The 100% Whole Wheat Bread from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice has been one of my favorite breads for years. I love it for it's delicious honey-wheat flavor. However, it often comes out with a dense, cake-like crumb. In April, I tried making this bread using a more intensive mix, as demonstrated by txfarmer. (See Light and fluffy 100% Whole Wheat Bread) I did, indeed, achieve a less dense, more open crumb. But I felt there was some loss of flavor due to oxidation of carotenoids. 

It is difficult to make a 100% whole wheat bread with a light, airy crumb. The pieces of bran in the flour act like little knives, cutting the gluten strands that give bread crumb its “structure.” I had heard of flour mills that grind the bran to a finer consistency after it has been separated during the normal milling process and then add the fine-ground bran back in, along with the other wheat components that re-constitute “whole wheat” flour. The smaller bran particles do less damage to the developing gluten during mixing.

Central Milling makes such a flour, and brother Glenn recently got some for me at CM's Petaluma warehouse. Today, I used CM's “Organic Hi-Protein Fine” whole wheat flour to make the Whole Wheat Bread from BBA. I followed the formula and procedures in my April 2, 2011 blog entry with one exception: I only mixed the dough for 12 minutes at Speed 2.

The first difference in the bread was the wonderfulness of its aroma. I can't say it was different in quality, but it just filled the house as never before. When the bread was cool and sliced, the crumb structure was even more open than I got with intensive mixing. The bread is chewy like a good white loaf and not at all cakey or crumbly. The flavor is delicious. I can't really say it is better than the flavor I've gotten with either home-milled flour or KAF Organic Whole Wheat flour, but the combination of crumb structure, texture and flavor was remarkable.

I am now eager to try using this flour with other breads, for example the Tartine "Basic Country Bread." Stay tuned.

David

Submitted to YeastSpotting

Hi,

I am considering placing an order to Central Milling for high-extraction flour, the ideal flour for certain Miche loaves.  If anyone in the mid-Hudson Valley, anywhere from Yonkers to Kingston on either side of the river, wishes to go in on a 50# bag, please contact me off list.  Thanks very much.

Rodger

Can anyone suggest places in southern California (preferably between City of LA north to Ventura) to get big bags of Central Milling or King Arthur flours at retail?

I'm looking to buy a few 50lb bags; I'm not a food service company, so retail is key.

I generally follow trends slavishly, but I can’t get into the nine-pound-miche thing that seems to have taken TFL by storm.  In fact my one and only complaint about miches is they are too large for my small (albeit voracious) family of only two carbovores.  I know they can be divided and a piece frozen, but they’re never as good thawed as fresh.

So what does one do if one loves the flavor and texture of a miche but wants smaller loaves???  I pondered this for several long minutes, and then I settled on the idea of trying a radical experiment.  What if one made a miche dough, and then (gasp!) divided it into two boules!!??   Though I risk the disapproval of the Mega-Miche adherents, I took the risk in the spirit of bread science and the quest for the perfect loaf. 

I am among the seeming thousands of TFLers who have tried and admired the SFBI Miche my Big Brother David posted about five weeks ago (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/21644/miche-hit).   It has a magnificent caramel flavor and an admirably chewy crumb.  My favorite variation on that formula is to use 50% Central Milling Organic Type 85 high extraction flour and 50% Central Milling Organic Artisan Baker’s Craft (Malted) white flour, as described in my 1/30/11 blog post (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/21900/bay-area-miche-sfbi-formulacentral-milling-flours).

So this week, I used the SFBI formula but with that flour combination (and no wheat germ), and then after primary fermentation I divided the 1250 gram dough ball into two boules and plunked them into small brotforms.  After a night in the fridge and 150 minutes on the counter, they were baked with Sylvia’s magic steam towels for 20 minutes at 450F, and then dry for 35 minutes more at 430F.

Besides having loaves of a size we can eat, the shorter bake time produced a rich dark crust with no burned spots.  And who can complain about the higher crust ratio of a mini-miche?

The flavor is more-or-less the same as the full-sized version, wheaty and moderately sour.  And the crust is similarly crunchy.  The crumb may be a bit more airy. 

A successful experiment. 

And here’s my day’s baking output, the mini-miches with the Vienna Bread Dutch Crunch rolls.

A good baking day.

Glenn

Several TFLers (myself included) have had good experience with flours from Central Milling Company (affiliated with Keith Giusto Bakery Supply) in Petaluma, California.  In particular, I have been loving CM's Organic Artisan Baker's Craft flour for baguettes and other hearth breads, and I and Brother David have been very happy with CM's Organic Type 85 flour for miches.  KGBS provides flour to some of the best artisan bakeries in the Bay Area and beyond.   When I went to pick up some flour in November, I met Nicky Giusto (the "front man" for Keith Giusto Bakery Supply) and he is a great guy, very committed to making artisan organic flour available to all interested bakers.  He spent quite a while describing their numerous products and recommending specific flours for specific applications.

