Posted: 6/22/2016 2:35:18 PM EDT
| Does all-purpose flour go bad over time? Just made my first attempt at bread, and it wound up very dense. Followed the recipe exactly (precise measurements, unpacked flour, etc.), and it was honestly too simple to screw up. But the flour was a couple of years old--could this have been a contributor? |
| Old flour can cause a weak rise. Also if this is the first time you have used yeast it may be a factor as well. After a few times using yeast there will be enough yeast spores in the air to assist with the activation, hence the rise. Remember that yeast is an active organism, old yeast will be less active as well. |
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Yes - it goes bad. If you don't use it often, keep it in the freezer. Whole wheat flour - definitely keep in the freezer. It will have a bit of an off taste and may react differently to leavening than what you'd expect. If it has been sitting for a couple of years - I'd toss it. |
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When I am baking, I generally throw away flour if it's older than a year. Not sure how much of a difference it makes, but I just do it to be safe.  In a all seriousness, I've never had issues with flour older than a year if it was still in an unopened bag (don't think I've had any over two years though,) when baking, but around about a year, I find you can't make a good roux with it. |
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Does all-purpose flour go bad over time? Just made my first attempt at bread, and it wound up very dense. Followed the recipe exactly (precise measurements, unpacked flour, etc.), and it was honestly too simple to screw up. But the flour was a couple of years old--could this have been a contributor? homemade bead is denser than the store bought stuff..store stuff is like marshmallow when it hit the pan on the assembly line to the ovens. whole wheat will be far denser than white did you sift your flour before blending? this can help All purpose flour is denser than bread flour. one rise or two? yeast temp water was too hot.. theres a few reasons Chef |
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Bread making is kind of an art and a science. It took me quite a while at first to get good at making decent bread. Homemade yeast breads are ALWAYS going to be more dense than commercial chemically leavened breads. But in my experience usually the rise is what will affect the density the most, and the rise is affected by almost everything involved in making bread. Make sure you are using the correct hydration ratio for the type of bread you are making, use a good flour (I use King Arthur) and yeast, if you are kneading by hand make sure you have kneaded enough to form good gluten development. Actually, go to King Arthur's web site and read up on the tips and techniques. I get good results these days but it took me a while to figure it all out... My whole wheat/white blended bread:  Jewish Rye bread:  Raisin bread:  Dinner rolls:  |
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Bread making is kind of an art and a science. It took me quite a while at first to get good at making decent bread. Homemade yeast breads are ALWAYS going to be more dense than commercial chemically leavened breads. But in my experience usually the rise is what will affect the density the most, and the rise is affected by almost everything involved in making bread. Make sure you are using the correct hydration ratio for the type of bread you are making, use a good flour (I use King Arthur) and yeast, if you are kneading by hand make sure you have kneaded enough to form good gluten development. Actually, go to King Arthur's web site and read up on the tips and techniques. I get good results these days but it took me a while to figure it all out... My whole wheat/white blended bread: http://m5.i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/157783235.odVanW6v.jpg Jewish Rye bread: http://m9.i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/161873309.ojQn2zBa.jpg Raisin bread: http://i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/163123768.N3caJ8BQ.jpg Dinner rolls: http://m6.i.pbase.com/g1/72/325172/2/146664986.KDtMfKJC.jpg Those dinner rolls look heavenly. |
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Quoted: Those dinner rolls look heavenly. Quoted: Quoted: Bread making is kind of an art and a science. It took me quite a while at first to get good at making decent bread. Homemade yeast breads are ALWAYS going to be more dense than commercial chemically leavened breads. But in my experience usually the rise is what will affect the density the most, and the rise is affected by almost everything involved in making bread. Make sure you are using the correct hydration ratio for the type of bread you are making, use a good flour (I use King Arthur) and yeast, if you are kneading by hand make sure you have kneaded enough to form good gluten development. Actually, go to King Arthur's web site and read up on the tips and techniques. I get good results these days but it took me a while to figure it all out... My whole wheat/white blended bread: http://m5.i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/157783235.odVanW6v.jpg Jewish Rye bread: http://m9.i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/161873309.ojQn2zBa.jpg Raisin bread: http://i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/163123768.N3caJ8BQ.jpg Dinner rolls: http://m6.i.pbase.com/g1/72/325172/2/146664986.KDtMfKJC.jpg Those dinner rolls look heavenly. |
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1. Use a scale 2. Proof your yeast to see if it's the problem 3. Bake often enough that flour is never older than a few weeks. IMO #1 is most important. I played with my bread recipes and figured out how much flour to use by weight with a kitchen scale, versus volume using measuring cups. It makes a huge difference. |
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Quoted: IMO #1 is most important. I played with my bread recipes and figured out how much flour to use by weight with a kitchen scale, versus volume using measuring cups. It makes a huge difference. Quoted: Quoted: 1. Use a scale 2. Proof your yeast to see if it's the problem 3. Bake often enough that flour is never older than a few weeks. IMO #1 is most important. I played with my bread recipes and figured out how much flour to use by weight with a kitchen scale, versus volume using measuring cups. It makes a huge difference. When I make anything that requires flour, the flour is ALWAYS weighed instead of measured by volume. |
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Quoted:
Bread making is kind of an art and a science. It took me quite a while at first to get good at making decent bread. Homemade yeast breads are ALWAYS going to be more dense than commercial chemically leavened breads. But in my experience usually the rise is what will affect the density the most, and the rise is affected by almost everything involved in making bread. Make sure you are using the correct hydration ratio for the type of bread you are making, use a good flour (I use King Arthur) and yeast, if you are kneading by hand make sure you have kneaded enough to form good gluten development. Actually, go to King Arthur's web site and read up on the tips and techniques. I get good results these days but it took me a while to figure it all out... My whole wheat/white blended bread: http://m5.i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/157783235.odVanW6v.jpg Jewish Rye bread: http://m9.i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/161873309.ojQn2zBa.jpg Raisin bread: http://i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/163123768.N3caJ8BQ.jpg Dinner rolls: http://m6.i.pbase.com/g1/72/325172/2/146664986.KDtMfKJC.jpg BRAVO... very nice looking loaves.. I'm jealous My wheat comes out similar to yours but my rye is always far denser, very nice dinner rolls as well, I am not a yeast dough fan so I'd pass on them but they're beautiful. CHEF ETA and to concur Cooking is art, BAKING is Science... 
