Flour Power - a review thread

[Ham]

Baking bread, the flour is the most significant factor in the taste and texture, yet it is quite difficult to find information about different flours without trying them. Here's my contribution to help rectify, be interesting to see others

1 - Bacheldre Watermills Organic Stoneground


I bought this on offer from Waitrose, this is noticeably different from many other flours. The consistency is quite fine, but grainy as a flour and it bakes into a "worthy" loaf, quite dry with small crumb, chewy, somewhat grainy in the mouth. Reasonably flavoursome but not very strong, a slight hint of maltiness. Develops a reasonable crust. Very strong, takes some working but results are good with an even consistency. Not good for toast due to its dryness. I will not be buying this again.

2 - Waitrose Organic Stoneground


The normal flour I use, makes into what is for me a perfect loaf. Consistency is somewhat coarse but soft, bakes into an archetypal homebake wholemeal. Moist with a large crumb, nutty flavour with light maltiness. Tasty, not overly chewy. Strong, develops quickly, you can get away with kneading for not too much time. Addictive out the oven, crust doesn't last more than an hour.

[Mrs Pingu]

May I ask why you won't buy the Bacheldre Mill again - because the toast isn't good?

I fancied trying the smoked flour they do buy didn't want to buy a gazillion kg of it from Amazon.

[Ham]

No, I just think other flours are better. It's the fine crumb that is just a bit... chewy, I suppose.

Here's the loaf, in my view it doesn't look quite right. And when you look at that crumb, you may see what I mean - this loaf is only about 6 hours old, I'd expect it to be a lot more moist. Waitrose has the smoked flour, I think I tried it and didn't care much.

[Woofage]

After trying a few different flours (branded and own-brand) I've settled on Waitrose own-brand white bread flour. Results are consistent, it doesn't seem too "fussy" and the flavour and texture are both good.

Biggest disappointments so far have been Hovis (I think) white and a spelt flour I got from Waitrose (can't remember the brand but other spelt flours I've used have given much better results).

[Gattopardo]

Was tempted to try chapatti flour and see what happens as Tesco have a 10kg bag for £4.

[Basil]

I bought a bag of 00 flour from the Italian café in Llandysul last week.
Makes great pizza base.

[Ham]

I bought a bag of 00 flour from the Italian café in Llandysul last week.
Makes great pizza base.

A while back I was trying to perfect a baguette bake with UK bought flour, I seem to remember I ended up with 50% 00, 25% strong (ie canadian) and 25% plain, with a little ascorbic acid. Lots of steam.

[Basil]

A while back I was trying to perfect a baguette bake with UK bought flour, I seem to remember I ended up with 50% 00, 25% strong (ie canadian) and 25% plain, with a little ascorbic acid. Lots of steam.

And how did that turn out?
Years ago, when the household Basil did not ever buy shop bread, I used to attempt to replicate baguette style.  Never succeeded.

Supplementary rant.
Oi. supermarket!  That is not a baguette!  That is supermarket bread baked in the shape of a baguette.  i.e. CRAP

[Ham]

Can I say reasonably? it wasn't the real thing (for which you need the flor and the oven) but close. I do remember having to work at it, trying to remember if baking powder featured in the final version. Watering the over is a bit of a science too. I seem to remember also top+bottom heat worked better than fan.

[Fab Foodie]

A while back I was trying to perfect a baguette bake with UK bought flour, I seem to remember I ended up with 50% 00, 25% strong (ie canadian) and 25% plain, with a little ascorbic acid. Lots of steam.

And how did that turn out?
Years ago, when the household Basil did not ever buy shop bread, I used to attempt to replicate baguette style.  Never succeeded.

Supplementary rant.
Oi. supermarket!  That is not a baguette!  That is supermarket bread baked in the shape of a baguette.  i.e. CRAP

Share your 'pain' Basil.
It's very hard to get a decent UK made baguette that equals the true French Version.  It's all down to the flour selection and there are some French flours with specific properties that make this happen.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I have a cupboard full of Carr's strong white bread flour, because Sainsbury's were selling it cheap for a while. It's very soft and fine, makes good bread but sometimes doesn't mix well, because it is so fine. It's excellent for pierogi (better than for bread), so presumably would be good for pasta too.

Sainsbury's own brand wholemeal flour - in the orange packet. Doesn't rise well. Very large crumbly texture.

Allinson's strong wholemeal (could have been very strong?) - feels more "floury".

Waitrose Canadian and strong wholemeal - I like this one, it has good texture and rises humongously.

