Can someone explain to me the mechanism by which using old flour in
raised bread baking would lead to a lower volume, denser loaf?

I'm presuming it's because the gluten proteins have oxidized over
time. Is this correct?

If so, then I'm further presuming that removal of the oxygen would
greatly retard any breakdown of the flour, at least so far using it to
bake raised breads are concerned?

This would be for refined white flour - all purpose or bread flour
specifically.

I've been Googling around trying to find the answer to this, but I'm
not putting the search terms together properly it seems because
nothing I find really answers the question of why it happens, just
that it does happen.

Thanks for any light you can shed on this.

......Alan.


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