Let's talk about rye
I have watched "Francisco Migoya-Insights from Modernist Bread" [1] a number of times and learned a lot. There is a section where he talks about the fact that the European rye researchers threw their hands up when trying to use American grown rye, saying they couldn't bake with it. They ended up importing European rye. Well, I finally got around to researching that a bit and have discovered a big void of information. There is a LOT of information out there on wheat and the varieties used for bread but I am not finding much information on rye beyond generalizations. There is PLENTY of information on the different rye flours and breads. I did find statistics that say a significant amount of rye grown in the USA is used for feed and alcohol manufacture while in Europe the opposite is true- rye is grown for mostly human consumption and the rest for animal feed and alcohol manufacture.
I would LOVE if Stan Ginsberg would weigh in here. ( I also would LOVE to go on his Finland/Latvian tour this fall through rye country. LINK HERE [2] if you are interested.)
So what varieties of rye are best for flour production? Are different varietal flours available in the USA? What are the different characteristics these varietals bring to the outcome of the loaf? I can find all kinds of information about the different rye flours and grinds (again-thanks to Stan's website-The Rye Baker [3]!) but I am looking for more information on the rye varieties themselves, the different characteristics the different varieties have and the flours made from the different varietals and where to buy them.
I am hoping that the worldwide reach of this forum will provide a wealth of information to fill this information void on rye.