Convert Rye Sourdough Starter into Wheat Starter - Natasha's Baking (2024)

FAQs

Can I switch my sourdough starter to whole wheat? ›

Can I use whole wheat flour in my starter the same way I've been using all purpose flour? Yes - it will behave much differently so be prepared to experiment.

Yes you can feed your sourdough starter a different flour to the bread you are making. For example, if you are making this whole wheat rye sourdough bread, you can use your sourdough starter that has been fed with all purpose flour.

This recipe is highly hydrated because there's a high percentage of whole grains, which require more water in the mix (the bran and germ present in the flour can take on quite a bit more).

Compared to whole wheat flour, rye flour is said to be the most nutrient- and amylase-dense option for a sourdough starter. Overall, it has a lower gluten protein content than wheat flour, which means it produces slack, sticky, and dense doughs.

Is whole wheat good for sourdough? Yes, it will give you a heartier, more dense loaf, with a whole grain flavor. It isn't going to be as light and fluffy as other sourdough breads made with bread flour or all-purpose, but it is very delicious.

If your sourdough starter won't rise anymore, reset it by putting 25 grams of starter in a jar and feed it 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. With this ratio, your starter should double in size in about 12-24 hours. If your starter has never risen before, follow a proven guide to create an active starter.

The reason why whole wheat loaves end up so dense is because whole wheat flour has very little gluten as compared to white all-purpose flour. Gluten is important for giving the dough – and final loaves – structure. Without it, loaves tend to end up flat and dense. #wheatsourdough #sourdoughbread #rusticsourdoughbread.

Quicker rise

Sourdough starter made with whole wheat flour ferments much more rapidly than white flour. This is because the wild yeasts respond more vigorously to having all the parts of the wheat berry present, happily consuming the flour and water much more quickly.

All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour, which is a blend of hard and soft wheat, is a popular choice for feeding sourdough starter. It provides a good balance of protein and starch, which promotes a healthy fermentation process. Bread Flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content compared to all-purpose flour.

The rye did add its characteristic flavor to the loaf but didn't appreciably alter its texture. The bottom line: If you don't mind the distinctive flavor of rye, swapping half of the whole-wheat flour in a bread recipe with rye flour will make it shelf-stable for up to a week.

What happens if you add too much flour to sourdough starter? ›

What Happens If You Feed a Sourdough Starter Too Much Flour? If you add more flour than water into your sourdough starter jar, it will be a very stiff starter. This is not always a bad thing, and sometimes extra flour is necessary to rectify a runny starter or make the starter peak at a later time.

Start baking with your sourdough starter. Store in the fridge if not using daily. Feed once a week in the fridge or at least every 12-24 hours at room temperature equal portions starter, water, and whole wheat flour.

This is definitely possible. While it would still contain trace amounts of gluten, eventually after enough feeding with gluten free flour, a regular starter would be transformed into a “gluten free sourdough starter.” But, then again may have traces of wheat still contained in the gf starter.

One more thing to keep in mind: whole wheat flour ferments much faster than white flour. Due to the increased nutrients (bran & germ) your starter will go into overdrive when fed with so many goodies. Keep an eye out during your bulk fermentation step; things can go too far very fast.

Over the past decade-plus of baking, I've tested all manner of flour from whole grain wheat to spelt to einkorn, and while they all do work, my preferred flour to use when creating a sourdough starter is whole grain rye flour and white flour (this can be all-purpose or high-protein bread flour).