August 18, 2020 - 7:11am
Tip: Quickly cooling fresh-milled flour
Thought I'd share a simple technique I use that may be helpful to other home millers.
I usually forget to mill my flour enough in advance to cool down before mixing so that the dough temperature isn't too high. Although I can chill the water with some ice to compensate, getting it right is tricky and it's a fussy procedure.
Instead, I just dump my warm, just-milled flour out on a rimmed baking sheet and shake gently to distribute. The increased surface area cools the flour in a few short minutes, much faster than if I leave it in the bowl after milling. By the time I'm ready to mix, the flour is room temperature.
A bench scraper or rectangular bowl scraper works well to move the cooled flour off the pan and into the mixing bowl.
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My flour never gets that hot that I feel like I need to cool it down?!
Another option, probably easier, store your grain in the fridge or freezer. Not all but what you plan on milling that day or week!?
It comes out of my Komo mill between 90 and 95 F, depending on how much I'm milling. It takes a while to cool down to the 70s if I leave it in the bowl.
Some of my home milling friends do chill their grain in the freezer or fridge. The keyword in this excellent suggestion is "plan" - I'm afraid I don't often do that, and therein lies the reason for my possibly harebrained post-milling cooling scheme!