A customer's comment about my rye bread made me change my starter routine

A regular came in last Tuesday and said my rye had a 'cleaner' sour taste than the one from the big bakery in the next town. I asked what she meant, and she said it was sharp but not harsh. I've been feeding my rye starter twice a day for years, but I tried dropping it to once a day for a full week. The flavor really did mellow out and got more complex, without losing its character. I think the slower fermentation was the key. Has anyone else found that less frequent feedings improved a specific sourdough's flavor?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_tara1mo ago

Tried that with my wheat starter and got better results too.

robinson.leo1mo ago

Switching to wheat made my loaves way less dense. Might try a rye blend next.

derek995d ago

My third batch of wheat loaves came out looking like a sad, dense hockey puck. I almost used one to prop open my kitchen window. Then I switched to a finer grind of whole wheat and got that nice rise everyone talks about. Now I’m tempted to throw some rye into the mix just to see if I can mess it up again. Any tips on keeping rye from turning into a brick?