King Arthur's Bakers are here to solve the culinary puzzles you share with us, whether by phone, computer or by the good old postal service. In Ask the Baker's Hotline, Annabelle will pick the brain of the talented King Arthur Baker's Hotline team to address some of your most frequently asked questions. Today's question: flour storage.
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If you're a casual baker, there's a good chance you've had some flour sitting in your pantry for a long time.
But unlike, say, sugar, flour doesn't last for years. When any flour goes bad, the oils go rancid and smell a little like Play-Doh, and that smell and taste translates into your baked goods—not ideal.
Keeping flour fresh depends on proper storage. Whether you don't make it often or like to reserve for a rainy day, Maranda from our Baker's Hotline has the tips and tricks you need to keep your flour fresh for as long as possible.
Photography by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily
Most important for storing flour: create layers of safety
The paper bags the flour comes in are made from a breathable material that allows moisture left over from the milling process to evaporate and is great for recycling (yay!) but doesn't protect well against things like humidity and heat, which can promote decay. So as soon as you get your flour home (including gluten-free flour!), dress it up in its anti-spoilage armor: a airtight container or bag.
“You want one to two extra layers to protect your flour from outside moisture, blowing winds and heat to prevent premature spoilage,” says Maranda. “It could be something as simple as slipping your bag of flour into a large resealable bag or a Sealed container with flour.
An added bonus to this style of container: The bag's pickup date is accessible if you need to check it. If you prefer to pour your flour into a glass container or other containerremove this information from the bag and tape it to the bottom for safekeeping.
What if you need to store larger quantities of flour? “If you're a non-stop baker like me, you might want to go with something bigger like Large bucket of flour, which can hold up to 25 pounds of flour,” Maranda recommends. “If you want an extra layer of protection, line the bucket with an unscented food-safe bag that you can seal before closing the lid. You can also put a single layer plastic wrap on top of the bucket before you close the lid,” she advises.
Maranda has a final reminder: “Once you've stored your flour (regardless of the container), you'll want to keep it in a cool, dark place, as warmth and light speed up the spoilage process.” For long-term storage of flour, keep it in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life.
Photography by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily
Storage of cereal flour and nuts
Whole grain and nut flours contain fat: from the germ in the case of whole grain flours and the nuts themselves in the case of nut flours. When fat is exposed to oxygen during the grinding process, it begins to oxidize; as a result, these flours will always have a shorter shelf life than white flour.
Solution? Freeze! No, not you, keep reading, but freeze your flour! If you don't plan to use the whole grain or nut flour before the best-by date, put it in a plastic bag (an airtight container works too, it just takes up more space) and refrigerate until needed. Check out PJ's blog that dives deeper into wheat flour storage: The best way to store grains.
“If you don't have space in the fridge, but you have some space in the fridge, you can keep the flour fresh there too,” says Maranda. Avoid your flour absorbing moisture or refrigerator odors by keeping it in an airtight container.
If you want, you can take the flour out of the freezer for a few minutes to warm it up, but once it's mixed with the other ingredients, it probably won't make much of a difference. If you are making yeast bread and don't want the cold flour to affect the fermentation, define your own desired dough temperature to adjust the water temperature accordingly. Or just wait for your flour to come to room temperature before mixing it into sourdough or sourdough bread.
One last tip
Even though you've done everything you can to keep your flour airtight and protected from the elements, you can still run into pest problems later. To avoid, follow this advice from PJ Hamel on it whole grain storage blog: “Four days in the fridge effectively kills any existing pests and/or their offspring, preventing potential bug problems down the road.”
Photography by Mark Weinberg; food styling by Liz Neily
Your best defense: bake!
Of course, the best defense against stale flour is to bake more often! From easy snacks to kid-friendly baking to recipes made with five ingredients or less, we have a collection of recipes for almost any situation. If you want to know some of our favorite things to bake, don't be afraid to call Maranda or the other helpful members of Baker's Hotline for a hot tip.
For storage solutions ranging from flour to sugar and more ingredients, see The “storage” section of our Store.
Cover photo by Kristin Teig; food styling by Liz Neily.
