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c/bakersthe_marythe_mary22d ago

I always thought fresh flour was better for bread... then I ran my own test

I kept hearing everyone say you gotta mill your own wheat or buy flour within a week for the best loaves. But I got curious after reading a blog from a baker in Portland who tested flours at different ages. So I tried baking with flour that had sat in my pantry for 3 months versus a freshly ground bag from a local mill. Honestly, the older flour gave me a better rise and more consistent crumb in my sourdough. The fresh stuff was too active and made the dough sticky and hard to shape. Has anyone else found that aged flour works better for certain recipes?
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taragrant
taragrant21d ago
Oh wow yeah totally! I had almost the exact same thing happen with a batch of whole wheat I'd forgotten about for like 4 months. That older flour gave me such a smooth dough, no fighting with sticky hydration or weird fermentation times. The fresh stuff I got from a mill was so aggressive it'd overproof my loaves in an hour and leave gummy spots. I swear some recipes just work better with flour that's had a chance to settle down a bit.
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the_morgan
the_morgan22d ago
Yeah same here, older flour works way better for my sourdough.
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