The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Large quantities of flour

andymaluche's picture
andymaluche

Large quantities of flour

I started of as hobby baker (I learned a lot on this website, thank you). Now I am selling a few loaves online. 

I life in the Philippines. Flour and especially organic, low-gluten etc flour is very expensive and often not available.

Soon I want to import my own flour. That means I would get about 200 to 300 kg of flour at a time which need to last up to 4 months.  

How do I store that? How do professional baker store their flour. I doubt they keep it for so many months though.

 

Thanks for your help 

Andy

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

Hi Andy. Have you considered getting wheat and other grains in berry (seed) form? The uncracked grains will stay fresh for years. You could mill on demand.

Have you checked with local bakeries? They may sell you flour, or maybe tell you we’re they get their’s from.

I would think that storing flour for 4 months would not be a problem at all as far as staling is concerned.

Just a thought.

Dan

andymaluche's picture
andymaluche

Hi Dan, 

Thank you for your suggestion. I will look into it, if it is worth investing into a mill. 

Cheers

Andy

Fausto's picture
Fausto

Hi Andy,

Wishing all the best in your bakings.

I don't know about other bakers, but what I here from bakers and millers here in Portugal is that the flour should rest at least about 4 weeks before beeing used. There are even bakers that will wait much longer (up to 1 year) before using it.

I have seen some posts and recipes about fresh milled flour, they probably have their reasons, but I have never tried it.

About storing large quantities, all you have to watch is for excessive humidity and pests. Otherwise, there shouldn't be a problem to keep the flour stocked.

Best regards 

Fausto

pcake's picture
pcake

how do you watch for excessive moisture?  do you use desiccant packs or ???

Fausto's picture
Fausto

I don't. I'm no professional baker, the quantities I used (10kg bags) will last me for about a moth or so, I just keep it stored in my kitchen with bag well closed and its ok.

As for larger quantities and longer times I suppose that a well ventilated storeroom with no light and no pests will do.

regards 

pcake's picture
pcake

we have guitars and my husband works with wood, so we have a dehumidifier.  i expect they use the same but on a larger scale.