Sunday Notes: The Case for a Second Starter

The white bread flour starter is fine. Predictable. Sweet. A little flat, honestly.

I built a 100% rye starter on the side, and now I use it as a 20g addition to the levain in most bakes. The complexity it adds is out of proportion to the volume — deeper crust color, a longer finish on the tongue, more lift.

You don't need to convert everything to rye. Just keep 40g of a rye culture on the counter and spike your regular builds with it.