Should I choose the fresh or the dried starter?
The fresh starter arrives in a sealed pouch at 60% hydration. It is ready to be used for baking with only 1-2 feedings.
The dried starter are flakes in a sealed pouch and needs a couple of days to activate. It is great to have some dried starter on hand as a back-up, for when you are going away or if you have forgotten to feed your starter. It is also better to choose the dried starter if courier items to your address take generally longer than a week. As a gift the dried starter is also more suitable so the receiver has some time to get organised.
The fresh starter need to be fed once you receive it, the dried starter can be stored for up to 9 months (choose above). Please have some rice flour on hand to be able to care for it. We sell organic brown rice flour.
For questions please email Kai at [email protected]
You will get the starter sent via courier and our Gluten-free Sourdough Starter eGuide will be sent to you via email. Below is the table of contents of the guide that comes with it. Please look for an email with the subject line: [KoruKai Herb Farm] Files available for your order
For more recipes and bread variations please see our thorough Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread Baking eGuide.
This starter needs to be fed once you receive it. Please have some gluten-free flour on hand to be able to care for it. We sell brown rice flour.
We have so far successfully tried it with millet, sorghum, brown rice, quinoa and buckwheat flour. Make sure to get a finely milled flour and not a course one. It is best to stay away from gluten-free premixes with preservatives, gums, salt and other additives.
You can feed it with a mix or gluten-free flours and unchlorinated water or do a only brown rice flour.
The fresh starter arrives at 60% hydration, that means it is kept more dry than usual for shipping so that it doesn’t get overly bubbly and explodes during transport. It has been freshly packed on the day of shipping. The dried starter comes as dehydrated flakes and activation is straight forward and simple. The guide contains easy step-by-step instructions how to activate both types. Please use the correct method for activation and feeding.
When buying the fresh starter, please have some gluten-free flour on hand and store it in the pouch in the fridge for no longer than 3 days before giving it a feed. The dried starter has a shelf-life of 9 months (approx.) without feeding.
You get the starter via post and our Gluten-Free Sourdough eGuide will be sent to you via email after your payment has come through. Please look for an email with the subject line: [KoruKai Herb Farm] Files available for your order
Our Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter eGuide contains 23 pages of directions and a basic recipe and helpful tips (sent via email). It covers how to activate it after the shipping process, how to look after it and maintain and store the starter. It also includes a gluten-free and vegan bread recipe.
Below is the Table of Contents. For more recipes and bread variations please see our thorough Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread Baking eGuide.
SHIPPING
Shipping is with overnight courier (without signature, by NZ post) on the Monday following the order (except for the dried starter which gets shipped any day of the week). We ship to all NZ addresses from the top North to the Deep South and also to rural addresses and PO Boxes. You will get a tracking number so you can follow your order. Orders and payments need to be with us on Saturday 4pm to get shipped the following Monday, otherwise it may be the week after. Please select rural delivery if you supply us with a rural address. We won't send the gluten-free sourdough starter if the rural fee has not been paid. If you are unsure if you live at a rural address please check your address here: https://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/address-postcode-finder
BASIC (and not so basic) EQUIPMENT
In order to make gluten-free sourdough bread, you’ll need to pick up some basic equipment. Some of it you can’t do with out – like a jar for your starter and mixing bowls.
Glass Jar: You’ll need a jar in which to store your sourdough. A jar with a strong seal works really well to store sourdough, and to prevent it from drying out. Your jar should be at least twice as big as the volume of your starter. So aim for at least a 250ml jar. You can also use mason jars, if you like.
A Dough Whisk: You’ll need to vigorously incorporate flour, water and starter together, and one of the best ways to do that is with a dough whisk. We sell a sturdy Danish dough whisk on our website.
Dough Scraper: A dough scraper is really handy to shape high hydration doughs that would otherwise stick to your hands. It is great to gently scoop up loaves that have been shaped and pop them into the bannetons without destroying the structure. We have a great stainless steel dough scraper on the KoruKai website.
Mixing Bowls with Tight-fitting Lids: Mixing bowls help you mix your dough, and they give it a place to rise. With tight-fitting lids, your dough won’t dry out! You can also use a beeswax wrap to cover the bowl.
Kitchen Scale: For consistent results, you’ll want to weigh your ingredients both when you feed your starter and when you bake bread. Volume measurements are too unprecise for sourdough bread baking and most good recipes online are in grams because of this reason. We believe that a scale is a MUST. Visit your local farmers or homeware shop.
Proofing Baskets (Banneton) and Linens: Proofing baskets and linens help your bread to keep its shape while it rises. Since we’re working with relatively high-hydration artisan-style breads, a proofing basket is an essential tool. You can also use a stainless steel bowl and a clean tea towel to start with.
Dutch Oven: In order to develop a beautiful crisp crust, and a lofty and airy crumb, you need to bake with steam and to keep an even temperature while baking. I recommend a cast iron insert like the Dutch oven because it achieves particularly good results. It’s an investment for people who are really committed to baking good bread. I don’t use this tool and still get great bread baking straight on a baking tray. I tip 1/6 cup water or less (a small shot glass is ideal for this) into the base in the preheated oven under the baking tray before shutting the oven door quickly to capture the steam.
A Lame: A lame is a wooden tool equipped with a razor blade that helps you to score bread precisely and effectively. Using a lame is how artisan breads get such gorgeous patterns, and it also prevents them from tearing when they rise during baking. A lame produces the best results, but you can also score bread with a serrated knife. You can get a lame from our website.
