flour and 1/4 cup (60 g.) water.
Discard between 1/4 and 1/2 cup daily.
Be patient, it takes longer for a gluten free starter to activate.

This post contains affiliate links.

Ingredients/Equipment:

dried starter
sorghum flour (you can also use brown rice flour)
filtered water (not tap)
2 wide mouth ball jars, quart size
cheesecloth
proofing box (see notes)
measuring cups
wooden spoon

I opted for a dried starter because I just wasn’t having any luck with flour and water alone. Try without it if you’re brave!
I fed the starter with Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Sorghum flour. You want to use a single whole grain flour, not a blend that contains starches and gums. I love the flavor of sorghum, but you can use brown rice flour if you prefer.

I used bottled water (filtered) because our tap water isn’t the best.
You need at least 2 wide mouth Ball jars, so that you can transfer the starter to a clean jar every couple of days.

I ordered a proofing box. I know, expensive but so worth it!

This proofing box was a game changer for me. My New England kitchen is chilly during the winter, and I was not about to turn up the heat to 80º for 2 weeks! This proofing box maintains just the right temperature and folds for storage when not in use.

You will need measuring cups for feeding your starter and measuring the discard.
About those wooden spoons-

**Old wives’ tale – you should never touch your starter with a metal instrument. I am superstitious and only use a wooden spoon!

the process:

After several failed attempts at establishing a starter, I purchased this dried gluten free sourdough packet from Cultures for Health. It worked like a charm, not a huge investment, and they have a 60-day guarantee.

Feeding schedule:

Feed 1/4 cup (30 g.) flour and 1/4 cup (60 g.) water every 12 hours. Stir vigorously after each addition. The consistency should be like a pourable pancake batter.
Cover the jar with cheesecloth and place in a warm 75-80º spot.
Each day, before feeding you will notice that a layer of liquid has formed on top of your starter. It’s the alcohol (a/k/a hooch) formed during fermentation, and it gives the starter that sour taste and aroma. Don’t throw it away, just stir it back into the starter.

After the first few days, you will need to discard between 1/4 to 1/2 cups each morning before feeding. Stir the starter first, then measure out and discard 1/4 cup at a time until you have just one cup remaining in the jar. Feed as usual and transfer to a clean jar. This step is necessary to encourage growth of the wild yeast and good bacteria, I try to maintain about 1-1/2 cups of starter at all times.

(If you’re like me, you hate throwing anything away, so I’ll be sharing a few sourdough discard recipes!)

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard English Muffins

When the starter is ready to use it will be loaded with little air bubbles. Mine was ready after 14 days of twice daily feeding.
Once your starter is established, you can store it in the refrigerator and feed it once a week. Cover it loosely, never tighten the lid.

Notes:

♪ No proofing box? You can try making an inexpensive one with a Styrofoam cooler and 25-watt bulb. I had one like this that I used for years. Alternatively, you can create a warm, draft free environment by placing your starter in the oven with the light on (may not be practical for the 10+ days needed to activate a starter). Some people use the microwave or even the clothes dryer! (again, not practical if you do laundry every day).

♫ For the bread scientists 🙋‍♀️ I fed my starter with equal parts whole grain sorghum flour and water by volume (1/4 cup), but this is actually a 200% hydration starter by weight, that is, 60 g. water to 30 g. flour per feeding.

♫♪ With just a little care a starter can live for many years. If you are not baking often, be sure to feed your starter on a regular schedule, discard the excess and move it to a clean jar every week.

Print This Post