Yes, that would be considered an unfed starter, but I wouldn't recommend leaving it at room temperature for a full day without feeding. Instead, I'd feed it as usual, let it become bubbly and active, then place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, you can use the amount needed for the recipe straight from the fridge as your unfed starter. This gives you the slower fermentation benefits we're after without risking a starter that's overly acidic or weakened from sitting unfed at room temperature too long.

A gummy texture is usually caused by one of three things: slightly too much hydration, underbaking, or slicing before the loaf has fully cooled. Since your loaf looked well-risen and airy, my guess is it was either just a bit underbaked or needed a longer cooling time—next time, try baking until the internal temperature reaches at least 210°F and let it cool completely for 2–3 hours before slicing.

Hi there
I made this recipe following the instructions exactly, but I never got a huge rise. I used Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 flour and the Starter recipe posted above. The crust turned out amazing, but the bread itself was gummy. Any suggestions on what might be causing this? The starter I used hadn't been fed in 18 hrs, and then I did a 7 hr warm ferment and a 16 hr cold ferment. I really love the simplicity of this recipe and would love to figure out how to master it! Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks so much!

I haven't tried but I don't see why it wouldn't as long as you were careful not to overwork it too much!

Yes, but gluten-free sourdough is less tolerant of extended cold fermentation than wheat sourdough. I recommend starting with a 24–36 hour cold proof and working up to 48 hours if your dough responds well, as longer ferments can weaken the structure and lead to a gummy or collapsed loaf.