June 26, 2022 - 11:39am
A mystry
I have tried several recipes for a starter and have found out that a 100 percent whole grain Rye works perfect for me. As I learned the craft, I have also made a white wheat flour starter, which works very well as well.
Although both my personal experience, and advices given around the web, confirms that Rye starters are strong and raise high. The question is, why?
We know that Rye has a low percentage of Gluten. A 100 percent Rye dough doesn't rise. While a white dough with the same amount of yeast/ SD starter raise at least double.
Why the Rye starter raises higher than white starter?
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But what I've heard is that rye flour has more nutrients for yeast so it's good to use as food for a starter and I've observed that at a given hydration, rye starters are stiffer than others and thus trap gas more readily vs letting it escape. That results in a higher rise.
I have a rye starter and a white starter that is 10% rye 90% white. They both raise bread about the same but the rye starter will barely double in the jar while the white starter will triple at it’s peak. Mostly because of the gluten in the white flour. I like the rye starter because it requires less feeding and will remain viable in the fridge for a longer time so I keep it for a backup. My fruit derived yeast water will raise bread better than either of the SD starters but the flavor is rather bland.
That’s my experience and like all bread advice on the web it should be taken with a grain of salt(2%)
Don
Hope this helps. Here you go: https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-flour-for-sourdough-starters-an-investigation
:)
- Christi