# Playing with flours



## Soma (May 3, 2012)

Just found a bag of Canadian Red Fife organic wheat flour, had to buy it....to try the flour of course, but also cuz I like the soft, cotton bag! (will find another use for it, I'm sure).







Never tried this flour before, so may begin with baking powder biscuits - quick and easy way to test a new flour.

One cup removed from bag: (almost but not as dark as whole wheat)






So I had to see the color difference: top left is organic whole wheat, top right is Red Fife, bottom is white bread flour.






I will bake with these asap.


----------



## Soma (May 3, 2012)

In case you were expecting flowers, not to disappoint:


----------



## taxlady (May 3, 2012)

But, that is a whole wheat flour. It's supposed to be excellent for bread. It's very high gluten.


----------



## justplainbill (May 3, 2012)

Soma said:


> Just found a bag of Canadian Red Fife organic wheat flour, had to buy it....to try the flour of course, but also cuz I like the soft, cotton bag! (will find another use for it, I'm sure).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


10 -12 bags would make a nice apron; 2 bags might make a nice kitchen towel.


----------



## Bolas De Fraile (May 4, 2012)

Soma the Tulips are lovely, but the flour is fantastic. I use ordinary red spring over here. Its the best bread and pasta flour I have used.
The fact that yours is stoneground and organic makes me very envious.
There has always been debates about the benefits of organics, we did a test using the same bread recipe and a bread machine I borrowed.The organic mix was 10% taller.


----------



## Soma (May 4, 2012)

Thanks Bolas! I will make bread with it today.


----------



## Steve Kroll (May 4, 2012)

I'm not familiar with Red Fife, but apparently it's an heirloom variety of red spring wheat.

This article is making my mouth water:
Pain au Levain with Red Fife Whole Wheat Flour | The Fresh Loaf


----------



## Soma (May 5, 2012)

I made a loaf of artisan bread, using 100% Red Fife flour, (3 cups flour, 1.5 cups water, 1/4 tsp yeast, 1 tsp salt)  let it rise overnight (about 9 hours). I am disappointed in how little it rose, but maybe my yeast is getting old. I also forgot to slash it, as you can see. 






The chew is good, tastes very mellow, nice - I'm surprised at this cuz I normally dislike whole wheat bread; surprisingly, I like this taste! But next time....(today), hope to make a nicer loaf, maybe use a regular recipe, more yeast.

It also stuck to the pan, so there's a hole in parts of it.


----------



## Soma (May 5, 2012)

and now I just cut up more of the loaf, to discover that the bottom is slightly moist and wants to break off for each slice, strange.






I wonder if I need to re-season my enamel-coated cast iron pot? I don't remember seasoning it ever. Anyone know?


----------



## taxlady (May 5, 2012)

Whole wheat bread, which in North America doesn't need to contain any of the germ, often has some unpleasant flavours. I have noticed it in NA made whole wheat pasta too. Whole grain bread contains the germ and is often stone ground. I have never noticed the unpleasant flavours in that.


----------



## Soma (May 5, 2012)

I also have some organic oat flour, want to make bread with .....but it has no gluten, right? So I would have to do some wheat flour?


----------



## justplainbill (May 5, 2012)

taxlady said:


> Whole wheat bread, which in North America doesn't need to contain any of the germ, often has some unpleasant flavours. I have noticed it in NA made whole wheat pasta too. Whole grain bread contains the germ and is often stone ground. I have never noticed the unpleasant flavours in that.


Whole wheat flours often have an unpleasant flavor / aroma because they  have become rancid.  The main reason for refining whole wheat into white  flour is to minimize the rancidity problem.


----------



## taxlady (May 5, 2012)

Soma said:


> I also have some organic oat flour, want to make bread with .....but it has no gluten, right? So I would have to do some wheat flour?


You need to add it to something with gluten, e.g., wheat, kamut, spelt, etc.


----------



## taxlady (May 5, 2012)

justplainbill said:


> Whole wheat flours often have an unpleasant flavor / aroma because they  have become rancid.  The main reason for refining whole wheat into white  flour is to minimize the rancidity problem.


I thought it was only the germ, which is usually missing from whole wheat, that went rancid. Wheat germ certainly goes rancid on its own.

It doesn't explain why whole wheat often has off flavours that whole grain wheat doesn't have.


----------



## justplainbill (May 5, 2012)

The grain keeps better in unground form.


----------



## taxlady (May 5, 2012)

justplainbill said:


> The grain keeps better in unground form.


That's certainly true. I would love to have a grinder for making grain into flour, but I don't know if I would use it enough to make it worthwhile and I don't really have space for any more kitchen gadgets.


----------



## Soma (May 5, 2012)

Interesting discussion!....so it's possible that the 5 lb bar of organic whole wheat flour, which I bought a year ago....might be rancid now? I kept it in a cool basement.


----------



## taxlady (May 5, 2012)

Soma said:


> Interesting discussion!....so it's possible that the 5 lb bar of organic whole wheat flour, which I bought a year ago....might be rancid now? I kept it in a cool basement.


It might be. Give it a sniff and make something *small* with it if it doesn't smell off.


----------



## justplainbill (May 5, 2012)

Soma said:


> Interesting discussion!....so it's possible that the 5 lb bar of organic whole wheat flour, which I bought a year ago....might be rancid now? I kept it in a cool basement.


Sounds like it's there or well on its way.  Shelf life for many of King Arthur brand flours are about 1 year.  I try to extend shelf life of some of my flours by vacuum packing them in 1/2 gallon jars.  Long cold fermentation (2 or more days) of some yeast doughs can help eliminate or reduce the rancid flavor.
You might want to fry up a big batch of whole wheat crullers.  They can be frozen for later reheating.


----------

