Welcome to the My Rustic Roots sourdough family! 🤎

You're just a few days away from having a thriving gluten-free sourdough starter that you can use to make homemade gluten-free sourdough bread and other baked goods.

Your My Rustic Roots Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter is made with brown rice flour and contains a living sourdough culture that has been carefully freeze-dried to preserve it until you're ready to begin baking.

Activating your starter is simple.

Over the next several days, you'll add brown rice flour and water, keep your starter warm, and allow the naturally occurring microorganisms in the sourdough culture to become active again.

Every kitchen is different. Temperature, water, flour, and feeding schedules can all affect how quickly a starter becomes active.

The most important things are warmth, consistency, and patience.

Let's get started!

What You'll Need

Before opening your starter packet, gather:

• Your entire packet of My Rustic Roots Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
• Brown rice flour
• Room-temperature filtered water
• A clean glass jar, ideally 16 ounces or larger
• A spoon or spatula
• A kitchen scale, if available
• A loose-fitting lid or breathable cover

What Flour Should I Use?

We recommend using brown rice flour to activate and maintain your gluten-free sourdough starter.

Using brown rice flour helps keep the starter gluten-free and provides a consistent food source while the culture becomes established.

Different brands of brown rice flour can absorb water differently.

Your starter may be slightly thicker or thinner than another baker's starter, and that's completely normal.

The goal is a thick, stirrable paste.

Gluten-Free Starter Measuring Guide

For the most consistent results, we recommend using a kitchen scale and measuring your flour and water in grams.

Weight measurements are more accurate because flour can settle or become packed into measuring cups.

If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can use the approximate measurements below.

Please note: Cup and tablespoon measurements for brown rice flour are approximate. Different brands can vary in density.

When measuring flour without a kitchen scale, lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level the top. Do not pack the flour into the measuring cup.

Day 1 – Mix and Begin

Pour the entire packet of My Rustic Roots Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter into a clean jar.

Add:

Brown Rice Flour

60 g → 2.1 oz → approximately ½ cup → 8 tablespoons

Room-Temperature Filtered Water

60 g → 2.1 oz → ¼ cup → 4 tablespoons

Stir thoroughly until the starter, flour, and water are completely combined.

Your mixture will likely be thick.

That's normal.

The consistency should resemble a thick batter or stirrable paste.

Scrape down the sides of the jar and cover loosely.

Place your starter in a warm location and allow it to rest for 24 hours.

Day 2 – Feed Again

After 24 hours, you will feed your starter again.

Do not discard any starter yet.

Add directly to the jar:

Brown Rice Flour

90 g → 3.2 oz → approximately ¾ cup → 12 tablespoons

Room-Temperature Filtered Water

90 g → 3.2 oz → ⅜ cup → 6 tablespoons

Stir thoroughly.

Cover loosely and return the starter to a warm location.

Allow it to rest for another 24 hours.

During this time, you may begin noticing small bubbles, changes in aroma, or slight rising.

These are good signs.

Your sourdough culture is beginning to wake up and ferment.

Day 3 – Begin Discarding and Feeding

After another 24 hours, stir your starter.

Keep 60 g of starter in your jar and discard the remaining starter.

If you do not have a kitchen scale, 60 g of gluten-free starter will vary by consistency, so weighing the starter itself is strongly recommended.

To the 60 g of starter, add:

Brown Rice Flour

60 g → 2.1 oz → approximately ½ cup → 8 tablespoons

Room-Temperature Filtered Water

60 g → 2.1 oz → ¼ cup → 4 tablespoons

Mix thoroughly.

Cover loosely and return your starter to a warm location.

Allow it to ferment for another 24 hours.

Day 4 and Beyond – Continue Feeding

Continue feeding your starter every 24 hours.

Each day:

1. Stir your starter.
2. Keep 60 g of starter and discard the rest.
3. Add 60 g brown rice flour.
4. Add 60 g room-temperature filtered water.
5. Stir thoroughly.
6. Cover loosely and keep your starter warm.

Continue this routine until your starter becomes consistently active and develops a predictable fermentation cycle.

