Sourdough Flatbread with Sorghum Flour (Gluten-Free)

A sourdough flatbread recipe, made with sorghum flour, is now added to my gluten-free, lectin-free sourdough bread series. This recipe will be easy if you are familiar with my method of making sourdough bread. If you are not yet, I encourage you to start this fun and rewarding journey.

New to making gluten-free sourdough bread?

If you are new to lectin-free and gluten-free sourdough baking, the first thing you need to know is that you need a sourdough starter.

Making sourdough is a process that involves some learning at the beginning, but I assure you it is not rocket science.

Once you are set up with a good starter and familiar with my method, you acquire a skill for life, and the sky is the limit.

You can find my recipe for sourdough starter and a classic bread in my previous posts:

• Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter With Millet, Teff, and Sorghum Flour (Lectin-Free)
• Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread Recipe With Sorghum and Millet

If you prefer a softer bread, you will also find a recipe for lectin-free sourdough focaccia:

• Gluten-Free Sourdough Focaccia (Lectin-Free)

And a recipe for bread rolls:

• Rustic Sourdough Rolls With Teff, Millet, and Sorghum (Lectin-Free)

If you don’t know what lectins are and which flours are both gluten-free and lectin-free, I recommend this article:

• Quick Guide to Lectin-Free, Gluten-Free Flours

Three reasons I love making sourdough flatbread

• I love the ratio of crust to crumb. I am a crust girl when it comes to bread, so the more crust, the better.
• This sourdough flatbread is very forgiving. It’s not that sensitive to proofing time or shaping, you can prove it in the fridge or on the counter, you can make it in batches and store the remaining dough for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
• You can eat it immediately. And this might be the most important incentive to want to make sourdough flatbread. In general, when we are making a loaf of gluten-free sourdough bread, we need to wait a minimum of 5 hours before we slice it. What if I decide in the evening I want bread for brunch the next day? I make a preferment before I go to sleep, mix the dough in the morning, allow it two hours to ferment, and make a few flatbreads that are ready in 15 minutes and I’m able to eat straight away.

Suggested schedule for making sourdough flatbread

• Evening (before sleep): I feed my starter and make a preferment with sorghum flour.
• Morning (shortly after I wake up): Mix the dough ingredients for flatbread. Start the fermentation process.
• After about 1h of fermentation, I check the dough. If it’s ready, I shape it and transfer it to the proofing basket.
• Usually, my dough proofs in about 1h, so now I start to preheat the oven.
• After one more hour, I check the dough, and if it’s ready, I flip it, portion it, and roll out the flatbreads.
• I bake 2 flatbreads at a time, for 12-15 minutes.
• While the first batch bakes, I prepare the second batch and so on (you can also make just one batch). Store the rest of the dough in the fridge.
• Serve immediately.

Ingredients for sourdough flatbread with sorghum flour

For a shopping list of ingredients and tools needed, please check the category SOURDOUGH on my SHOP PAGE.

FOR THE PREFERMENT (make the night before):

• 10 grams active starter
• 30 grams of water (spring, filtered, non-chlorinated)
• 35 grams sorghum flour

THE WET MIX:

• 17 grams psyllium husk flakes (not powder)
• 400 grams of water (spring, filtered, bottled, no chlorine, no tap, and don’t use reverse osmosis water)
• 10 grams organic, raw honey, preferably local
• 6 grams extra virgin olive oil
• 75 grams sorghum preferment (made the night before)

THE DRY MIX:

• 250 grams sorghum flour
• 50 grams tapioca flour
• 6 grams non-iodized good quality fine salt

ADD-ONS:

• extra virgin olive oil
• dry oregano
• sea salt flake

How to make sourdough flatbread with sorghum flour

MAKE THE PREFERMENT:

• Mix all the ingredients the night before (you will prepare the dough in the morning)

THE MIXING METHOD:

• In a glass or plastic bowl, combine 380 grams of water, psyllium husk flakes, honey, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix well and set it on the side. Once the psyllium husks absorb the water, this mixture will have a jelly-like texture (it needs about 5 minutes).
• In the meantime, mix all the dry ingredients in a glass bowl.
• Now add the preferment to the psyllium husk jelly, using the remaining 20 grams of water to remove all the preferment from the jar and add it to the jelly mix. Mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon.
• Add the preferment jelly mixture to the dry ingredients bowl, incorporate as much as possible with a spatula or wooden spoon, then start mixing with your hand. Mix well until the dough is homogeneous and has no lumps. The dough is soft and sticky.
• Now you can start mixing with the silicone or plastic dough scraper, scraping the dough from the sides of the bowl, and folding it into the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat with the same movement for about 1 minute.
• Cover the bowl with a plastic cover, then wrap in two extra big plastic bags and tighten the bags. From now on, the fermentation starts. I keep my bowl on the kitchen counter. Ideally, it needs a place where the temperature stays constant throughout the process.

