Pam Corbin
MORE RECIPES
Pulla; Pissaladière; Tortillas with cumin and garlic oil; Rye and caraway scones; Chive buckwheat blinis with hard-boiled eggs; Drip scones; Chicken broth with parsley and celery seed spaetzle; Garlicky pea ravioli with brown butter; Buttermilk and sage onion rings; Field mushroom and celeriac pie; Pruney sausage rolls; Summer savory scones; Brown butter shortbread; Eccles cakes
SOURCING
dovesfarm.co.uk; shipton-mill.com; stoatesflour.co.uk
Flour forms the basic structure for many of our staple foods, such as breads, pasta and pastry – as well as cakes, scones, biscuits and sauces. Wheat flour is by far the most commonly used and versatile of all flours.
Britain produces 80–85 per cent of its own wheat, with the balance imported – mainly from Canada, America and Europe. The ‘strength’ and flavour of wheat is influenced by the soil and climate. More extreme climates than ours tend to produce ‘stronger’ or ‘harder’ (i.e. higher protein) wheat.
The protein in wheat is gluten. Gluten proteins, when wet, stick together and start to form stretchy strands, which are developed further by mixing, kneading or otherwise ‘working’ a dough. A gluten network is uniquely good at binding a dough and allowing it to rise and then hold its shape. The higher the protein, the more stretchy and supple the dough becomes when kneaded. An elastic dough will accommodate the gassy bubbles formed by yeast, which is why bread is made with ‘strong’ flour. This forms a loaf with a firm crust and a robust, slightly bouncy crumb.
For biscuits, pastry or cakes, a low protein or ‘soft’ flour is required. These sorts of doughs and batters should only be lightly worked, to avoid developing the gluten too much, and producing a tough, ‘bready’ crumb.
Wheat grain comprises three parts. The endosperm (the white, floury bit) accounts for about 85 per cent. Traditionally, this was referred to as the ‘flower’, or finest part, of the wheat grain, which is where our word ‘flour’ comes from. Then there’s the highly nutritious wheat germ, the plant’s embryo, forming about 2 per cent of the grain. The remaining 13 per cent is the bran, the protective skin of the seed. This is flavoursome and rich in B vitamins and fibre.
The process of milling transforms the hard, indigestible nobbles of wheat grain into soft flour. In the past, wind and watermills were used to power millstones, and traditional stoneground flour is still widely available. Stone-grinding crushes the whole grain in one ‘pass’ and mixes all the parts together. This produces a relatively coarse, 100 per cent wholegrain flour. Even when most of the bran and germ are sifted out to make a white flour, traces of those nutritious parts will remain. Most stoneground flours on the market are intended for bread-making, but you can find lower protein stoneground white flours suitable for cakes and biscuits.
Nowadays, most flour mills are fully automated. The grain travels through a series of steel rollers and sieves that efficiently break it down into its three parts and remove the germ and bran. If a wholemeal or brown flour is desired, the bran and germ are mixed back in. Roller-milling also creates more heat than stone-grinding and this may damage more of the nutrients in the flour. Many bakers view roller-milled flour as a less nutritious and less tasty ingredient. Roller-milling also produces flour with a finer particle size, meaning it is more quickly digested by the body and therefore has a higher GI than stoneground flour.
All of our white wheat flours are fortified with iron, thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin and calcium – nutrients lost when the bran is removed. In some countries white flour is bleached using peroxide and/or chlorine, but this is no longer legal in the UK.
Psocids – tiny bugs that thrive in dark, humid places – love flour. To avoid infestation, store flour in its original packaging or a lidded container in a cool, dry, airy place. White flour (including self-raising) will keep for up to 9 months. Wholemeal and brown are best used within 6 months. Check best-before dates when buying, and avoid mixing old flour with new.
TYPES OF FLOUR
Plain white flour This standard, smooth flour contains only the endosperm of the grain and has a protein content of 9–10 per cent. It is also called ‘all-purpose’ or ‘soft’ flour. It’s the ideal storecupboard flour for general baking – cakes, biscuits, pastry – as well as pancakes, and savoury batters and sauces.
Self-raising flour Simply plain flour (white or brown) with added raising agents, this is handy for quick-mix cake batters that do not rely on whisking to incorporate air into the mix. You can make your own self-raising flour by mixing baking powder with plain flour (which gives you the freedom to choose white, brown or organic flour). Different brands of baking powder vary and it makes sense to be guided by the manufacturer’s suggestion, but 1 generous tsp baking powder to every 100g plain flour is about right.
Plain brown flour This includes some bran and wheatgerm. It is good in fruit cakes and crumbles, and in recipes where part of the flour is replaced with ground almonds or other ground nuts.
Wholemeal flour Comprising the entire grain – endosperm, germ and bran – this has a fuller flavour. With a protein content of around 13 per cent, it is more nutritious than refined white flour; it also contains 5 per cent more fibre.
Malted flour Also called granary flour, this has a distinctive, sweet, nutty flavour owing to the inclusion of malted wheat or barley. Malted flours appear brown but some of them include a large proportion of white flour.
Strong flour This is the best flour to use for baking bread. The strongest, with 15 per cent protein, comes from Canada; some flours from British-grown wheat contain 13–14 per cent. Strong white flour is the most common type, but you can also buy strong brown flour for bread-making.
Durum wheat flour Made from the hardest of all wheats, this has a high gluten content, but the protein does not behave in the same way as the gluten in common high-protein wheats. It is very inelastic, which means it makes great dried pasta, but it is no good for bread-making. The designation ‘00’ on bags of Italian flour signifies that it is very finely milled and has all the bran and wheatgerm removed, but it does not define the type of wheat. ‘00’ pasta flour is often a combination of standard wheat and durum wheat flours.
Full-flavoured, deliciously nutty and with an irresistible texture, this simple seeded bread is given sweetness and body with ale and honey. The beer also helps to ensure a good rise. Makes 1 large loaf
300g stoneground wholemeal bread flour, plus extra to finish
200g strong white bread flour (ideally stoneground), plus extra to dust
7g fast-acting dried yeast (1 sachet or 1½ tsp)
100g mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, linseed, sesame, poppy and sunflower
10g fine sea salt
350ml ale
4 tsp clear honey
A little rapeseed oil, for oiling
Combine the flours, yeast, seeds and salt in a large bowl. Add the ale and honey and mix to a rough dough. You want a soft, easily kneadable, sticky dough: if it is too wet add a little more flour; if too dry add up to 50ml water. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface.
Knead the dough until smooth, stretchy and no longer sticky, about 10 minutes, then shape into a rough round. Coat it very lightly in oil, place in a large bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, 1–2 hours.
Tip the dough on to a floured surface and deflate by pressing down on it gently. Form into a thick rectangular shape, about 20 x 25cm, then roll it up from a short edge, nice and tightly. Taper the ends of the loaf with the palms of your hands.
Put the loaf on a floured surface and generously scatter with wholemeal flour. Drape cling film over the top and leave it to rise for a further 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7 and put a heavy baking sheet inside to heat up. Remove the cling film.
Take the hot baking sheet from the oven and carefully lift the loaf on to it. Use a sharp knife to make 4 or 5 slashes across the top of the loaf. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then lower the setting to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4 and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Transfer the bread to a wire rack and leave to cool for at least an hour before slicing.