Grain-Specific Sourdough Starter, Plus Community Qs
Hey Y'all
I am wondering how different people keep their starters. My first question has to do with grain-specific starters. Many a rye-bread recipe I've seen has called for a starter dedicated to rye flour (at least 75% rye flour). I don't make enough rye bread for this to be reasonable, and my starter works well enough. If you keep different starters, do you notice any differences? Any side-by-side comparisons of rye bread made with rye starter versus rye bread made with wheat starter?
Also, just because I wonder these things: How old are your starters? What hydration do you keep them at? What flour or flour blend do you use? Purified water or tap water? Adjuncts?
I got a bit of starter from an older member of the Saint Paul Bread Club; he'd kept it alive for 13 years. I keep it at around 125% hydration, two-thirds germ-included bread flour, one-third home-ground partial-malt whole-wheat. I try to use purified water, but sometimes i just run tap through my filter and call it good. I don't know how effective that is at removing chlorine, but it seems to work fine.
Thanks, and happy bread baking thanksgiving!
-DoubleMerlin
P.S. Anyone have a good sourdough potato bread?