The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Working with fresh milled flour

Baker_In_ME's picture
Baker_In_ME

Working with fresh milled flour

I just recently switched from King Arthur AP flour to Maine Grains 86% extracting AP flour. The Maine Grains flour is milled to order, and therefor very fresh. I knew it would be more reactive than the KA flour, but oh boy, it moved fast. My sourdoughs were massively over proofed, despite cutting the bulk fermentation time by about an hour. They were unrecognizable after spending the night in the fridge. My baguettes were in the oven for the exact same time as normal and came out as embers. 

Does anybody have any tips on how to adjust my baking schedule/formula when working with fresh milled flour? I already cut back the bulk fermentation and increased hydration from about 73% to 75-76%. 

charbono's picture
charbono

Extraction is key.  AP is usually about 72%.

 

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

Another method to compensate for fast-fermenting flours is to use less levain / yeast.

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And just as a point of info, it is not solely the freshness of the flour that speeds fermentation, but the extra enzymes in the bran (and maybe some germ) in the high extraction flour.  Normal commercial retail (grocery store) roller-milled white AP and white bread flour is virtually branless and germless, with much less enzymes -- so much so that the miller has to add in malted barley flour to add enzymes back in, so that the starch can be broken down into sugar.

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

could you please update your experience on your thread from last year about your Nero deck oven?
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/69289/sos-new-deck-oven-baking

You left us in suspense as to what your solution was.  Updating the story would greatly help out the next baker with the same challenge, and thereby contribute to the website's value as a community.   Thx. 

P.S. I don't work here, I'm just a fanboy.

Baker_In_ME's picture
Baker_In_ME

Updated!