Can old flour affect sourdough results? (2024)

FAQs

Can old flour affect sourdough results? ›

short answer, yes, though it takes far longer for AP flour to go bad. I've had dull Bob's Red Mill Dark Rye that smelled fine and was still long before its 'use-by' date screw up my starter (fortunately, the switch to a fresher local brand led to a full recovery.)

You can generally use flour for four to six months past this date, depending on how you've stored it—more on that below!

Wheat-based refined flours usually can be used past the expiration date (up to a year at your house), especially if it's been stored in a cool, dry place. 2 You'll want to be careful about self-rising flour, though, as the baking powder that's mixed into the flour can lose its effectiveness over time.

A new study of the microbial ecosystem in sourdough finds that using different types of flour fosters distinct bacterial communities, and that these differences contribute to the variation of sourdough aromas and flavors.

My loaf is very dense and didn't rise.

Most likely when this happens, it's not you - it's your starter. If your loaf is dense, has uneven holes and a gummy texture, most likely there wasn't enough active wild yeast in your starter to make the bread develop and rise during baking.

If the expired flour is still good, it should act much like non-expired flour. But if that expired flour is bad, well, chances are the end product will be too. Rancid flour will make the recipe taste and perhaps smell bad. Textures may also be affected, making the final product either too dry or too moist.

Most commonly, the issue here has to do with temperature (which is very important). If your sourdough starter is kept at a low temp, even 70°F (21°C), it will slow fermentation activity and appear to be sluggish, taking longer to rise and progress through the typical signs of fermentation. The solution: keep it warm.

If flour has been exposed to air or moisture, the texture of your baked goods will be crumbly. If the leaveners like baking powder are past their prime, the bake will fall flat.

Also, the type of flour you are using can impede the rise of your starter. All-Purpose flour, for example, will not rise as robustly as a blend of bread flour and whole wheat flour. Different mixtures or types of flour will cause your starter to rise differently. I strongly recommend at least 50% whole wheat flour.

It might be cold dough. One of the most common mistakes is having a dough temperature that's too low for the starter to feed on all the flour in the dough, resulting in a crumb that's dense, with fewer openings. "Starter is happiest and most active at around 75 degrees.

Why is my sourdough runny and not rising? ›

If it's runny it will be because it's being kept somewhere too warm and eating through its flour too fast; feed it extra flour to boost it up and make sure you're not keeping it anywhere too warm from now on.

Overproofed is when the dough has rested too long and the yeast has continued making carbon dioxide while the strength of the dough (gluten bonds) have begun to wear out. The dough will look very puffy, but when you touch it or move it you may notice it deflate or sag.

Under-proofed Dough:

An under-proofed dough is much easier to save than an over-proofed dough. This is because an under-proofed dough simply needs to be proofed longer. If your sourdough is not rising during bulk fermentation at all, you might need to strengthen your sourdough starter.

There is some wiggle room as flour generally remains good for up to six months past that date, depending on your storage system.

The best way to determine whether your flour is safe is to smell it. While fresh flour has a neutral odor, bad flour smells off — it can be stale, musty, or almost sour. It may also look discolored. Additionally, if your flour has come into contact with water or moisture, large clumps of mold may appear.

Flour does not expire. Like most things it has a best before date, it might be a bit stale smelling but it'll be perfectly fine to bake with.

In a fridge, the flour has one year, and in the freezer, it has two. Whole-wheat or whole-grain flours have more of the natural oils that can spoil, so discard after one month at regular room temp, three months at cooler house temp, six months in fridge, or one year in the freezer.