High extraction bread flour

[ElainaA]

I have been given a 25 lb bag of this flour - locally milled from locally grown wheat. I've baked bread for years but have never heard of this type of flour before. I would love some information from those of you who are much more experienced bakers than am I. How is this different from regular bread flour? Will it perform differently in recipes? Are there certain types of bread for which this is especially suited?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

Elaina

[cakewalk]

I found this: http://hamelmanchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/06/tech-note-high-extraction-flour.html He gives a good explanation of what it is. Once he starts with the math, my little brain just shuts down. Let us know how it performs if you bake with it. It does sound like a nice "middle ground" between WW flour and regular bread flour.

[djyee100]

Hamelman's math formula is supposed to combine WW flour and regular bread flour (at 70% extraction) to make high-extraction flour. Since you already have high-extraction flour, you can ignore it.

 

It might be worth asking the vendor just what percentage that high extraction is. Once you know, you can cut the high-extraction flour with regular bread flour for a lesser extraction.

 

You might also consider keeping this flour in a very cool place, so the WW part of it doesn't go rancid.

 

I've never tried high extraction flour, but it sounds like just the kind of thing for sourdough breads or other artisanal breads. The breads will be chewy. Also, with whole wheat in it, I would expect a lesser rise.

[pbear]

The only place I've seen this discussed is Rose Levy Barenbaum's Bread Bible, at p.547.  From that, I gather the main difference between high and low is the protein content, as the outer portion of the endosperm has more.  IOW, Elaina, I'd expect this to behave like a bread flour.  Give it a whirl in a tried-and-true recipe and you'll know.