Kitchen Garden Forum

Hello
Can anybody explain why white bread flour has to have additives irrespective of whether it is thought to be a 'good' quality flour or not? I understand that wholemeal does not have to have these additions. Is there any flour that escapes this rule? Is it the same for Spelt flour?

Just discovered that there is Heritage flour, produced from old English grains. I just discovered today that ( I hope I have understood correctly)we are not allowed under Defra to grow (any/much) strong wheat as it upsets the import arrangements with other countries. I always understood that we could only grow the soft wheat here but apparently not. I uderstand that it is also difficult to crop as if the longer straw flops it cannot be gathered by the Combines.

I have a talk I give on bread with comparisons between proper bread and the Chorleywood method and ingredients and I would like to expand my talk to cover the grain but need accurate information. Can anyone assist?

Regards

Quirkas

The watermill near Cromer in Norfolk makes white floor and we saw no sign of addatives during the tour of this working tourist attraction a few years ago when he was supplying Harrods & visitors.
Grains, hmm, best find a farmer, perhaps Johnboy will know, but I believe that nearly all commercial wheats are bred "shortstraw" for ease of combining and reduction of waste straw to be shredded, a la rotory lawn mower, and tilled in when ploughing. The exception being wheat specifically grown to produce straw for thatching.

Hi Quirkas, there are many different additives which might be added for different reasons, here is a link which explains why different things are added.

http://media.wiley.com/product_data/exc ... 268569.pdf