Fresh-milled flour in baking bread

[Wholemeal Crank]

I have a small grain mill and prepare my own whole-grain flours for baking. I remember reading once that it was ok to use fresh-milled flour immediately to bake bread, but that if it wasn't to be used in a very short period of time, it would be better to let it age first. There was something about an intermediate period when the inadequately aged flour would not be good for baking bread. But I can't remember now when it was better to let it age.

Can anyone here help clarify this point?

[jackal10]

According to the article referenced below freshly milled flour contains a fraction that attacks the sulphide bond of gluten, weakening it and hence reducing the dough volume. Staling, or the addition of Vitamic C (Ascorbic acid) oxidises this fraction. Staling may affect the taste of the flour as well.

Journal of Cereal Science 29 (1999) 1–16

Article No. jcrs.0218, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on

Redox Reactions in Wheat Dough as Affected by

Ascorbic Acid

W. Grosch and H. Wieser

Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fu¨r Lebensmittelchemie and Kurt-Hess-Institut fu¨r Mehl- und Eiweißforschung,

Lichtenbergstraße 4, D-85748 Garching, Germany

Received 12 August 1998

ABSTRACT

Ascorbic acid (AA) is used as bread improver, as its addition to dough causes an increase in loaf

volume and an improvement in crumb structure. To explain these effects we review the stereospecificity

of the improver action and the properties of ascorbate oxidase and glutathione dehydrogenase and

the occurrence of low molecular thiols in flour and their concentration changes during dough mixing

in the presence and absence of AA. On the basis of the results the improver action of AA is explained

by a reaction sequence leading to a rapid removal of endogenous GSH, which otherwise would cause

dough weakening by sulphhydryl/disulphide interchange reactions with gluten proteins. To test this

hypothesis the binding sites of endogenous GSH in gluten proteins have been determined by the

addition of 35S-labelled GSH as a tracer to flour before dough mixing. The distribution of radioactivity

in the gliadin and glutenin fractions of gluten obtained from dough indicates that the major portion

of GSH is bound to glutenins. The isolation and sequence analysis of radioactive cystine peptides

from an enzymatic digest of glutenins demonstrates that GSH is almost exclusively linked to those

cysteine residues of LMW subunits that have been proposed to form intermolecular disulphide bonds.

[McDuff]

I used to be production manager at a bakery where we used freshly milled flour every day, and we never had a problem with it. We used it within two days of it's being milled. We got good volume and pop on the breads and there is nothing more mind-blowing than smelling that stuff come out of the mill when you're used to dry-as-dust whole wheat from the major millers. The only problem we ever had was the stuff retaining heat in the big barrels we stored it in. Sometimes we had to use an ice water formula to simulate water temps down into the teen's.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Thanks for the references and replies. I've sometimes added a bit of ascorbic acid to my doughs, but just as often forget it. I'll keep doing it when I remember and not worry since I like my bread.

[therdogg]

Wholemeal crank? Have you read Laurel's Bread Book, perchance? I remember the reference.

Great book.

Does anyone else take baking with whole grains (exclusively- no refined flour) seriously? I went through that phase but am slowly recovering.

I always wanted to try Laurel's desem but never had two weeks to devote to the considerable project.

[therdogg]

Wholemeal crank? Have you read Laurel's Bread Book, perchance? I remember the reference.

Great book.

Does anyone else take baking with whole grains (exclusively- no refined flour) seriously? I went through that phase but am slowly recovering.

I always wanted to try Laurel's desem but never had two weeks to devote to the considerable project.

[therdogg]

Wholemeal crank? Have you read Laurel's Bread Book? I recall the reference.

Does anyone else here take baking with whole grains (exclusively- no refined flour at all) seriously?

I always wanted to try her desem, but never found two weeks to devote to the project.

Now I am recovering from my "wholegrain phase" and realize that refined flour is just yummy. I'm sorry, but you can't make a good pizza crust with whole wheat flour (exclusively).

[therdogg]

sorry for the triple post. i would try posting and get an ERROR page, so I thought it wasn't working. After two tries, it erased my post so I tried again. Oops.

I'll just send this one once.

[Wholemeal Crank]

I do have Laurel's Bead Book--that was my first and remains a favorite. I'll go back and look it up there. In fact, it has been quite a while since I studied it in detail. I did try the desem, and made some nice desem crackers and one loaf of not very exciting bread. I'm having more fun with pan l'ancienne (with fresh flour, of course).

I do take whole grain baking seriously, because I think it's more nutritious, and my gut appreciates the fiber. I eat enough junk food when I'm away from home, so I prefer what I bake to be as good for me as it can be--within reason. I'm not willing to give that up for the ease of use of refined flour, but I my goal is to have my stuff to taste good, not to taste like it's good for you. I've too have had my fill of "wholier-than-thou" junk.

Most of the people I bake for wouldn't know my pastries, cookies or cakes are made with whole grain flour unless I tell them. The refined sugars and copious use of butter help!

[jackal10]

Dan Lepard suggests pre-cooking and soaking the whole grain before adding them to the dough. Boil for 45 mins, then soak for 12 hours. Gives "wheat berries" a whole new meaning - they really are like berries.

[fredbram]

Although I love all kinds of products made from white flour as well, I have been making my own 100% wheat bread at home lately also. I have been buying freshly milled wheat flour from my local great harvest bakery which mills daily. The flour that I get from them lasts me 2-3 weeks, and I wonder if that is an issue or not. I can't say that I've noticed a difference from the first loaf to the last, but I haven't been looking for it. And I've been experimenting with other adjustments, so it's come out a little different each time anyway.

I've really just been making the basic honey-wheat loaf with a little oil, a little honey, whole wheat, salt and yeast. The loaves seem to come out much lighter with the fresh milled flour, I always felt like 100% whole wheat bread made from packaged whole wheat flour were too dense for me, but I love these.

What kinds of breads are you making from whole grains? I am curious about expanding my horizons.

[naguere]

Does anyone else take baking with whole grains (exclusively- no refined flour) seriously? I went through that phase but am slowly recovering.

After years of struggling with wholewheat flour, and consuming the dense loaf it generally produces, I have descovered this wonderful flour, with three large handfuls of jumbo oats thrown in for good measure, it answeres all my needs (as far as bread at home goes )

Had to dig the packet out of the trash from my bake yesterday, so excuse the stainingon the image.

Below, the results:

[Wholemeal Crank]

Beautiful loaves.

I make all my breads with fresh-milled flour. That includes plain hearth loaves, pain l'ancienne, pizza, foccacai, naan, quickbreads, pitas, cinnamon rolls, fruit & spice breads....anykind.

I almost always am starting with white bread or mixed grain recipes and converting them to whole wheat.