Organic White Wheat "Red Fife" Flour (Milanaise)

Our organic white wheat "Red Fife" flour is made by "La Milanaise" in Quebec from organic Red Fife wheat, an ancient grain variety. Red Fife wheat was the first wheat grown in Canada.

Red Fife is a wheat variety that was the baking and milling industries' standard of wheat in Canada from 1860 to 1900. The wheat was originally sent to Peterborough, Ontario farmer David Fife in 1840, from whom it took its name. It is impossible to verify where the wheat originated as grain has moved around the world for many centuries.

This organic flour can be used to make: baguettes, breads, cakes, cookies, muffins, pancakes, pasta, pie crusts and waffles.

What is malted barley and why is it added to flour?

• Malted barley is barley that has been sprouted and then dried. The malt is ground into a fine powder to create malted barley.
• Malted barley is added to flour to assist yeast fermentation. During the dough forming stage, malted barley provides specific enzyme activity that converts the starches in the flour into simple sugars. These sugars are very important as they provide a food source for the yeast to maintain proper fermentation activity.
• The quantity added is tiny, just to give the flour a little needed boost.

Why is there niacin (B3), iron, thiamin mononitrate (B1), riboflavin (B2) and folic acid added?

• If we were legally allowed, we would sell single ingredient white flour, however in Canada that is prohibited.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) enforces mandatory enrichment of white flour with niacin (B3), iron, thiamin mononitrate (B1), riboflavin (B2) and folic acid.
• As per the CFIA regulations "All white flour sold in Canada for food use, whether for use in further manufacturing or for sale directly to the consumer, must be enriched.".
• Source: CFIA: Prohibition against the sale of unenriched white flour and products containing unenriched flour
• However, sifted flour is not concerned by this measure. This may be the best alternative if you want single ingredient flour.

What is the difference between bleached and unbleached flour?

• When flour is first milled, it has a yellowish cast that some consumers find unappealing. Within a few months of milling, however, these carotenoids, or pigments, in flour naturally whiten. Because it is expensive to naturally "age" flour, some producers expedite the process chemically.
• In "bleached" flours, benzoyl peroxide is most commonly used to fade the yellow color. Organic standards prohibit the use of chemicals so none of our organic flours are bleached.
• Cost is the only reason that pushes most commercial bakers to prefer bleached flours.

What is the difference between white and sifted flour?

• Before the grains are milled into flour, white flour has the bran and germ removed.
• Sifted white flour is milled whole just like whole brown flour. After milling it goes through a sifter that sifts out some of the bran. The result is a flour in between white and brown. It is healthier than white unbleached flour but still has a higher gluten content that whole flour making it a perfect balance for most bakery needs.

What is the difference between Hard and Soft Wheat?

• First of all, hard and soft don't refer to anything tangible you can see or feel. It has more to with milling resistance and gluten content. In a world where everything is becoming gluten-free we must not forget that gluten content of a flour is very important to determine its final use and performance.
• Hard wheat varieties are high in gluten and give bread dough more elasticity, which results in bread that holds shape when baked. It is also what is used in making pasta. Below is a list of common hard wheat varieties:
• Hard red winter wheat grows in the fall, and is ready for harvest the following spring. Full-flavored hard red winter wheat is the primary grain used for whole grain and whole wheat blends as well as all-purpose flours, making it a great fit for rustic breads like sourdough.
• Hard red spring wheat, with its high gluten content is ideal for breads and tensile pastries like croissants and doughs that rely on a texture with some elasticity, like pizza dough. Hard red spring varieties are typically grown in the spring throughout the northern reaches of the U.S. and Canada and ready to harvest in the fall.
• Durum wheat, also known as "pasta wheat" is the hardest of all the wheat strains, with a protein structure exemplified by the snap of fresh pasta and soft, pillowy nature of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean flatbreads. Semolina, which is often used to make couscous and some pastas, is composed of the leftover byproduct of the durum milling process known as "middlings", coarse particles of the cracked inner endosperm. Bulgur, made from the cracked and parboiled wheat berries of durum wheat, is a staple cereal grain in Levantine dishes like tabbouleh and kibbeh.
• Hard white wheat is lighter in kernel color and with a sweeter, more subtle flavor than hard red wheat cultivars, hard white wheat is typically milled whole, preserving its moderate protein and nutrient content. This type of wheat is used to make tortillas, pan breads, and some noodles.
• Khorasan wheat (also known by it's trademark name "Kamut") is a type of wheat that contains less gluten and more protein than regular wheat. Kamut also provides 8 of the 9 essential amino acids. It is gaining popularity as it can be used to make good bread while having a lower gluten content.
• Soft wheat varieties, with its lower gluten content, yields bread with a fine and easily crumbled texture. These flours are commonly used for cakes and pastries, or mixed with hard flour to produce softer bread. Below is a list of common soft wheat varieties:
• Soft red winter wheat maintains all the flavorful characteristics of the hard variety, but is far easier to mill and results in a finer "soft" texture that's best for products like cookies, crackers, and cakes.
• Soft white wheat is the go-to grain for all of the crumbly, meltaway pastries, yeast breads, and snack foods. Most cake and pastry flours are composed of soft white wheat, which is not colloquially denoted by season like the others, though there are different cultivars of soft white winter wheat and soft white spring wheat.

What is "La Milanaise"?

• Founded in 1977 in Milan, Quebec (Eastern Townships) by Robert and Lily Beauchemin it began as an organic farming venture. In 1982 they started expanding their stone-milled organic flour products by building their first dedicated milling building on the farm and never stopped expanding.
• With their latest factory built in 2016 in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec (Montérégie) "La Milanaise" now has a 350 ton per day capacity, becoming the biggest organic milling company in the province.