I made the sourdough starter using rye from the KA Whole Grain cookbook - it made delicious bread and we all loved the sourdough waffle recipe I found from you all too. But I was never sure about using a rye starter with non-rye recipes. It seemed to work ok but I always felt like I was doing something wrong. Then I started feeding the starter with whatever I had on hand - wheat, rye, white - and it still seemed to work ok but again I felt like I was doing something wrong. Eventually I tossed the whole thing because I left it out for too long without feeding it and was afraid I'd totally ruined it. I would like to start over but need encouragement that I'm not messing up too badly. I'm also constantly caring for kefir grains and kombucha mushrooms so the sourdough is just one more thing....but a tasty thing. :)
Lee, there is NO SUCH THING AS WRONG in baking! Truly. We all make choices with ingredients - some work out - some are for the birds (literally!) Starter made with whole-grain flours is often actually more vigorous, as the yeast likes all the extra minerals. If you use a lot of starter in any particular recipe, you may find it doesn't rise as well, due to less gluten. But in things like pancakes, it just doesn't matter. For lots of good information on this subject, read the sourdough information in our Whole Grain Baking cookbook. So, go ahead and start over - and keep experimenting. That's where great new recipes are born, in your imagination and willingness to try something new. PJH
November 7, 2009 at 9:02pm