BULK FERMENTATION:

• Let it ferment for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the temperature and humidity in your house. At about 20 degrees Celcius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), it can take 2 hours. If it’s hotter than that, the time will decrease. At about 72-74 degrees Fahrenheit, my bulk fermentation takes about 1 hour.

SHAPING THE DOUGH:

• The two videos in this post will be the most helpful here, please watch them if this is your first time making sourdough bread. Gently invert the dough on a working surface, dusted with just a tiny bit of flour. Gently lift one-third of the dough and fold it on top of itself. Then fold it one more time, so now what was on the bottom on the working surface is on the top. Shape the dough and seal the bottom part as shown in the videos provided in the post.

PROOFING THE DOUGH:

• Ensure the lining of your Banneton or proofing basket (or a towel if it doesn’t have a liner) is dusted with flour. Now that the dough is sealed and shaped, gently transfer it to the proofing basket with the sealed side up, as shown in the Part 2 Video (in this post). Dust the top with flour, and cover with plastic wrap or wrap it in a towel. Because my house is pretty dry, I spray a little water on the towel. I cover it in plastic wrap and then in two plastic bags that I tighten very well. Again, you might not need these extra steps in your house. The proofing time will about the same as the bulk fermentation. At a room temperature of 72F, it might be 1h or a little more.
• Making flatbreads is very forgiving compared to other types of bread, so you can even use the over-proofed dough. You can make only one or two flatbreads and store the rest of the dough in the refrigerator for up to two days. You can do the entire fermentation and proofing in the refrigerator. Just remember, the lower the temperature, the longer the fermentation time.

SHAPING THE FLATBREAD AND BAKING:

• Preheat the oven for about 40 minutes before baking at 250C / 480F.
• After proofing, invert the dough on a working surface dusted with flour. With the help of a spatula, portion the dough into 8 equal triangles. Take one triangle, shape it into a ball, and working on the dusted surface, roll out the dough with the help of a rolling pin. Dust with flour whenever necessary and flip the dough while rolling out, so it doesn’t stick to the surface.
• When the dough is thin enough, transfer it to parchment paper and cover it with a towel.
• Repeat with the second roll. I manage to fit two flatbreads on my baking sheet.
• Brush the top of each flatbread with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with dry oregano and sea salt flakes, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. If you want softer flatbread, it will take between 10 and 12 minutes, if you want a crunchier, drier flatbread, it can take about 14 minutes.

Variations

There are a few modifications you can make safely:

• Use different types of flours: sorghum, millet or teff, a mix of the three flour, or a mix of two of any of these flours. Just remember the preferment should be made with the flours you will use for the flatbread.
• Use different toppings: any herbs or spice you like, butter instead of olive oil, add garlic or onions.
• Incorporate other ingredients like Parmigiano Reggiano or sauteed onions and garlic.
• Add extra 20 grams of water to the wet mix for a softer texture, especially if you use teff flour, which tends to absorb more liquid.

How to serve sorghum sourdough flatbread

I love flatbread with anything. Here are a few suggestions:

• Serve with a spread like this nutritious Beef Liver Pate with Fresh Herbs or this delicious Artichoke Tapenade with Mixed Olives.
• Spread with grass-fed butter or dip into the best extra virgin olive oil you can get
• Make it a brunch staple. Serve with pasture-raised eggs, avocado, and bitter greens
• Use it as pita bread for sandwiches. If you bake it for a shorter time, like 10 to 12 minutes, the bread will be softer and perfect to use as pita bread.

Enjoy! Tell me if you make this sourdough flatbread with sorghum flour or any variations. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

*This post contains affiliated links, which means I get a small commission if you choose to purchase something via one of my links, at no extra cost to you.

Print Recipe

Sourdough Flatbread with Sorghum Flour (Gluten-Free)

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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By Claudia Curici, Health Coach – Serves: 8

Prep Time: 40 minutes – Cooking Time: 12-14 minutes

A gluten-free and lectin-free sourdough flatbread made with sorghum flour. Easy to make and ready to serve immediately.

