Bread, flour & sourdough

Six practical questions

Better loaves, fewer baking headaches.

Why does my gluten-free bread turn out dense?

Gluten-free dough needs a different approach from wheat dough. Flour blend, water, binding ingredients and proofing all affect the crumb. If a loaf comes out heavy, check whether the dough had enough moisture and whether the yeast was active before adding more flour. Resist the urge to keep kneading it like ordinary bread: you are not developing a gluten network. Start with a tested formula and weigh the ingredients rather than relying on cups.

Change one thing at a time and keep a note of the flour brand, dough consistency and room temperature. Check the loaf is baked through before treating a sticky centre as a mixing problem. Let it cool on a rack before slicing; a hot gluten-free crumb can compress and look much denser than the finished loaf.

Do I need xanthan gum in every gluten-free bake?

No. It depends on the recipe and the flour blend. Xanthan gum can help hold a dough together, but some premixed flours already contain it. Adding more than a recipe needs can make the texture gummy. Che’s sourdough discard cookies specify a flour blend with xanthan gum, or a measured amount if it is missing. Follow the recipe rather than adding gum automatically.

Check the flour packet before opening a second tub of binder. Psyllium and xanthan do different jobs, and a spoonful of one is not automatically equivalent to the other. I would rather follow a reliable recipe first, then adjust one variable in a small batch than add extra gum to every mixture.

How do I know when my gluten-free sourdough starter is ready?

Look for regular bubbles, a pleasantly tangy smell and a repeatable rise after feeding. Che’s starter method uses flour and water by weight, with daily feeding while the culture becomes established. A cool kitchen may slow things down. Don’t judge it by the calendar alone: the way the starter behaves tells you more than whether it is day five or day seven.

Use a clean container with room for expansion, mark the level and record feeding times so you can see a pattern. Keep the flour and utensils away from wheat flour. Discard a starter with mould or unusual coloured growth rather than scraping the top off. A pleasant smell alone cannot establish microbiological safety.

What can I make with sourdough discard?

Pancakes and cookies are good starting points. Discard still contributes flavour, even when it is not vigorous enough to raise a loaf on its own. Che’s sourdough pancake recipe also includes raising agents, and his discard cookies combine the discard with gluten-free flour. Keep the starter itself gluten-free from the beginning, and use discard only if it has been stored and handled safely.

Treat discard as a perishable ingredient, not a way to rescue a neglected or mouldy culture. Keep it covered and refrigerated, follow the chosen recipe’s handling instructions and cook the finished batter properly. Freeze suitable portions if the recipe allows it. Adding discard does not automatically make an ordinary wheat-based recipe gluten-free.

Can I swap any gluten-free flour into a bread recipe?

Not reliably. A bread blend balances flour, starch and binders for a particular amount of liquid and a particular baking method. A plain rice flour or a cake blend may behave very differently, even though both are gluten-free. Check whether the recipe expects a premix or a blend you make yourself before changing anything.

Weigh ingredients and keep the original binder and hydration instructions for the first bake. If a replacement is necessary, make a small trial and record the change. The flour guides in Kitchen Skills explain the different jobs of starches and wholegrain flours; they do not promise one blend for every loaf.

How should I cool and store a gluten-free loaf?

Let a baked loaf cool on a rack with airflow underneath before slicing or packing it. Warm steam trapped in a bag can soften the crust and encourage condensation. Cutting a loaf while the crumb is still setting can also make the centre seem gummy even when the bake itself was sound.

Once cool, slice and freeze suitable portions if you will not use the bread promptly. Label the package and keep it away from wheat crumbs. Choose a dedicated clean toaster or appropriate toaster bag when reheating; freezing and toasting do not remove gluten introduced during handling.