Can old flour affect sourdough results?
Bakers, I'm posting to ask if old flour can affect fermentation results. I started sourdough baking again after a long hiatus. The last 3 times the dough has felt weird and I've had sub-optimal results (tighter crumb, not much oven spring, weak ear). The first time I suspected my starter was weak, so I asked a friend for new starter. My starter is now healthy and active. Yet I'm still getting bad results despite doing everything the same. (Also, I have a bread proofer to maintain a stable 78º F temp.) The only thing I can think of is that my flour (King Arthur organic unbleached 11.7% AP) is over a year old. Ha ha, don't judge me -- I hate letting things go to waste. I had this flour and didn't want to buy new flour.
So I'm wondering if flour deteriorates over time. (Not talking about weevils.) I plan to experiment with some new store-bought flour but curious if anyone has insights.
Thank you!
short answer, yes, though it takes far longer for AP flour to go bad.
I've had dull Bob's Red Mill Dark Rye that smelled fine and was still long before its 'use-by' date screw up my starter (fortunately, the switch to a fresher local brand led to a full recovery.) I've had a bag of BRM whole spelt, again well within date, develop a foul odor. And, most recently, an unopened 5-lb bag of King Arthur White Whole Wheat, again well within date, was bitter and lackluster the moment I opened the bag.
That being said, more experienced voices on this site told me that whole grain flours are more apt to spoil because the bran & germ have more oils in them ... and it's the oils that tend to spoil.
Still, my advice would be to buy new flour for your next bakes.
Rob
I didn't even consider that I also had 20% old whole wheat flour in my bread. I also use Bob's Red Mill Dark Rye in my starter feed. Maybe it's time to refresh all of those and see if it makes a difference.
I have a lot of old low extraction (no bran or endosperm) flour. I have baked with it with no visible problems, but have never tried a side by side comparison for loft, texture, and taste.
I have some ~2 yr or older French T65 that was stored in the freezer. Been thinking about baguettes lately.