My sourdough starter came alive after a baker told me to switch flours

I was struggling for 6 weeks with a starter that barely bubbled. A baker at Johnson's Marketplace in Portland told me to ditch the all-purpose and try dark rye flour instead. After 3 feedings with the rye, it doubled in size and smelled like ripe fruit. Has anyone else had a flour switch totally fix a stubborn starter?

3 comments

3 Comments

nora_park29d ago

I read in a baking forum that dark rye has more of the natural yeasts and enzymes that AP flour lacks, so it makes sense it kicked your starter into gear.

derek_perez29d ago

More luck than science really.

the_diana29d ago

Ha! I'm gonna push back a little on that, actually. I mean, sure, dark rye has different stuff in it compared to AP flour, but it's not some magic bullet that guarantees a successful starter every time. You can get a perfectly healthy starter from AP flour if you're patient and the conditions are right, like temperature and water quality. The dark rye might give things a faster kick because of those extra microbes, but it also can turn your starter weird if you're not careful, like too sour or sluggish in the wrong way. Honestly, I've seen people mess up rye starters just as much as AP ones - it's more about consistency and not giving up than a specific flour making all the difference. So I'd still call it a little bit of luck (and some good timing) over pure science.