Maybe but my guess is the gluten in wheat can’t take it, since rye is gluten challenged to begin with it’s about flavor and texture, with lots of seeds, whole grain, chops and stale bread crumbs. But not positive why this wouldn’t work with whole grain wheats other than Einkorn and spelt (which are common along with rye in this German style breads.
Very cool Melissa! I started a rye starter using my all-purpose starter (and then used it after only a few feedings) to make the Finnish rye ruisleipä recently - it looked and tasted like it should. But now I’ll try making my own rye starter from scratch. In Finland, families will hand down their starter for generations. I sent a photo of my ruisleipä to a friend in Finland and he said there is even 400-year old starter.
This article was fascinating. I had no idea that there are people out there doing this type of research. I created an all white bread flour starter 9 months ago. I have had wonderful success with it. This is my first summer with it, so I do observe it being more active with each feeding. I have had some really great loaves from it this summer. The latest was a loaf baked in my Breadtopia terra cotta cloche. It had oven spring that I have never before witnessed. Thank you for this new, to me, window into sourdough baking.
Hello my bread baking friends.
I am so glad that you ran this fascinating experiment! I have been baking sourdough for decades and then a cleaning person through away my starter. I was so sad! I started a new one with Teff and a little whole sugar. Once it was started, I always fed with various brands of whole grain wheat. It rose the loaves and always had a pungent, rather than sweet, sour smell and taste.
Then a friend gave me some starter that was begun in the early 19th century in Nome, AK.Over a few family generations, it lived in Nome for decades, then lived in VA, then to WA state and then to Anchorage AK, then to me in So Cal. It has the BEST smell and taste ever after or end of feedings!
I shared some with a friend who uses white flour, not whole grain and then disaster struck, my Nome starter got cooked and destroyed! (Long story why and how.) Luckily, my friend had kept it separated from her other starters and was able to give me some of the Nome starter back again after several feedings with white flour. She also gave me her own starter that she didn’t even remember where exactly it had come from. (I named it Sandy starter after her.)
OK do enough background, here is the interesting part: Now, after dozens of feedings, months later, the Sandy starter raises the loaves and gives an airy crumb like no other! It always has! However, it has no flavor. At first, I thought that it may be because of her flour, but still, after months of feeding with my whole grain wheat flours, still no flavor or smell. But WOW, can it every get that loaf to rise! The Nome starter still has the best flavor ever! So now, I mix the two for each loaf. I put half Sandy starter and half Nome starter. I rarely use my original Somis starter, because it is still pungent and, though it can give a decent rise, not nearly as good as the Sandy starter.
PS. I thought that maybe my Somis starter, (I live in Somis) May be pungent because I used teff to start it. However, I began a new batch of starter with rye and just the same pungent smell and taste.
@pketro Wow 400 years old. I’m guessing a sample of that starter is in the sourdough library in Belguim. If you have extra jars and time, making a second starter could be a neat experiment. I’d be curious if you taste any differences, and which you prefer. Since I didn’t make my starters at the same time, it’s still possible that the differences I and my taste testers noted are from the maturing of one of the starters or the biome of my house changing in the past five years, and not the founding flour.
@Gingkogirl Congrats on your success with sourdough baking and your new cloche. I’m glad you enjoyed the experiment. Here are a few more from the blog and the forum:
@aura That is all fascinating. I can imagine a mix of those two starters might be the awesome. I’ve made bread with teff before and found it turned out sorta cheesy. I wonder if that’s the same pungent note you’re getting, and if the microbes snuck into your new rye starter. That would be wild since you have been feeding Somis other flours for so long, and the rye one no teff at all.
Actually, the rye starter did not have any of the Somis starter in it. I totally started it as rye alone. The teff starter happened when I was making injera one weekend.
I followed Melissa’s New starter recipe, fresh milled rye 3day in, it doubled, so I stirred for oxygen, added 50gm more water & rye, 3 Hours later, I have this!… so fast! Room temp ave 75dg.
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Looks great! Freshly milled wholegrain rye would be perfect for making a starter. When are you going to bake with it?
Look at that 
So active!
Abe, not sure… probably my go-to for testing 80% White, 20% fresh HSR. I do worry about using a 100% rye starter, as it’s probably too active for my schedule — 12 hour Levain, even with ice water, I bet this is too active, but worth a test! Otherwise, I’ll probably start refreshing with maybe 30% rye and 70% white.
I think it would be a shame to not make a rye bread from this starter made with rye. Would be nice to see it through with rye from start to finish to appreciate it in full. Perhaps a nice Danish Rye?
Thanks, Abe… I’ll think about it… But again, i hate to have too many variables when I am testing new stuff 
I’m afraid I have a very simple question, kind of embarrassing after all the impressive, knowledgeable responses! My one and only starter, a 100% hydration spelt starter, is several years old now and has only ever been fed spelt. I’ve wanted to try a rye starter and Melissa’s post spurred me to do that. I decided to make it from scratch rather than convert the existing starter. I just mixed up day 1, also at 100% hydration, and am surprised to find how much stiffer it is than my spelt starter. It’s not the least bit liquid, really a stiff paste. Is this as it should be or should I be aiming for the similar semi-liquid state of my spelt starter? Thanks!
Rye will be stiffer than spelt at the same hydration because it’ll soak up more water. Since starters can be any hydration there is no right or wrong. At the end of the day it’s totally up to you. If you want a more liquidy starter, be it to encourage more lactic acid or simply for ease, then by all means up the hydration. I think 125% hydration and fermenting at warm temperatures, around 78°F - 80°F, makes for a nice sourdough starter with good flavour or eyeball it if you’re going for ease. Keeping it at 100% hydration works perfectly as well.
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Thanks, Abe! I find 100% hydration easier only because of the math if I have to calculate percentages for some reason. It’s just easier to remember. So, I’ll keep it at 100% for the time being. It will be interesting to watch as it develops since I’m sure that it will look different than a more liquid starter.
Another good reason to maintain a 100% hydration starter, Wendy.
Best reason is whatever you’re happy with 
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I hear you, 100% hydration rye starter IS pretty thick. I kinda guessimate where to put the rubberband because of how mounded it is in the jar. Damp fingertips can flatten it too.
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Thanks for the tips, Melissa!
After the 3rd day, my starter loosened up a lot and became a thick liquid. It took a couple extra days using Melissa’s new starter method, but I now have an active rye starter to play with. Thanks for the support, Abe and Melissa!
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