Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread (Honey Whole Grain)

This is hands down the BEST gluten-free sourdough bread! It is soft, fluffy and full of gluten-free whole grains that nourish the body.

The honey adds just a touch of sweetness that make this bread perfect for everything from sandwiches to gluten-free French toast! We even love making breadcrumbs out of it. This really is such a versatile recipe and great for using in a variety of ways.

Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

A good gluten-free sourdough bread recipe was the top of everyones list for things I needed to make with my gluten-free sourdough starter. I get it, a good gluten-free bread recipe gives you a great canvas for sandwiches like our big, buff and cheesy gluten-free sandwich or pizza grilled cheese.

You can also use it to make fantastic breadcrumbs for our gluten-free fried ravioli or gluten-free meatloaf. We even use it to make pecan pie bread pudding!

But, I decided to first master BIG buttery & fluffy gluten-free sourdough crescent rolls because I know that recipe from our regular gluten-free crescent rolls so well. They turned out so great that I couldn’t wait to get started on a bread recipe for you using nourishing sourdough!

This recipe is one my mom and I have been making for years and we already knew it was good so making it with sourdough just made sense. Truly, this wild yeast bread is fluffy, soft and full of flavor!

It has lots of flavor and reminds me of whole grain wheat bread but using gluten-free grains making it perfect for those with gluten sensitivity. It is a bit sweeter and softer like white bread as well.

Serve it up with delicious soups like our Instant Pot hamburger soup, gluten-free cream of chicken soup, gluten-free chicken noodle soup or this minestrone soup. If low carb is your thing, try these soups with keto bread as well.

Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter

We started this gf sourdough journey over on our Instagram page where we share our entire experience as we made THREE different kinds of gluten-free starter recipe. Each was very different in consistency and yielded a slightly different end product.

One of the starters was extra tangy and sour. I now know it was because in that one, the hooch collected at the bottom and rarely got dumped out but rather stirred in. The other two starters made excellent rolls as well and neither even tasted of sourdough!

But starting one is very simple. We’ve tried with brown rice only, a mix of my gluten-free flour mix and a Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 GF flour blends and all worked. I will say that the flour blends didn’t work as well and that’s because of the starch I believe.

I also think blends usually contain xanthan and guar gum which doesn’t help the starter either. It’s the same reason cassava flour and gf starches do not work as a starter base. Even so, my family’s favorite was the brown rice starter especially for making this gf bread.

You can also use buckwheat flour, teff flour or sorghum flour to create your gluten free-starter. We did sorghum and it was delicious and hearty plus had more nutritional benefits than the brown rice only.

You can even get a bit fancy and use organic white rice flour, organic millet flour or organic sorghum flour. Whatever you choose to use is great but I will say, using fresh flour really helps get the best result and a good starter.

“Feed” your gf starter every 24 hours for the first seven days. We show you exactly how to take care of your gluten-free sourdough starter here. It will walk you through the fermentation process and help you along the way.

What kind of sourdough bread is gluten-free?

The answer is simply, only those made with a gluten-free sourdough starter AND with entirely gluten-free ingredients. While regular sourdough bread does have significantly less gluten than regular bread, it is still NOT gluten-free as it does contain gluten. 

Gluten-free baking can seem intimidating at first but its worth it to keep your belly happy. You will agree once you taste this delicious gluten-free loaf of bread.

Gluten-Free Oats

Some people with celiac disease are not able to tolerate oats. The best thing to ensure your oats are truly gluten-free is to buy them certified gluten-free. We like and trust Gluten-Free Prairie oats because they are grown in dedicated gluten-free fields in gorgeous Bid Sky, Montana.

We use the oats whole on top of the bread and ground as flour in the bread. You can also buy oat flour but its so easy to grind it in your blender or Nutrimill.

Their oats are amazing in so many recipes including our chocolate oatmeal cake, gluten-free meatloaf and gluten-free oatmeal cream pies.

How to make this bread…

• Using a sturdy mixer (we used our Bosch mixer) combine all dry ingredients from oat flour to psyllium husk powder
• Add the eggs, milk, honey and vinegar and mix until combined
• Add the butter, Chia seeds and sourdough starter making sure to scrape down the sides as needed. Mix for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Bread dough will be thick but still sticky. Cover and let rest for 2 hours

• Grease a loaf pan liberally with olive oil (or another oil you prefer) then transfer the dough into the bread pan 
• Use your hands or a spatula to smooth the top and edges. Place the dough in a warm draft-free place and let rise for 5 to 6 hours until the dough is about 2 inches above the pan
• Heat oven to 350°. Brush top of the loaf with beaten egg (ONLY IF YOU WANT A CRISP TOP!) & sprinkle w/ gluten-free oats & course sea salt. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes.
• Cool bread on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. The bottom of the bread will sound hollow when you tap it.

