Sourdough sunflower bread recipe

February 19, 2025

We chose to bake with gluten-free sourdough

We decided to bake with gluten-free sourdough because we found that yeast-based versions had too dominant a taste. One of our most important lessons: Don’t give up too soon! You’ll see that your bread improves with every attempt – because your sourdough starter also becomes more “mature” over time under the right conditions.

Reading time: approx. 4 minutes

Effort:

The night before: 20 min prep time
Fermentation time for starter: 8–10 hours
Preparation: 30 min
Fermentation time for bread dough: 3 hours

Ingredients for 2 loaves (approx. 700g each):

For the sourdough starter:

280g cold sourdough starter
160g brown rice flour, plus extra for dusting
225ml room-temperature water

For the bread dough:

210g gluten-free oat flour, plus extra for dusting
120g tapioca starch
120g potato starch
120g buckwheat flour
16g salt
40g psyllium husk powder
25g flaxseed meal
100g sunflower seeds
1 tsp bread spice (a mix of ground caraway, fennel seeds, and coriander)
700ml room-temperature water

You’ll need some time and a gluten-free sourdough starter.

Instructions:

1. Prepare the starter the night before baking.

In a large bowl, mix the sourdough starter, brown rice flour, and water. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature (21–25°C) for 8–10 hours or overnight until it becomes bubbly. A slight separation may occur, with a thicker layer on top and a more liquid layer below – don’t worry, that’s normal!

Bread Dough:

2. Prepare the bread dough the next morning.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, buckwheat flour, bread spice, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the psyllium husk powder, flaxseed meal, and water together.

This mixture will quickly thicken into a gel-like consistency. Add the gluten-free sourdough starter and pre-soaked sunflower seeds, then combine everything with the dry ingredients. Mix with a dough hook on medium speed until fully incorporated (about 3 minutes).

4. Shape the dough.

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal portions. Knead each portion and shape it into a ball. The dough should be moist but hold its shape. To prevent sticking, rub a little olive oil on your hands before kneading.

5. Let the dough rise.

Dust two proofing baskets or mixing bowls with brown rice flour. Gently place the dough balls inside, cover them with a linen towel, and leave them in a warm place (ideally 21–25°C). I place mine on top of our gas stove, which has the perfect temperature. Let the dough rise for 3 hours.

Tip: In summer, if the room temperature is around 25–27°C, the rising time can be reduced to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it feels elastic and soft.

6. Bake the bread.

Once the dough is ready, gently flip each proofing basket over and carefully place the round dough into a cast-iron Dutch oven. Put the pot on the lowest rack of a cold oven – I skip preheating to allow the sourdough to rise a little more inside the pot. Score the top of each loaf 2–3 times. Cover the dutch ovens with their lids and bake for 90 minutes.

Optional: If you prefer a darker crust, remove the lids for the last 30 minutes of baking. The bread is done when the crust is deep brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

7. Let the bread cool completely.

Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack and let them cool fully before slicing. This step is crucial! Cooling allows the crumb to set properly. Cutting into the bread too soon may cause it to collapse and become gummy. Be patient!

Find the perfect "gluten-free only" cutting board and knife in our shop

Storage Tips: