Farm Shop: flour and baking malt for your next baking day

Farm Shop: ingredients that carry the result

Anyone who bakes regularly soon notices that the recipe and the oven are only half the story. What goes into the bowl decides the rest. In the farm shop you will find flour in clear type grades from white through to wholemeal, and baking malt in enzyme-active and enzyme-inactive form, in quantities that suit a single weekend loaf as much as a full baking day at the wood-fired oven.

Type numbers and what they tell you

The type number states how much mineral matter is left behind when a hundred grams of flour are burned off. The higher the figure, the more of the outer layers of the grain are still in there, and the stronger the finished bake tastes. A wheat flour type 405 is fine and pale and belongs in cakes and pastry, a rye flour type 997 brings structure and flavour to a mixed loaf, and wholemeal flour holds the entire grain. Because Germany and Austria count differently, both figures always appear side by side on our packs.

What baking malt changes in the dough

Baking malt is grain that has been sprouted and then kilned. The enzyme-active version carries enzymes that break starch down and feed the yeast: the dough rises faster, the crumb turns lighter and the crust browns evenly. The enzyme-inactive version works purely through colour and flavour, which makes it the right choice for dark rye loaves. One to two per cent of the flour weight is plenty in either case. Add the malt dry to the flour and knead it in as normal, since there is no need to soak it first.

Frequently asked questions

How do I store a large sack of flour?
Dry, cool and airy, ideally tipped into a container with a lid. Wholemeal keeps less well than white flour because the oil in the germ can turn rancid.

Which baking malt should I use for bread?
Pale enzyme-active malt suits wheat and mixed loaves. For dark rye bread take dark enzyme-inactive malt for the colour and the roasted note.

Why are there two type numbers on the sack?
The first is the German designation, the second the Austrian one. Type 405 matches W480 and type 550 matches W700.