Downtown Eataly Emphasizes Quality Flour for Superior Bread Baking
In the heart of downtown, Eataly's head baker, Erin Flinn, is on a mission to help people appreciate bread as a vital part of a balanced diet. At Eataly, bread is more than just a loaf; it's a testament to the power of fresh, high-quality flour and the art of traditional baking.
The secret to Eataly's delicious bread lies in the flour. Both of the mills supplying Eataly—Mulino Marino from Italy and Wild Hive from the Hudson Valley—pride themselves on using stone mills to grind their organic grains, ensuring a fresh and nutritious product. This fresh flour offers several notable benefits.
For starters, the enhanced flavor and aroma of freshly milled flour create a more vibrant bread crust and crumb, reminiscent of the difference between freshly ground coffee beans and pre-ground coffee. Additionally, whole grain freshly milled flour retains the entire grain kernel, including the bran and germ, which are rich in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and essential minerals. This makes the bread more nutrient-dense and healthful.
Fresh flour also impacts the activity of sourdough starters, with certain flours like freshly milled rye helping to activate the starter more effectively. However, it may require adjustments in starter feeding frequency and hydration to maintain good fermentation and rising.
Tracing the source of the flour is equally important. Knowing the flour’s origin helps ensure its quality, supports informed ingredient choices, and provides transparency and safety. Eataly's focus on smaller batches of slow-baked breads, produced overnight and baked the following morning, is a testament to their commitment to quality and digestibility.
While buying flour from a specific source is not necessary for making good bread, it can improve the quality. For home bakers, trying to trace the source of the flour is recommended. Using smaller amounts of fresher flour and storing it in an airtight container in the freezer can extend its shelf life.
Even with supermarket flour, initial attempts at home baking may not be perfect, but the process can help recognize bread as a staple in a healthy diet. After all, good bread flour is often made with a hard variety of wheat, which has a higher protein content, allowing the bread to hold more air produced during fermentation.
In the end, the quality of flour matters in the final flavor and texture of bread, just as with the freshest produce or the highest quality meats in cooking. So, next time you bite into a loaf of bread, remember that it's more than just a slice—it's a testament to the power of fresh, high-quality flour and the art of traditional baking.
[1] King Arthur Flour. (2021). The Benefits of Freshly Milled Flour. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2021/02/01/the-benefits-of-freshly-milled-flour [2] The Fresh Loaf. (2014). The Benefits of Freshly Milled Flour. https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/4918/benefits-freshly-milled-flour [3] Whole Grains Council. (n.d.). Whole Grain Flour. https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/whole-grain-flour [4] The Fresh Loaf. (2014). Freshly Milled Flour and Sourdough Starters. https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/5418/freshly-milled-flour-and-sourdough-starters
- In the realm of baking, freshly milled flour, like what's used at Eataly with Mulino Marino from Italy and Wild Hive from the Hudson Valley, offers a vibrant flavor and aroma that significantly enhances the bread's crust and crumb, akin to the difference between freshly ground coffee beans and pre-ground coffee.
- Embracing the art of healthy cooking, whole grain freshly milled flour retains the entire grain kernel, including the bran and germ, which are rich in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and essential minerals, making the bread more nutrient-dense and healthful.
- Just as with the highest quality meats in cooking, the quality of flour used in bread-making plays a crucial role in the final flavor and texture of the bread, underscoring the importance of sourcing high-quality flour and flour milled fresh.
