wildfarmed flour

Rather than buy white cakey flour, consider switching to artisan flours, locally milled to preserve nutrition and taste better too! Or try alternative flours like spelt (an ancient cousin of wheat), oat and teff. If you make bread, quickbreads, pastry or cakes, you’ll (usually) need flour, which is made by grinding wheat, beans or nuts (most windmills today have the sails long-gone). In 1834, one Sunderland man was tragically killed when the sails flung him off the building, as he tried to repair a weatherboard in a terrible storm.

If baking bread, pizza or pasta, keep fresh dough away from young children and pets, as it can expand in the stomach. Read more on food safety for people and pets.

Never give crusty or mouldy/hard bread to birds or wildfowl (nor buttered bread), as fat smears on feathers (affecting waterproofing/insulation).

  • Wildfarmed works with 50 local farmers to sell flours made with regenerative farming (rotating crops to increase nitrogen and absorb carbon, so no pesticides are needed, great for wildlife). The range includes wholemeal, countryside (like a light wholemeal) and flours for bread, pizza and flatbread.
  • The Prior’s Flour (Cambridgeshire) offers organic stonegrain flours created by a master miller, ground on horizontal French burr stones to preserve natural vitamin content. This mill is over 160 years old, and stands on a site where mills have worked since the times of Domesday.
  • Matthews Cotswold Flour offers organic stoneground wholegrain flours, using techniques handed down by generations since the 1800s.
  • Shipton Mill is a renowned organic mill, which is run on renewable energy and offers a fine line of artisan flours. The land is carefully kept natural, to offer homes for native wildlife including otters, kingfishers, damselflies and wild brown trout.

What is Artisan Flour?

The gap between artisan and commercial flour is quite pronounced. For starters, artisan flour is generally made from grains that are locally sourced and often organic. The production process favours stone milling, which is a slower and more careful method that preserves the grain’s nutritional content and natural flavour.

In contrast, commercial flour is usually white and uniform, thanks to industrial methods that strip away much of the grain’s nutrients for a longer shelf life. While this results in lower cost and convenience, it sacrifices the depth of flavour and nutrition that artisan flour retains.

Antioxidants, fibre, and vitamins are found in greater abundance in artisan flour. This is partly due to the stone milling process, which keeps most of the grain intact. As a result, artisan flour is often more nutritious than its commercially milled counterparts, providing bakers with an ingredient that supports a healthier diet.

Why Choose Local Artisan Flour?

Flour from local mills is often fresher because it hasn’t travelled far to reach you. This freshness can substantially affect the quality of your baked goods, resulting in better texture and richer flavours. When you bake with local artisan flour, you’re likely to notice the difference in every bite.

One of the joys of using local artisan flour is the variety. Small mills often experiment with different types of grains, offering a range of flavours that commercial flour can’t match. From spelt to einkorn, each type of flour adds its own unique taste and character to your baking, encouraging creativity in the kitchen.

Many local mills embrace eco-friendly practices, which means choosing their flour can support sustainability efforts. Small-scale production often includes crop rotation and reduced pesticide use, offering environmental benefits beyond the flour itself.

Tips for Baking with Artisan Flour

Artisan flour can be more absorbent than standard flour, which means you might need to tweak your liquid ratios. Start by slightly reducing the liquid content and adjust as needed. It’s also worthwhile to pay attention to dough texture—listen to what it tells you!

To make the most out of artisan flour, consider pairing it with ingredients that complement its hearty flavours. Think wholesome: nuts, seeds, and naturally sweetened elements like honey or maple syrup often enhance the unique characteristics of artisan flour.

A Good Organic Flour Sold Everywhere

Doves farm flour

Doves Farm is the main brand to look for in stores, with an extensive range of organic and gluten-free flours and baking essentials (baking soda, yeast). The organic farm is nestled in the North Wessex Downs and provides homes for bees, birds, butterflies and skylarks, and the company works with other organic growers. It uses solar panels on site and grains are grown using crop rotation to produce quality grains.

Doves farm baking powders

This brand was founded back in 1977 when most people would buy a cotton-wool type white loaf from the supermarket. The couple bought an old stone-grinding mill and began to sell wholemeal flour in bags, and today it offers a range of wholegrain flours including rye, spelt (easier on the digestion) and einkorn along with teff, oats and quinoa flours (also sold in sacks).

3 ingredient soda bread rolls

There are many types of flours to choose from, and the site has a good guide on which flours to choose for which purpose. The range includes brown rice, oat and quinoa flours (gluten-free).

The site lists simple recipes like 3-ingredient soda bread rolls and seeded loaves for bread machines. Or use their seeded bread mix (just add water & oil, to make one loaf or 8 rolls).

Certified Organic Flour from a London Bakery

Merchant Mills flour

Merchants Mills is a quality brand of artisan flour, made with organic ingredients at a London bakery. Founded by two foodies. This flour is made with raw organic grains, just a few steps away from the River Thames.

Merchants Mills flours

The range includes:

Merchant Mills flour

Stoneground Unbleached White (an all-rounder from a quick focaccia to a sourdough loaf).

Stoneground Spelt Flour (makes a great bread loaf or combine with the flour above, for a soft crumb and crunchy crust). The light spelt flour makes a good pain de campagne.

Wholemeal Wheat Flour is full of flavour and nutrient-dense, great to make sourdough bread and pizza. Plus the company make a sourdough flour from rye and spelt. The Light Rye is ideal for muffins, pancakes, bread and waffles.

Stoneground Rye Flour is super-tasty, and uses traditional stone-grinding methods.

Nordic Mix is made from spelt and rye, and ensures a nutty flavour with a slightly higher water ratio.

Merchant Mills flour

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