mixing rye and white flour when making sourdough

[KatherineUK]

Anyone know if when you mix rye and white flour or wholemeal and white flour if the rye or wholemeal or something in the sourdough process itself counteracts any negative aspects of using the white flour?

Thanks
Katherine
x

[Pumpkin Pete]

Hi,

I bake bread regularly. I bake wholemeal loaves using 100% wholemeal flour. Many wholemeal bread recipes incorporate a significant amount of white flour. I notice that when using only wholemeal flour the dough doesn't quite double in size and leads to a slightly denser bread than the when using plain wheat flour.
I have made rye bread using only rye flour. The result is a very dense loaf. This is because rye flour has a lower gluten contact than wheat flour and so most rye breads are usually a blend of rye and wheat flour. I think the same reasoning applies when making rye sourdough. If only rye flour was used instead of a combination of rye and plain wheat flour the result would be a more denser loaf. Most customer I think prefer 'fluffier' bread.

I do not make sourdough and it's a step too far for me. I don't want to have to maintain a 'mother'.
I do however let my dough sit in the refrigerator for a day or two before I let it rise fully and bake it. This apparently imparts more flavour to the bread. I also go a for a slow rise using a smaller amount of yeast than is called for in most recipes.

I have read the following; -
Sourdough is more digestible than standard loaves and more nutritious too. Lactic acids make the vitamins and minerals in the flour more available to the body by helping neutralise the phytates in flour that would interfere with their absorption.

In answering your question if plain flour is used which is stripped of minerals and vitamins when making sourdough there are less vitamins and minerals to make available than if using a wholemeal type of flour.

[AnnetteW]

I always use 1/2 rye, 1/2 AP flour in my starter as it makes for a good strong active starter.

Half rye in the actual bread just makes the bread texture different and wetter. But sure you can do it. If I use rye, I tend to use just a little bit with whatever other flours I'm using. I also add a mixture of spices that make it taste like a German bread. You can google for different mixes of spices (ground caraway, allspice, etc. I forgot what all).