Pro Tip: For best results, let the bread cool as long as you can handle (preferably 1 hour, I know, sorry) before slicing and enjoying. This will keep it from being gummy.

How do I make sourdough more mild or stronger in flavor?

This is a very mild sourdough bread. If after the first attempt, you find that you want it to be more sour, you can absolutely make that happen.

To make sourdough baked goods stronger in flavor, stir in the hooch or liquid that has collected on top. When you go to feed your starter, you will see this on top. The more often you stir in the hooch each time you feed your starter, the stronger sourdough flavor you will get.

If you want a more mild sourdough flavor that you can hardly taste, pour out the hooch before feeding and using the starter. The more you pour it off before feeding, the more mild tasting your sourdough starter will be.

Can I make it dairy-free?

Yes, you can remove the buttermilk powder or replace it with coconut milk powder. You can exchange the butter for a dairy-free option. Earth Balance butter sticks work great.

You will also need to replace the milk with full fat coconut milk (the fat helps the recipe) as well. It will work though and will be delicious!

Can you change the shape of the bread?

Yes! While we haven’t tried, you can certainly experiment using a hot dutch oven lined with parchment paper as well for a more rustic looking loaf. 

You can also split the dough into smaller sizes for mini loaves.

How do I store this gluten-free sourdough bread?

This bread is fantastic right out of the oven nice and warm, but also good at room temperature the next day.

Once cooled, you should store the loaf in an airtight container. It is best within the first 2 days. You can reheat it in the microwave to give it a bit more softness and warmth like when it’s fresh out of the oven.

Does it freeze well?

You can make this bread and freeze it once baked. I like to slice it before freezing so I can pull out one slice as needed. Unthaw in the refrigerator or toast to unthaw.

What else can I use this bread for?

You can use this homemade sourdough bread for our gluten-free French toast bites or gluten-free stuffing. Both are fantastic!

I also love making it into breadcrumbs for making our Instant Pot meatballs, gluten-free meatloaf and for coating our air fryer ravioli or gluten-free ravioli.

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Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread (Honey Whole Grain)

5 from 11 votes

This is hands down the BEST gluten-free sourdough bread! It is soft, fluffy and full of gluten-free whole grains that nourish the body. The honey adds just a touch of sweetness that make this bread perfect for everything from sandwiches to gluten-free French toast!

PRINT RECIPE

Prep Time: 7 hrs 30 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread, gluten-free, sourdough

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 389kcal

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tbsp milled chia mixed with 1/3 C warm water
• ▢ 2 C certified gluten-free oat flour 
• ▢ 1 C white rice flour
• ▢ 1 C potato starch
• ▢ 3/4 C tapioca starch
• ▢ 1/3 C brown rice flour
• ▢ 1/4 C sorghum flour
• ▢ 1 tsp Xanthan gum
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 2 tsp baking powder 
• ▢ 2 tbsp buttermilk powder
• ▢ 2 tbsp psyllium husk powder
• ▢ 4 eggs, large
• ▢ 1/2 C melted butter
• ▢ 1 C lukewarm milk (coconut milk works!)
• ▢ 1/4 C honey
• ▢ 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 C live gluten-free sourdough starter (active starter just fed)

Instructions

• Using a sturdy mixer (we used our Bosch mixer, combine all dry ingredients from oat flour to psyllium husk powder
• Add the eggs, milk, honey and vinegar and mix until combined
• Add the butter, Chia seeds and sourdough starter making sure to scrape down the sides as needed. Mix for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Dough will be thick but still sticky. Cover and let rest for 2 hours
• Grease a loaf pan liberally with oil then transfer the dough into the pan. Use your hands or a spatula to smooth the top and edges. Place the dough in a warm place and let rise for 5 to 6 hours until the dough is about 2 inches above the pan
• Heat oven to 350°. Brush loaf top with beaten egg (ONLY IF YOU WANT A CRISP TOP!) & sprinkle w/ GF oats & course sea salt. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes.
• Cool bread on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. The bottom of the bread will sound hollow when you tap it. Let bread cool as long as you can handle (preferably 1 hour, I know, sorry) before slicing and enjoying

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 380mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 349IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg