Different bread flours

[Tatihou Profile]

There's a big flour mill not far from me - though it's on a road I rarely use so don't go past often. It supplies mainly to boulangeries etc but has a shop for individuals. I went in today and bought some mixed grains flour, a bag of basic French bread panifiable T55 flour... but I was very tempted by the sweet chestnut, fig and hazelnut flour. I thought I'd do some research first, though. Interesting, huh? I'll definitely get some next time. This link isn't to our mill - just info I found online.

Sweet chestnut, fig and hazelnut flour

Has anyone ever used it to make bread or eaten products made from it?

[Suelle Profile Website]

Do you think the mill really grinds these unusual flours themselves? The mix of chestnuts figs and hazelnuts sounds so unusual that I wouldn't expect it to crop up as a product of more than one mill.

My French isn't up to much these days, but I'd love to try this flour in biscuits with some dried fruit, or even in a cake.

[hungryhousewife Profile]

Wow! They sound really interesting! I look forward to seeing what 'those in the know' suggest!
I wouldn't know where to buy such interesting flours here.
HH

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I wondered about making bread with chestnut flour, which is of course gluten free, but the ingredients are

Bread flour(T55), chesnut flour, pieces of dried fig, chopped hazelnuts, wheat gluten , flavours, inactivated sourdough, ascorbic acid and enzymes

Not quite so rustic sounding - but I bet it woudl make a nice bread to go with some kinds of cheese, and possibly some kind of choux paste thingy as a nibbly, perhaps filled with a soft cheese?

[Belgian Blue Profile]

Hmmm .... their own blurb says their T55 may be used for ordinary bread, cakes and viennoiseries. I personally would use it for a milk loaf or sandwich/toast loaf only. For sourdoughs, etc. I would use their T65 which I understand to be strong bread flour made from hard wheat. Their blurb says this is the famous French 'Tradition' flour which you may remember Raymond Blanc was very enthusiastic about.

http://www.farine-d-amaelle.com/farine- ... 1.z.fr.htm

It also seems to have less 'added' to it (but I have no idea of the substance of the decree referred to and no time to find it at the moment).

d

[hungryhousewife Profile]

I've just been looking through Rose Prince's Kitchenella - I rather like it!
She has a recipe for
Gluten-Free Chestnut, Maize and Tapioca Bread - she describes it as having a 'nicely chewy crumb'
It is apparently a recipe adapted from an Andrew Whitely recipe and uses cider vinegar.

It looks really good, as there is no kneading at all - sadly, don't know where I would find Chestnut flour here. Maybe a healthfood shop?

Thought you might be interested Tatihou.

HH

[Tatihou Profile]

I suspect that you can buy it in larger health food shops, HH... or possibly online.

I think some of these flours must be seasonal as there were far fewer varieties on this visit compared to previous visits by OH. But as far as I know, Suelle, it is mixed (if not ground) at the mill as it is branded with their details. Although, thinking about it, that may not be indicative of anything.

I was talking to a retired baker yesterday who said that he used a fig and hazelnut mix 50/50 with ordinary bread flour to get a slightly sweet bread which, when toasted, was perfect with foie gras.

I'm now regretting that I didn't buy a sack of the chestnut, fig and hazelnut mix... although 5kg (9.50) was a bit steep to buy as an experiment. I'll find some volunteers to share the quantity with and get some next time I'm passing, I think - your choux pastry suggestion is very appealing, SSue.

I got the impression (baker was interspersing ordinary French with Norman patois so my comprehension may have been imperfect... and his lack of teeth didn't help) that it was good used in a variation of a brioche recipe.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I've not eaten it no.
But made bread using nut fashioned into pastes, so it's another way of getting the flavour.
Without protein, which isn't a problem when used with other flours.

Ideal for cheeses I'd have thought. Either made into crackers, knackerbrod or breads.

And you'd be surprised how quickly you'd go through a bag of 5kilos as a regular bread maker.

Edited:
adding this link by a super blogger called Allesandra for a vegan cake recipe:

http://alessandra-onlyrecipes.blogspot. ... sugar.html

[Dena Profile]

Amazon sell chestnut flour HH. I am constantly amazed at the things they now sell - could it be a stealth take-over of the world?

[Tatihou Profile]

And you'd be surprised how quickly you'd go through a bag of 5kilos as a regular bread maker.

I'm a regular breadmaker... but not a regular maker of speciality breads. Although with the guest season kicking off...

[Dena Profile]

Are you sure Tati? You'll have even more of your guests leaving the delights of your local top class restaurants for the delights of your kitchen.

Whilst on this thread, is it OK to ask what cake flour is please? Reading one of my new (American) cook books one of the ingredients was cake flour! I have no idea what it is and even after googling I'm still not sure.

[Belgian Blue Profile]

Dena, the link you kindly posted yesterday describes US cake flour as our 'extra fine plain flour'. That said, I've never seen 'extra fine plain flour' on sale anywhere but I was wondering if 00 Italian might not be a suitable flour?

BB

[Belgian Blue Profile]

Dena, the link you kindly posted yesterday describes US cake flour as our 'extra fine plain flour'. That said, I've never seen 'extra fine plain flour' on sale anywhere but I was wondering if 00 Italian might not be a suitable flour?

BB

[hungryhousewife Profile]

Morning all!

Thanks for the tip on Chestnut flour at Amazon! I might give it a go, as the idea of chewy GF bread is rather appealing!

Re your cake flour, I would use either OO, or MacDougal do a special cake flour which is ultra fine.

I had thought cake flour would be self raising, but I think it is supposed to be low-gluten, therefore not a strong flour

I've got my people coming to lunch today to taste the wine to go with the big do in July!!! I've been whizzing round the house like Mrs Mop - I have a Brouilly, a Fleurie, a Borgogne, something called Moulin a Vent - La Rochelle and a Cotes de Rhone - and for the whites I am offering a Saint Verain, and another Chardonnay called Chateau Antingnac!!??

One of the people coming is a vegetarian - so I've made an onion and goats cheese tart, and a little bit of fillet steak, new potatoes, roast veg salad and a green salad with a sherry vinaigrette.

ICCs left over yummy cherry and almond cake for pud!

Please cross fingers for me!!

HH

[Dena Profile]

I'll have to check out where to get the Macdougal cake flour, thanks H.H.

I was even more confused after googling B.B. - it was for a recipe in one of T.K.'s recipes