January 30, 2011 - 3:33am
Rye in starter vs Rye in final recipe
Hi All,
This is a general question regarding artisan bread baking.
When looking into a recipe, say Hamelman's Vermont sourdough,
What's the difference between using 10% rye in the overall recipe (starter is 125% hydration bread flower only) and using some of the rye in the starter?
How do that change the flaour / fermentation of the dough?
Thanks a lot,
David
Hi David,
For breads such as Hamelman's Vermont Sourdough, which is predominantly wheatflour based, I would make this response to your interesting question.
To me, rye flour is eminently fermentable; much more so than wheat. So, I believe if rye is in the pre-ferment it is to give benefit to the performance of the pre-ferment. If it is added to the final dough, then I think the chief reason will be to give a different flavour and texture to the final loaf.
Best wishes
Andy