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I've spent a couple years now trying to replicate the hoagie/zep rolls I grew up with residing on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Still haven't quite mastered them, but it's now more about acquiring the necessary meats and cheeses to complete. http://<a href=http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z439/jameswb24/IMG_2266_zps8nlmtatb.jpg</a>" /> http://<a href=http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z439/jameswb24/IMG_2277_zpsurmkbyfv.jpg</a>" /> nice you may not get exactly as you like as I have found local water effects recipes far more than you'd believe..especially in baking. |
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In a all seriousness, I've never had issues with flour older than a year if it was still in an unopened bag (don't think I've had any over two years though,) when baking, but around about a year, I find you can't make a good roux with it. Quoted:
Quoted:
When I am baking, I generally throw away flour if it's older than a year. Not sure how much of a difference it makes, but I just do it to be safe. In a all seriousness, I've never had issues with flour older than a year if it was still in an unopened bag (don't think I've had any over two years though,) when baking, but around about a year, I find you can't make a good roux with it. I won't keep it past 6 months. It behaves in wildly different ways after that, in virtually any application. |
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Quoted:
nice you may not get exactly as you like as I have found local water effects recipes far more than you'd believe..especially in baking. Quoted:
Quoted:
I've spent a couple years now trying to replicate the hoagie/zep rolls I grew up with residing on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Still haven't quite mastered them, but it's now more about acquiring the necessary meats and cheeses to complete. http://<a href=http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z439/jameswb24/IMG_2266_zps8nlmtatb.jpg</a>" /> http://<a href=http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z439/jameswb24/IMG_2277_zpsurmkbyfv.jpg</a>" /> nice you may not get exactly as you like as I have found local water effects recipes far more than you'd believe..especially in baking. I was going to say exactly the same thing. Particularly with alkalinity. |
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This is a result of fresh flour. Pizza, but same idea: Archived Pizza Thread Flour is cheap now. Get some fresh stuff. |
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Am attempting round 2: a no-knead recipe. Pretty sure I isolated what was wrong last time--was using an instant yeast recipe with room-temp water, except with active dry. Hence almost no yeast action at all.
Tonight's project comes from this recipe, which despite the name is just a basic bread with no biga. But I'm not afraid of a crawl-walk-run method. So I have dough proofing right now, and will have pics tomorrow when I go for the second proofing and actual baking...this time with the correct ingredients (bread flour and instant yeast). |
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Quoted:
Does all-purpose flour go bad over time? Just made my first attempt at bread, and it wound up very dense. Followed the recipe exactly (precise measurements, unpacked flour, etc.), and it was honestly too simple to screw up. But the flour was a couple of years old--could this have been a contributor? Yes, it oxidizes and goes bad. |
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Quoted:
Bread making is kind of an art and a science. It took me quite a while at first to get good at making decent bread. Homemade yeast breads are ALWAYS going to be more dense than commercial chemically leavened breads. But in my experience usually the rise is what will affect the density the most, and the rise is affected by almost everything involved in making bread. Make sure you are using the correct hydration ratio for the type of bread you are making, use a good flour (I use King Arthur) and yeast, if you are kneading by hand make sure you have kneaded enough to form good gluten development. Actually, go to King Arthur's web site and read up on the tips and techniques. I get good results these days but it took me a while to figure it all out... My whole wheat/white blended bread: http://m5.i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/157783235.odVanW6v.jpg Jewish Rye bread: http://m9.i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/161873309.ojQn2zBa.jpg Raisin bread: http://i.pbase.com/g9/72/325172/2/163123768.N3caJ8BQ.jpg Dinner rolls: http://m6.i.pbase.com/g1/72/325172/2/146664986.KDtMfKJC.jpg Can you PM me please with a shipping quote?  Those dinner rolls gave me a boner
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A very good and easy recipe.
http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/easy-french-bread/ And a super easy awesome bread http://www.simplysogood.com/2010/03/crusty-bread.html |