After David's exuberant review of CM's Organic Type 85, a number of questions came up about the availability of KGBS flours.  I spoke with Nicky today and got some answers.

It has been mentioned that CM mills the AP flour and whole wheat flour that Whole Foods sells under their 365 label.  Nicky confirmed that Whole Foods' organic all-purpose flour is their Organic Beehive Unbleached Malted All Purpose flour, and it is available in all Whole Foods Markets.  Nicky said he thinks this flour is the best they produce for making baguettes.  Whole Foods organic whole wheat is also from KGBS.  And Whole Foods' conventional (inorganic?) all-purpose flour is another KGBS product, Gilt Edge All Purpose.

It has also been noted here that COSTCO in some Bay Area stores carries CM flour.

Beyond the flours available through Whole Foods and COSTCO, Nicky says that his regional distributors are not really set up for small orders (under $500).  KGBS will sell direct to home bakers any of their flours that they have broken into 5 pound bags.  These are available either to pick up (best to call ahead) or by UPS shipment if it is an order of 20 pounds or more.  Different flours are available at different times.  When I was there, he had 5 pound bags of about 6 or 7 different flours.  

Nicky also said that they hope and expect to make more flours available in small quantities in the future, but for now they have their hands full with their primary business of supplying bakeries.  It's clear that KGBS wants to get their good flour into our kitchens, but it may take some time to get their packaging and shipment systems in place.

I'm just glad I get to Petaluma often enough to keep my pantry stocked.

KGBS/Central Milling's phone number is 866-979-2253.

Here's a link to a previous discussion about Central Milling: (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/14044/my-visit-central-milling).

Glenn 

Just made a trip out to Central Milling, which is actaully called "Keith Giusto Bakery Supply". They have moved into a new location. 755 Southpoint Blvd, Petaluma, CA. 866-979-2253

They have a very large selection of organic bulk flours. Now, you can call ahead, and they will pack 5lb bags. They ask that you please call ahead though, otherwise, you will wait for some time. If you are buying in 25 or 50lb bags, no problem.

Under construction, is a Bakery School, on site, that will be open soon.

Please email me your contact, if you are intersted in bulk flour. We were told that if enough of us order, they will deliver to SF, as they deliver to the Ferry Bldg twice a week.

Earl

I'm going up to Central Milling in Petaluma to pick up some flour on Thursday, Dec 30, 2010.  If anyone in the south bay area wants me to pick up their order for them I'll be happy to do that.  You can pick it up in Mountain View at my house (near ElCamino Hospital/Mountain View High School) late Thursday afternoon or evening. 

You'll need to call Central Milling and place your order and pay for it so it will be ready for pickup late morning on Thursday.  Tell them Greg Cook will be picking it up.

Central Milling is now called Keith Giusto Bakery Supply and their phone number is 866-979-BAKE.

Please contact me at gcook17@gmail.com with the info about your order so I will know to get it.  I'm somewhat limited by weight as I am getting 200# for myself and will be driving a Honda Accord so if you need 500# of flour I probably won't be able to help :-).

-greg

Hi to everyone in the North Bay or even SF. I just picked up 50# of assorted flours from Keith Giusto Bakery Supply in Petaluma (Central Milling). At the moment, they still have some 5#bags of Organic Pumpernickel Rye, Organic Type 85 (like a clear flour), Organic White Rye, and Type 00 Reinforced. They rarely do 5# bags so this is a great opportunity. They were incredibly nice and it was quite a bargain since they used wholesale prices. The 5 pounders of these flours range between $3.00 and $3.50. They're located at 1129 Industrial Avenue, Suite 103, Petaluma (right off the fwy at Petaluma North Exit. Their phone is 866-979-2253. I'm pulling out my rye starter tomorrow morning to work on rye and pumpernickel breads, oh boy!

I'm running low on my whole wheat high-protein fine grind flour from Central Milling (warehouse in Petaluma, CA), and am planning another trip soon.  I like this whole wheat flour for my tortillas and honey whole wheat pan bread.  Several of you split flour with me last time, which worked out quite nicely.

If you're interested in splitting flour, please let me know.  I'm particularly interested in their whole wheat fine grind, but they do sell a number of other flours.  If they have an open bag of your flour of interest, and it's not too busy, they can scale out smaller amounts, but normally you must buy 50 lb bags.  We could meet at the warehouse (if you live closer to Petaluma) or we can divide it up after I bring it home (in the San Jose area).

-Alison

Hi.

I got so excited by Allisons blog, that I'm going to head out to the mill and pick up some stuff.  Anyone need anything?  I'll be getting some whole wheat for sure but am open to spliting things.  Let me know if your interested.

Perry Brown

pb4jo@sbcglobal.net