How Do I Know When My Gluten-Free Starter Is Ready to Bake With?

Gluten-free sourdough starter can behave differently from a traditional wheat-based sourdough starter.

Because gluten-free flour doesn't contain gluten, the starter may not stretch, hold bubbles, or rise exactly like the wheat starters you see online.

Your starter is becoming established when you notice:

• Bubbles throughout the starter
• A pleasant fermented or slightly tangy aroma
• Visible rising after feeding
• A predictable rise-and-fall pattern
• Increasing activity within several hours after feeding

Your starter does not necessarily need to double in size to be healthy and active.

The most important thing is consistent fermentation activity.

What Temperature Is Best for Activating My Starter?

Temperature can make a significant difference in how quickly your sourdough starter becomes active.

For best results, keep your starter around 75–80°F.

If your kitchen is cooler, activation may take longer.

Good locations can include:

• On top of the refrigerator
• Near, but not directly against, a warm appliance
• Inside a turned-off oven with the oven light on
• Inside a temperature-controlled proofing box or starter warmer

If using your oven light, check the temperature first. Some oven lights can make the inside of the oven surprisingly warm.

Avoid excessive heat.

High temperatures can damage the living microorganisms in your starter.

What If My Gluten-Free Starter Is Very Thick?

A thick starter is normal.

Brown rice flour can absorb a significant amount of water.

Your starter should resemble a thick batter or paste that can still be thoroughly stirred.

If the mixture is so dry that you cannot stir it or fully combine the ingredients, add additional filtered water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a thick, stirrable consistency.

Avoid adding large amounts of extra water all at once.

What If I Don't See Any Activity?

Don't give up on your starter too quickly.

Freeze-dried sourdough starter can take several days to become fully active.

Your starter may show only small signs of fermentation at first.

Look for:

• Tiny bubbles
• A change in aroma
• Slight expansion
• A lighter or airier texture
• Activity beginning sooner after each feeding

Continue feeding consistently and keep your starter warm.

The culture often becomes stronger and more predictable with each feeding.

When Can I Put My Starter in the Refrigerator?

Keep your newly activated starter at room temperature until it is consistently active and predictable.

Once your starter is reliably fermenting after feeding, you can transition it to refrigerator storage.

If you bake frequently, you can keep your starter at room temperature and continue feeding it regularly.

If you bake occasionally, storing your starter in the refrigerator can make maintenance easier.

How to Maintain Your Gluten-Free Starter in the Refrigerator

Feed your starter and allow fermentation activity to begin before placing it in the refrigerator.

For routine maintenance, feed your refrigerated starter approximately once a week.

When you're ready to bake:

Remove the starter from the refrigerator.

Keep 60 g of starter and discard the remainder.

Feed with:

• 60 g brown rice flour
• 60 g room-temperature filtered water

Keep the starter at room temperature until it becomes active.

Depending on how long your starter has been refrigerated, it may take more than one feeding to return to full activity.

Important Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter Reminders

Always use a clean jar and clean utensils.

Keep your starter loosely covered so fermentation gases can escape.

Use room-temperature filtered water whenever possible.

Never use hot water to feed your starter.

Continue using gluten-free flour if you want your starter to remain gluten-free.

If you or someone in your household has celiac disease or needs to strictly avoid gluten, prevent cross-contact by using dedicated clean jars, utensils, measuring tools, and work surfaces.

Never use a starter that develops fuzzy mold or unusual pink, orange, or red discoloration.

If your starter fails to activate after following the instructions and troubleshooting recommendations, please contact us. We're happy to help and can provide a replacement bag when needed.

My Rustic Roots Baker's Tip

Consistency matters more than perfection.

Your gluten-free sourdough starter may not look exactly like another baker's starter.

Different brands of flour, kitchen temperatures, water sources, and feeding routines can all affect how a starter looks and behaves.

Keep your starter warm, feed it consistently, and give the living culture time to become established.

Before long, you'll have an active gluten-free sourdough starter ready to use for homemade bread and other gluten-free sourdough recipes.

Happy baking! 🤎

The team at My Rustic Roots