When I learned to bake sourdough bread, I only ever used flour that I was familiar with; white bread flour and whole wheat flour. I never really thought of using rye flour until later on, when I discovered that most artisan bakeries used at least a portion of rye flour in many of their sourdough breads. I wondered why, and curiosity led me to do a little research and experimentation…
1. Rye Speeds Up Sourdough Fermentation Rye flour has an especially high level of activity in sourdough bread when compared to other flours.
– a high level of enzymes that attract a variety of yeasts – almost no gluten – the ability to retain moisture in a way that is far greater than any other flour.