Durum Wheat & Rye Create High Acetic Acid Content
After a series of experiments I've come to a partial conclusion that rye and durum wheat both create high acidity starters that impart the sour tang to the finished bread. Wholewheat, AP, Hard Red Winter and Spring do not produce high acidity from my refrigerated low hydration starter.
Starter conditions:
- High hydration - 100% Flour 100% Water
- Culture innoculant - 20% refrigerated firm starter
- Fermenting Temp - 74 dF
- Length of Ferment - 18/24 hours
There isn't any flour quality or type dependency other than it be rye or of duram [semolina] wheat.
I've looked at a lot of the literature and searched this site, which has now begun to show up on the front of the list on Google searches by the way, with no results. My thesis at this point is that there is a component [or components] in both rye and durum that enhance the increased acetic acid growth in the culture.
One other observation point - the levaining action seems to be suppressed by the souring requiring long periods for proofing.
Wild-Yeast