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On 13 Nov 2003 20:52:09 -0800, (Roy Basan) wrote:

(A.T. Hagan) wrote in message >...
>> How much of an affect does flour aging have on bread rise?
>>
>> I've been wondering about this since the bread I make from flour I
>> mill myself consistently does not rise quite as nicely as the bread I
>> make from King Arthur whole-wheat-flour.
>>
>> I use a Grainmaster Whispermill so the flour texture itself seems to
>> be as fine as the commercial flour and I use hard red wheat so the
>> protein ought to be pretty close, I think. The flour is fairly cool
>> when it comes out of the mill (I chill the berries first to avoid
>> heating). King Arthur claims "Includes 100% of the bran and germ of
>> the wheat berry" in their flour.
>>
>> Other than the whole-wheat flour every other ingredient is identical,
>> same cycle in the machine, room temperature doesn't much vary, nor
>> does air humidity.
>>
>> Could it be because my flour is generally a day or less old when I
>> make bread with it?
>>
>> Should I let it age for a time before using it?
>>
>> If so, how long and where? Room temperature or refrigerated?
>>
>> Could just be the difference between their wheat and what I've got,
>> but I'm wondering if flour aging might explain at least part of it.
>>
>> .....Alan.
>
>Milling wheat as done in the commercial flour mill is done
>carefully.It is first done in experimental small scale.It is comprised
>of different wheat blends decided by the mill operator which are all
>subjected to small scale laboratory milling.
>The wheat varieities are selected cleaned and remove of contaminating
>grains,It is tempered to an appropriate moisture level before its run
>to the grinding machine.Then the flour is evaluated chemically ,
>rheological (subjecting the dough to stress and strain manipulation)
>and baking performance and in addition tested for enzyme activity ;
>so if its is less they have to fortify the wheat grain with small
>amount of germinated grain or blend in diastatic malt flour in the
>milled flour.
>Other variables that affect performance is considered and the mill
>chemist will interact with the mill operator and will decide what is
>the best wheat blend and how much treatment is needed such as
>enzymes, and even possible addition of vitamin C .
>Once the flour evaluation is finished and the recommendation of the
>milling chemist is considered that is the point that the milling
>manager select the best grain blend will grind it in large scale for
>the production purposes.
>Now if you equate that with your home milling you are considering only
>the protein factors and you do not have the capability to look at the
>wheat from many points of its peculiarity.Quality consideration is not
>part of your plan but just to grind the wheat and obtain flour...
>Indeed wheat flour comes from wheat but the flour mill do not just
>mill one kind of wheat but combine different wheat grain varieities
>that will enable them to produce a good quality flour at the best
>price with consistent performance.
>When the flour is obtained its is placed in the silo and graded and
>further evaluated as in the experimental stage .And if there is defect
>found its is blended with other flours and evaluated again until it
>pass the standards then its released for bagging and packing.
>Therefore the flour normally stays in the mill for at least a week
>before being marketted.And its sold as untreated it should stay in the
>mill for a few weeks more to attain an aging effect.However if its
>fortified with oxidants the average storage in the mill will be a
>week before distribution.
>The whole meal flours due to the propensity for rapid degradation is
>just stored in the mill for a maximum of one week before distribution.
>Therefore in your case its better to subject the flour to normal
>storage( room temperature before you bake it) for a few days to a
>week.If you want to store longer place it in the refrigerator and use
>it within a month.
>If you are in a hurry add vitamin C to your dough.
>Roy

Thanks again, Roy.

We're going to be doing this right on anyway so I think I'll try it
both ways. Age some, use vitamin C in some and see what happens.

This bread machine has really diverted me. Endless experimentation
possibilities.

Only problem is we've got to eat all that bread! Urp!

......Alan.

--
Curiosity killed the cat -
lack of it is killing mankind.