Oldland

I bought some Oldland flour (reference 2) from the museum at Ditchling last week (reference 1), and yesterday I gave it a go in batch No.481, mindful of a claim made many years ago (by a Camphill Community baker in Devon, I think of Austrian origin) that bread made from fresh flour was quite different to bread made from old flour, the sort of stuff you might get from a shop.

First rise of a little over four hours, second rise of a little over four hours and the result was worth waiting for. Excellent texture and flavour.

Used mixed with Leckford strong white from Waitrose; 2lbs 8oz of that with 14oz of Oldland. Oddly, this last was quite different in texture from the wholemeal flour I usually use, Canadian stoneground, also from Waitrose. More like a very fine sand than regular flour. The dough behaved a little differently too, although the finished loaves were much the same from the outside. Rather better inside.

Reference 1: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/08/ditchling.html.

Reference 2: http://www.oldlandwindmill.co.uk/newsite/.

Reference 3: https://leckfordestate.co.uk/.