On 10 Oct 2003 18:10:48 GMT, wcsjohn@aol.comspamnone (Wcsjohn) wrote:

>>What exactly would I be looking for?

>I am not being sarcastic when I say you're looking for a bag with the words
>"Rye Flour".

OK, then I will look for that. I have not bothered to study the flour
section of the groceries I frequent, so I will have to look more
closely.

How much rye flour do I use per cup of KA bread flour?

>>Then I will add that to my list of experiments.

>Again, I am not sarcastic, though I will admit to a touch of irony, when I say
>that your list is lengthening.  Ars longa. Vita brevis.

Each item on the list is independent of the others, so there should
not be any conflict. In the case of a ratio of 1:1 all I have to do is
make about a cup more starter which is no big deal since I am making
it in stages anyway. 

If I find that rye flour at the store this afternoon, can I add it to
the next stage of starter preparation. As I mentioned earlier, I am
using a technique whereby by I make the final starter from a
succession of smaller steps on a 24 hour basis. I am on step 2 at this
time, and I have a couple more steps to go, so if I add rye flour now
I would be adding it at the middle of the process.

Can I add it now or should I wait until I make the next batch of
starter and begin with rye flour then?

If I do wait, should I start from scratch again or can I put rye flour
into the cup of starter I plan to retain from this batch for the next
starter batch?

If I do use some starter from a previous batch, do I need to
innoculate it with more rye flour each time I make a new batch of
starter?

>Personally I always thought a "sourdough" was a stable symbiosis between a
>yeast strain and a Lactobacillus. And I have always thought the term "wild"
>unnecessarily dramatic.

Does that mean you consider dough made from commercial yeast to be
sourdough if it is made according to the procedure that meets the
condition above?

>Leaving the lid off the bowl allows more oxygen to reach the starter which
>promotes the oxidation reactions that produce organic acids hence loweing the
>pH of the mix.

Is that good or bad for my starter?