[Tail End Charlie]

I use Allinsons (Strong + Extra Strong) Wholemeal (I don't use white) and find it great. Even better, Aldi sell it, so it's well priced.

Looking forward to using some stoneground wholemeal which I bought a couple of days ago from a mill whilst out on a ride.

I find spelt and rye a little tricky. Seem to need more liquid to work properly. And to be honest, I don't think the taste is up to much.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I use Allinsons (Strong + Extra Strong) Wholemeal (I don't use white) and find it great. Even better, Aldi sell it, so it's well priced.

This is good to know - and I recently discovered there's an Aldi by the Fishponds Fish, just off the railway path. 

[Pancho]

I'm impressed by your flour connoisseurship. I just buy whatever's cheapest in ASDA or LIDL.  All seems to make bread which is better by a country mile than factory bread.

[woollypigs]

Rye bread will be baked chez woolly and there will also be some attempts on wholemeal and multi grain breads either by the power of machine or by hand. So this is great info thanks all.

[Tail End Charlie]

No, I just think other flours are better. It's the fine crumb that is just a bit... chewy, I suppose.

Here's the loaf, in my view it doesn't look quite right. And when you look at that crumb, you may see what I mean - this loaf is only about 6 hours old, I'd expect it to be a lot more moist. Waitrose has the smoked flour, I think I tried it and didn't care much.

Ham, I'm no expert, far from it, but your loaf looks like it has risen more at the top than the bottom. I found mine used to do this, but then I started using a "bakestone" and the results are much much better. I think it gives a much more even temperature or that's the theory anyway.
For the stone I used a granite block from Asda (it was £10 on offer, but I think they are still only £12) and I did have to cut a strip from it with an angle grinder to fit it in my oven (I use the smaller oven in my kitchen, it would have fitted in the bigger one). Don't forget to rub off the felt feet which it will have on. You'll be surprised by how long it remains hot after being in the oven.

The other thing I'd recommend to anyone is an oven thermometer. My oven is around 20 degrees F hotter than the dial indicates. I had suspected this but the oven thermometer confirmed it.

[Ham]

That's OK TailEndCharlie, I am an expert and you are right 

It's basically a result of me using the oven to prove (25 mins, any time of year) and is perfectly fine for everyday bread. If I was trying to achieve perfection, I'd allow it to rise at room temperature for both  risings, then put into a hot oven. I'd also use a tad less yeast (about 20ml of dried yeast in 1.5Kg of flour)

The quality of the flour and the amount you knead also impacts the ability to get away with this.

[woollypigs]

I'm going to try out some real Danish rye bread, more about it over here. Though I need to find the right rye to make it.

Where would one get hold of coarse rye flour and broken or chopped rye kernels.What is the difference between organic and non-organic flours, and different mills?

[Ham]

Rye flour is less common on the ground here, I've seen it in some Polish shops, that would be where I headed first, rather than the supermarket shelves.

No essential difference between organic and non-organic in flavour, but commonly organic farms may use alternative wheats that are better flavour and condition. I go for flavour first, orgasmic-ness second, but I often find the two combine.

[Mrs Pingu]

I've found this very interesting blog while I've been researching sourdough. Bread science geekery - I think I might be in love...
http://www.azeliaskitchen.net/empathy-with-sourdough-novices-1-recipe-5-flours/

[Tail End Charlie]

Interesting link, thanks Mrs P. I'll not had much success with sourdough loaves, but must give them another try, the pictures of the loaves make me drool.

[Tail End Charlie]

Used the stoneground flour I bought from a water mill to make a soda loaf and very good it is too. I bought a big bag, so lots left. Just as well really as it's an 80 mile trip to get some more from there. It was from Walk Mill near Chester, if anyone's interested.
There's also a water mill near Alderley Edge which I think also sells it's own flour, so I'll try there some time (25 mile round trip).
This could become a theme for a tour ?? Anyone know if the windmills in Lincolnshire sell flour ground there ?

[Ham]

Here's the normal flour I use (Waiitrose Organic Stoneground) 14.5% protein. Same sort of age as the previous pic you can see the crumb is much more moist, and it tastes damn good, too. Exactly the same method (proved in the oven) and the consistency is far better.

[Tail End Charlie]

That does, indeed, look tasty Ham. I've never proved mine in the oven using a longer prove, but might give it a go. Stoneground wholemeal is very tasty. I always thought it was cobblers when people say how good it is, but to my mind it's well worth the money.

[Mrs Pingu]

Does stone ground taste different to bog std then?