what is a starter?

The short and science-y answer is that a sourdough starter is an active colony of wild yeast + good bacteria cultivated by combining flour and water and allowing it to ferment. This allows you to have a reliable “natural yeast” culture that can be used to leaven (help your bread rise) dough of all kinds.

When you feed your starter a mixture of flour + water, your wild yeasts & microbes get stronger and release gas - giving your breads air & lift, while also boosting the flavor and nutrients in your bread. This is form of natural fermentation - which allows the lactic acid in the sourdough to “unlock” the nutrients within the flour. This creates a more flavorful, digestible bread with more readily available nutrients.

When you first make your starter, you will stir together brown rice flour with water, and let it sit - all the measurements & instructions are in the digital guide that comes with your gluten-free starter!  Feeding your starter takes no more than 3 minutes.

There are no limits to the number of loaves or types of breads & pastries you can make. Sourdough starters can be kept & passed along to friends and family and even passed down generations. The longer you keep your starter active & happy, the more mature it will become and the better the flavor!