Ingredients

• FOR THE PREFERMENT (make the night before):
• 10 grams active starter
• 30 grams of water (spring, filtered, non-chlorinated)
• 35 grams sorghum flour
• THE WET MIX:
• 17 grams psyllium husk flakes (not powder)
• 400 grams of water (spring, filtered, bottled, no chlorine, no tap, and don't use reverse osmosis water)
• 10 grams organic, raw honey, preferably local
• 6 grams extra virgin olive oil
• 75 grams sorghum preferment (made the night before)
• THE DRY MIX:
• 250 grams sorghum flour
• 50 grams tapioca flour
• 6 grams non-iodized good quality fine salt
• ADD-ONS:
• extra virgin olive oil
• dry oregano
• sea salt flakes

Instructions

1

MAKE THE PREFERMENT:

2

Mix all the ingredients the night before (you will prepare the dough in the morning)

3

THE MIXING METHOD:

4

In a glass or plastic bowl, combine 380 grams of water, psyllium husk flakes, honey, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix well and set it on the side. Once the psyllium husks absorb the water, this mixture will have a jelly-like texture (it needs about 5 minutes).

5

In the meantime, mix all the dry ingredients in a glass bowl.

6

Now add the preferment to the psyllium husk jelly, using the remaining 20 grams of water to remove all the preferment from the jar and add it to the jelly mix. Mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon.

7

Add the preferment jelly mixture to the dry ingredients bowl, incorporate as much as possible with a spatula or wooden spoon, then start mixing with your hand. Mix well until the dough is homogeneous and has no lumps. The dough is soft and sticky.

8

Now you can start mixing with the silicone or plastic dough scraper, scraping the dough from the sides of the bowl, and folding it into the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat with the same movement for about 1 minute.

9

Cover the bowl with a plastic cover, then wrap in two extra big plastic bags and tighten the bags. From now on, the fermentation starts. I keep my bowl on the kitchen counter. Ideally, it needs a place where the temperature stays constant throughout the process.

10

BULK FERMENTATION:

11

Let it ferment for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the temperature and humidity in your house. At about 20 degrees Celcius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), it can take 2 hours. If it's hotter than that, the time will decrease. At about 72-74 degrees Fahrenheit, my bulk fermentation takes about 1 hour.

12

SHAPING THE DOUGH:

13

The videos will be the most helpful here; please watch them (see link in the post above). Gently invert the dough on a working surface, dusted with just a tiny bit of flour. Gently lift one-third of the dough and fold it on top of itself. Then fold it one more time, so now what was on the bottom on the working surface is on the top. Shape the dough and seal the bottom part as shown in the videos provided in the post.

14

PROOFING THE DOUGH:

15

Ensure the lining of your Banneton or proofing basket (or a towel if it doesn't have a liner) is dusted with flour. Now that the dough is sealed and shaped, gently transfer it to the proofing basket with the sealed side up, as shown in Part 2 Video. Dust the top with flour, and cover with plastic wrap or wrap it in a towel. Because my house is pretty dry, I spray a little water on the towel. I cover it in plastic wrap, and then in two plastic bags that I tight very well. Again, you might not need these extra steps in your house. The proofing time will about the same as the bulk fermentation. At 72F, it might be 1h or a little more.

16

Making flatbreads is very forgiving compared to other types of bread, so you can even use over-proofed dough. You can make only one or two flatbreads and store the rest of the dough in the refrigerator for up to two days. You can do the entire fermentation and proofing in the refrigerator. Just remember, the lower the temperature, the longer the fermentation time.

17

SHAPING THE FLATBREAD AND BAKING:

18

Preheat the oven about 40 minutes before baking, at 250C / 480F.

19

After proofing, invert the dough on a working surface dusted with flour. With the help of a spatula, portion the dough into 8 equal traingles. Take one triangle, shape it in a ball, and working on the dusted surface, roll out the dough with the help of a rolling pin. Dust with flour whenever necessary and flip the dough while rolling out so it doesn't stick to the surface.

20

When the dough is thin enough, transfer it to parchment paper and cover with a towel.

21

Repeat with the second roll. I manage to fit two flatbreads on my baking sheet.

22

Brush each flatbread with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with dry oregano and sea salt flakes, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. If you want softer flatbread, it will take between 10 and 12 minutes, if you want a crunchier, drier flatbread, it can take about 14 minutes.

Notes

Check the post for variations of this flatbread. The cooking time is for one batch (2 flatbreads).