What is the Gluten-free Sourdough Lab?

The Gluten-free Sourdough Lab was born from my longing for great gluten-free sourdough bread reminiscent of an artisanal European country boule. Watch the video below to learn more.

The Gluten-free Sourdough Lab is an in-depth experience where we come together as a virtual community and learn to infuse the ancient wisdom and tradition of gluten-free sourdough baking into bread, cakes, cookies… and even pizza!

It’s about the steps it takes to create something (a starter) that allows you to create something else (sourdough bread) and then you discover you can make even more (sourdough pizza, cookies, etc.). 

Have you ever made your own gluten-free sourdough starter?

You might be raising your hand saying, “Yup! I’m a total pro!”

Or you are saying, “I did, but it was a total failure. I had no idea what I was doing!”

Perhaps you are feeling more like, “Nope! Too scary on my own!”

Regardless, you are in the right place!

We are opening the doors to The Gluten-free Sourdough Starter Lab again this year for a short time until July 3rd at 11:59 pm EDT.

In this course you will learn everything you need to know to make your own robust, gluten-free sourdough starter, make delicious GF sourdough pancakes or waffles, and bake your first gluten-free sourdough bread. You no longer need to struggle on your own and waste money on supplies without getting anywhere.

You will receive daily step-by step instructions and valuable tips to create a strong and viable starter.

This course comes with instructional videos, a list of tools you will need, tips on how to keep you starter healthy and how to spot potential trouble.

Plus you will have support by me and a community of fellow starter creators during the entire journey!

It’s like having a whole team in your back pocket when you need support.

This course includes a nightshade-free bread and a delicious sourdough pancake or waffle recipe, plus 4 live calls to support you during the month of July.

Now let’s move on to what else is on the horizon in the Complete Sourdough Lab. Pull up a chair. Lean in a little more… I want to tell you a little story…

My own gluten-free sourdough story with its failures and triumphs.

The first time I made my own gluten-free sourdough starter from scratch was…

… an interesting science experiment to say the least!

I had watched my son bake delicious wheat-based sourdough bread countless times since the beginning of 2020 and I couldn’t get the thought of an artisanal, delicious gluten-free loaf of sourdough bread out of my head. 

“What if I could recreate the delicious sourdough bread of my childhood in Germany?”

You should know that I had baked artisanal sourdough wheat and rye bread for many years in my early 20s and into my 30s. Then life got busy, and I hardly had time to bake even though it was a great way for me to relax and be creative.

when I learned that My husband and I are gluten-intolerant, I made it a priority to learn to bake gluten-free, delicious and good-for-us food again.

I discovered again how much I loved to bake and how much I truly missed it. It was time to find pockets of time to play around with gluten-free baking. In the Spring of 2021, when my son baked regular sourdough every week I decided it was time to bake with sourdough again, too. This time it was going to be with gluten-free sourdough.

I took a bit of my son’s wheat starter and fed it gluten-free flour. Using my science and math mind I figured that oat flour is closely related to wheat and if I cut and fed it often enough, the wheat content would be small enough that it would not bother me, even though it would never be 100% gluten-free.

O.M.G. I was in sourdough experimentation

and baking heaven. 

But… I never really got a good loaf of gluten-free sourdough bread. I underestimated the science of fermentation and working with wild yeast. The breads never came close to what I envisioned and my starter eventually died. It didn’t have a viable mix of wild yeast to flourish in gluten-free flour. 

It was time to jump all in and start a 100% gluten-free starter based on what I knew from years ago.

I soon learned that gluten-free and wheat starters are completely different animals.

I needed a different approach.

I needed to look at creating gluten-free sourdough starters as an experiment in wild fermentation. It was the birth of the Alchemy of Flour and learning how different gluten-free flours behave in fermentation and baking. 

Walter, Hugo, and Alfred were born. 

Walter, Hugo, and Alfred were my starters made of different flours. Yes, I actually named my starters to keep them apart and have some fun along the way. They were kind of like little children, alive and growing, developing personalities and minds of their own.  

They helped me learn firsthand the different behaviors of the various flours.

• Which flours give wild yeast a great environment to grow?

• How do various flours perform in a loaf of bread?

• Which flour is best for what type of bread like sandwich bread or country boule?

• How do these flours influence taste and what structure/characteristics do they bring to the loaf?

• How likely is each flour to attract bad bacteria and eventually kill the starter?

I learned how to create a foolproof, gluten-free sourdough starter using the wild yeast in my environment, how to keep them alive over a long period of time, and how well they created the perfect loaf of gluten-free sourdough bread.

I was back in my element of sourdough baking. 

I started to recreate the different sourdough breads of my past using gluten-free flour.

My biggest joy was when I managed to create a loaf of country bread that tasted just like the German sourdough bread I grew up with.

And, it opened the door to expand into a wide variety of other country breads, rolls, cakes, cookies, scones, challah, and even pizza, all made with sourdough. 

Soon I Will get to share all this knowledge

and alchemy with you!

Back to The Gluten-free Sourdough Starter Lab:

The Gluten-free Sourdough Starter Lab

This program is a virtual hands-on sourdough starter and baking event with recorded masterclasses classes, daily step-by-step instructions, live check-ins with Q+A, and live support in a private community (away from social media).

Guided Meditation 

Before we start each masterclass we will go into a guided meditation/grounding exercise to connect with the ancient wisdom and tradition of baking bread. You can tune into these exercises each time you bake bread or other baked goods to elevate your actions and infuse love into your baking. You will notice how this simple act will bring mindfulness, awareness, and gratitude to your day.

Connection and Sharing

We will have ample time during the live classes and through the private community to share our experiences and ask questions along the way. You and your class participants will be supported throughout the entire time while you create a successful starter and bake your gluten-free sourdough bread and other goodies.

We Will Cover Topics Like

• What tools are best for gluten-free sourdough and why

• What if your starter is not bubbling and increasing in size

• When can you start baking your first loaf of bread

• When to collect your extra starter (discard) and when to toss it out

• What to do with extra discard

• How often to feed your starter and why

• How to best store your starter

• When to start baking bread

• Best timelines for feeding and baking bread

• Guidance on how to avoid sticky crumb, low rise, or internal collapse

• Different techniques to bake sourdough bread to achieve the desired flavor or consistency

Let's create a delicious and strong gluten-free sourdough starter together and bake some good and good-for-you bread!

It’s only $49.99! Are you ready?