HOW TO ACTIVATE GLUTEN-FREE STARTER FLAKES

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Before beginning this step, please review our Gluten Free Bread Kit Guide to ensure you’re fully prepared.

The following instructions is Part 1 of a two-part series created specifically for bakers using our Sourdough Mate Gluten Free Kits.

The Importance of Using the Right Flour for Best Results

Not all gluten-free flours will successfully activate and sustain your starter. This is because a healthy starter needs the right kind of food to feed the natural yeasts and wild bacteria that drive fermentation. Without adequate nutrients, your starter simply won't have the fuel it needs to grow, bubble, and thrive.

Wild yeasts feed on the natural sugars and starches found in flour, while beneficial bacteria rely on the enzymes and nutrients present in whole grains. Highly refined or starch-heavy flours — such as plain white rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, or cornflour — lack the nutritional complexity needed to keep your starter alive and active. They may produce a little bubbling initially, but fermentation will quickly stall without a proper food source.

For best results, and as intended in our instructions, we recommend using our White GF Gluten-Free Bread Flour — you can purchase it here.

Getting the Consistency Right

Your starter should have a soft dough-like consistency — not runny or overly wet (see video for reference). If it's too runny, the bubbles that form during activation won't be visible, making it difficult to tell whether your starter is working. On the other hand, if it's too dry, activation can slow down considerably.

Getting the consistency right is one of the most important steps, so take the time to check it carefully before moving on.

Focus on Temperature

In ideal conditions (around 24–28°C), your starter should be ready to use within 24 hours — bubbly, risen, and pleasantly sour. Once temperatures begin dropping below that range, fermentation slows noticeably.

Here’s a general guide:

24–28°C → Ideal activity and strong fermentation
20–23°C → Slower but still healthy and active
16–19°C → Noticeably sluggish; bubbles and rise reduce significantly
Below 15°C → Fermentation slows dramatically and can appear stalled
Around 10°C or lower → Starter becomes mostly dormant
0–4°C → Refrigeration range; activity nearly stops

A very common issue in winter is when daytime temperatures are warm enough, but overnight drops below about 18°C interrupt fermentation and make the starter seem inactive the next morning.

That’s why maintaining a consistent temperature is often more important than simply reaching a warm peak temperature.

A shortcut to the perfect 24–28°C

→ Shop the Electric Fermenting Heat Box

METHOD

1. Soak flakes

In a clean & sterilised jar, stir together 60g of lukewarm water (drinkable tap water is fine) & all of the Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter Flakes. Let this soak for 1 minute to help the flakes soften before adding flour.

2. First feed

Add 50g of White GF Gluten-Free Bread Flour. Using a spoon or jar spatula, mix well until there are no more dry lumps. Take note of the consistency in the video above. You may like to add a few extra grams of water or flour if your starter is a little on the dry/runny side, there should be no dry patches & the dough should be well incorporated.

3. Rest for up to 24 hours

Let the jar sit in a warm room (ideally consistently between 24–28°C), covered with a lid that is lightly screwed on.

Above: small bubbles is a great sign at the beginning that your starter is moving along as normal.

The natural yeasts will begin to activate after about 24 hours, and you should start to see small air bubbles forming on the sides and/or bottom of your jar (see image below). Once this happens, allow the bubbles to become larger and more active before considering the starter fully active and ready to use in a recipe.

4. Your starter is active

Once your starter is showing lots of little bubbles (see picture below), it is now active & ready to use. Proceed to Part 2 of the Gluten Free Bread Kit Guide to start baking your first loaf!

How Do I Know My Starter Is Ready?

Watch this short video to see exactly what to look for during the initial activation process. As your starter matures over time, it will become stronger, more active, and more reliable.

If you're unsure whether yours is ready, feel free to send us a photo via the website chat — Andy or Anh will be happy to take a look and guide you through the next steps.

One-On-One Support (Website Chat)

Our team (Anh or Andy) are available Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm, ready to answer your questions via the chat on our website 💬

Your Starter is Active But Not Ready to Bake?

If your starter is now bubbly & active but you're unable to start baking at this point, you can pop the starter in the fridge in an air tight jar. It can be stored for up to 1-2 weeks before needing another feed or used to make bread. In our experience, if you are using/feeding your starter once a week it will be fine to use straight out of the fridge provided it does not smell acidic & you will need to account for extra time for the starter to come to room temperature.

If your starter is smelling acidic or like nail polish, your starter is hungry & needs a feed! You will need to discard all but 1 tablespoon & do a starter build as per the bread recipe to refresh your starter before using. You may like to do this a few times to refresh your starter.

If there is discolouring/mould or your starter is smelling off due to neglect (not feeding regularly), the starter will need to be thrown out & a new starter should be activated. To purchase another starter please head to our store.