Baking with Rye Flour. Use Vinegar?

I have come across an exceptional series of Emails between two bread researchers one in the U.S. and the Other Germany.

Here are some takeaways for those of us who want to bake with Rye Flour.

Rye flour is particularly high in enzymes that can lead to a deteririoration of the starch gel structure giving a heavy bread.

"If using more that 20% Rye flour in a dough then the dough must be made acidic to control the enzymes."

Using Yeast will not achieve this. Yeast, on its own, develops little acidity. A natural leaven developed using the 'Two Stage Acidic Fermentation" does develop acidity, obviously.

My experience is that using an ordinary natural leaven makes a good rye bread with up to 50% Rye and 50% wheat flour. There is some acidity in all natural leavens.

The acidic dough also enables more rye flavour development.

My take away from this is that for those using yeast it might be worth considering using vinegar in the dough. My favourite would be a live apple vinegar.

Typically vinegar is added to doughs at 1.5% of the total flour weight in the recipe.

However, I have seen it added at 4%.

The danger of vinegar in dough is that it can add an unpleasant vinegary note to the bread if too much is used. Also, again if too much is used, the acetic acid in the vinegar can inhibit the yeast fermentatio. So a little caution needs to be exercised.

I would be interested in any information from others who use vinegar in their dough.

Edit: See my update below - This is not the way to increase flavour - Vinegar reduces flavour.