Here is everything you need to know about gluten-free mother yeast

Preparing leavened products for celiacs has never been easier than with gluten-free mother yeast. We make it with corn and rice flour.

It seems impossible and yet gluten-free mother yeast can be obtained in almost the same way as traditional. The result is a gluten-free sourdough perfect for baking , for making biscuits and other baked goodies with any surplus. After experimenting with different combinations, we discovered that the best result is obtained with corn and rice flour , both very fine. To activate the fermentation then we used honey but also a normal white yogurt without sugar is perfect.

Mother yeast for celiacs has a less acidic taste than the traditional one and this means that even the finished product has different flavors. For the rest you will have to proceed as with a traditional sour dough, i.e. mix water and flour, add the starter and then let it ferment , cooling once a day at least in the early stages. Sure, activating a mother yeast takes time, but the satisfaction will be really great.

How to make gluten-free sourdough

1. On the first day, mix the two flours , water and honey and put the mixture in a glass container covered with gauze. Don’t close it tightly because it has to breathe.
2. Mark the level of the dough with a marker, a piece of paper tape or a post-it.
3. Let it rest at room temperature for 2 days .
4. Then proceed with the first refreshment : transfer the dough into a bowl, add 25 g of corn flour, 25 g of rice flour and 45 ml of water and knead. Always use the same type (and brand) of flours to make refreshments.
5. Let it rest for a day then perform another refreshment using the same amount of flour and water.
6. Continue to refresh the gluten-free yeast every day until you notice that it doubles in volume in a few hours (usually 4). At this point the sourdough is ready to be used.

For example, try making gluten-free bread with sourdough or take a look at the classic recipe for bread with sourdough .

How to store gluten-free yeast

As you well know, mother yeast is forever, or so it should be. To keep it you can choose different ways, based on the time you have to dedicate to it. For example, if you make bread a couple of times a week, you can keep it at room temperature. If, on the other hand, you limit yourself to a weekly use , then keep it in the refrigerator, preferably in the door. Then keep it at room temperature, cool it and then proceed with use.

But what if you have to keep the mother yeast longer , for example for a holiday? You can just freeze it. On your return, thaw it at room temperature, cool it and wait for it to double in volume in the usual 3-4 hours before using it.