June 1, 2024 - 2:56pm
best UK flours?
Hi All in UK,
Any recommendations for great flours from UK?
I have another door to door deliverer this summer!
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Hi All in UK,
Any recommendations for great flours from UK?
I have another door to door deliverer this summer!
That are commonly grown in many parts of the world, albeit there will be some regional differences due to local condition's, why now go for something more unique?
https://www.shipton-mill.com/products/organic-stoneground-wholemeal-flour-706
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When I made a starter with this flour it was ready in 3 to 4 days.
Cotswold Flour
Cotswold Flour has some interesting heritage flours and heritage flour blends. For example Heritage Broadway which has a blend of heritage wheats. Heritage Fifield Light flour which is a blend of heritage white flours. Cotswold Crunch - strong white flour, malted wheat flakes and malt flour.
If you do buy any then look for advice on the website on how they are best handled. And more...
Gilchester's
Another good website. Not all spelt is true spelt. Many spelt varieties today are modern hybrids that have been bred with strong modern wheats. Gilchester's sell true spelt.
https://gilchesters.com/products/organice-wholemeal-spelt-flour
Our Wholemeal Spelt is finely milled to give you a silky texture and maximum flavour. We grow a true Spelt variety called Oberkulmer Rotkorn and not a wheat-Spelt cross as now commonly used. Spelt has traditionally more stretch than strength so bake it in a tin to keep the shape or mix with wheat flour.
[On their website it says out of stock but you can get in touch with them to ask when they expect it back in. You can also try buying this flour from other online stores such as bakerybits https://www.bakerybits.co.uk/gilchester-organic-spelt-flour]
P.s. if you buy from bakerybits then just so you know they take their time dispatching the order.
Thank you!
I will be reading about the flours and offerings above and sending the products name on!!
I second the Cotswold crunch, I've had two people bring me a bag in their luggage and really enjoyed the breads made with it.
Hi,
I read about the Cotswold Crunch and with a 2nd recommendation
from you, that is one I will request. Thanks for writing about your good success with it.
I hope you can post a picture of any future bake you will have with it!
Alas, no more future bakes for the nonce as it was all used up ages ago. Here is one of my bakes from about six months ago though:
60% cotswold crunch and 40% bread flour. Only 66% hydration. The bread had a lovely malty flavour.
The flour also made amazing bread rolls, can't recall what blend of flours I used for that.
My London friend said "you're more likely to find Cotswold Crunch in a larger Tesco"
Thank you!! That is a beautiful loaf. I will send the tip about looking in Tesco ahead.
I also asked for a loaf of Hovis granary bread or another great loaf liked over there.
PS Maybe I could add some oat groats??
You were right! My contact says that they have seen the Cotswold Crunch around so I will am hopeful of getting that. Thanks for the tip. :)
Yay!
Hi JonJ,
I baked my loaf the same day that I got my Cotswold Crunch (CCr) flour. (They come in small packs!) CCr: fresh wh wheat :: 1:2. I lost track of time and the loaf went to 210F. :(
I still have some experimenting- like a BF combination with CCr with non-clas.
The recipe on the bag was 100% crunch flour at 61% and the picture was similar to your beautifully open crumb.
I am waiting for the flavors to settle but I love the nice way the malted flakes and seed are in the slices.
This is my second loaf with Cotswold Crunch Strong Flour. (2:1:: CCR : fresh milled ww)
This time I also made a strong roasted barley tea and used it as part of the liquid for this lean loaf.
I am really loving this flour!
Here is an interesting project with landrace varieties:
https://scotlandthebread.org/product-category/scottish-flour-and-grain/
It's been a while, but I found it to be tasty, however not easy to work with.
That was an interesting site. I saw the sourdough starter which was said to have come from a Russian bakery.
I am thinking of getting it. I wonder what would make it distinctive.
It did not seem they have regular vendors in London so I will need to order soon.
Thanks for your referral!
Yeah, they have nice stuff. I still use the wood pulp bannetons from them.
And I was also using their starter back in Edinburgh! No complaints, worked well. I think I still have a jar with it dried down...
There really should be a Scottish bread with groats in it!
Another Scottish idea: beremeal, it's ground from a special ancient variety of barley, only grown in Orkney and ground on a single mill. Add just small amount to bread, 20% maybe, for a very nice particular taste!
https://baronymill.com/
I guess also you'd have to order online...
Actually, I have started to experiment with barley. I am nowhere near 20%!!
I posted my attempts at some point here in my blog a few years ago... It affects the texture of the dough and bread quite a lot, a bit like rye but even more challenging. But at 20% it was ok, and very nice particular taste.
Also have a look at the offerings from Deliver Deli. I buy their Millers Choice grain and they also sell it as a flour. Millers Choice has a good flavour and more strength than many UK heritage grains.
The Wildfarmed flours are also becoming very popular in the UK - I've had good results with the T65 and T85. And Deliver Deli's Diversity blend looks interesting (though I haven't tried it):
"A wholemeal base blend flour with a rich range of elements. Made up of 10 grains, seeds, pulses, nettle, and seaweed to pack a powerful and flavorsome punch".
Lance
Thank you for the link to D Deli and your experience with Millers Choice.
They sure have a good selection of companies!
Here is what came in today!
First uses: 1) Dark rye (Marriage's Millers) for a clas batch
2) Cotswold Crunch - for 1:2 = CW: WhWheat lean loaf
I am also very excited to use the Indian mixes! :)