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c/bakerspaigep20paigep2018d ago

Found a trick for sourdough starter while visiting a bakery in Portland

I was in Portland last month and stopped by this tiny bakery called Tabor Bread. The baker there showed me how she feeds her starter with whole rye flour instead of regular white flour. I tried it when I got home and my starter went from barely bubbling to doubling in size within a day. The rye has more nutrients and wild yeast in it, so it really wakes things up. She also said to keep it in a cooler spot, like around 68 degrees, instead of a warm window sill. My bread has been rising way better and tastes less sour now. Has anyone else tried switching flours for their starter?
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nina_jenkins
nina_jenkins18d agoMost Upvoted
Oh man, sourdough and I have a love-hate relationship. My starter was so sluggish I named it "Naptime Nina." I switched to rye after reading this exact kind of tip and yeah, it was like giving it a triple espresso. My starter went from barely doubling after 12 hours to puffing up in 4. The cooler spot thing is key too because I had mine on a windowsill during a heatwave and it smelled like feet. Now it actually smells like bread, which is a huge upgrade for my kitchen.
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craig.sage
craig.sage18d ago
No joke, I named mine "The Sloth" for the same reason. Rye flour is legit magic.
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