If you're trouble shooting your bread process, it's time to do a flour check up!

If you do any baking at home, then having fresh flour is more important than you might think. Just because flour doesn't necessarily spoil, doesn't mean it's good for baking and if it's old, your final products, particularly your breads, will suffer.

A lackluster loaf isn't something you look forward to pulling out of the oven after hours of labor and anticipation. If it's been happening to you, the first thing to check is your flour. If you can't remember when you bought it, that's a sign. 

This principle applies to both white and whole grain flours, which is part of why judging flour can be tricky. White flour looks the same for years, but it's still degrading over time just like any other food. It can be more obvious when whole wheat flours loose their edge. They contain vitamin E oil from the germ and oil goes rancid over time. When your whole wheat flour starts to have an "off" smell, it's turned rancid. It won't hurt you, but it sure doesn't taste or smell good. 

You'll want to rotate through flours in about 6-9 months to keep them fresh. You can store flour in the freezer to extend the shelf life, but only by months, not years. Make sure you bring your flour back to room temperature before using it for baking. 

Our flours are never bleached, never bromated, and never old. Check your pantry and then check our selection here. And if you're ready to try something new, the Flour Farm Box gives you all 4 of our bakery's mainstays: all-purpose, bread, whole grain white wheat & whole grain red wheat flours. You'll level up your favorite recipes in more ways than one when you add whole grain flour. It could be just the boost in both flavor and nutrition that you've been looking for.