Why you should consider adding these ingredients for your next Fresh-Milled Flour (FMF) bread.
Challenges of FMF over AP Flour
Since fresh-milled flour includes all the bran + germ (sharp particles + oils) and often has higher enzymatic activity than aged white AP flour, it tends to:
- Cut gluten strands (bran acts like tiny blades)
- Soak up water unevenly (bran hydrates slowly; dough can feel “dry then suddenly slack”)
- Make dough feel weaker/stickier at the same hydration
- Shorten your window between “perfectly proofed” and “overproofed / collapses”
So additives like VWG and ACV are basically “stability tools” to offset that.
Rule of thumb:
- VWG = more lift/structure.
- ACV = more stability/handling.
Vital Wheat Gluten (VWG)
FMF has bran/germ that interfere with gluten and make loaves rise shorter/denser. VWG:
- Boosts dough strength + gas-holding → taller loaf, better oven spring
- Improves crumb → less dense/crumbly, more sliceable
- Adds tolerance → less collapse/spread if hydration or proof is a little off
Default recommendation for VWG: 3% of flour
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
FMF can get stickier/weaker as it ferments (more active enzymes + whole-grain particles). A tiny bit of ACV:
- Slightly lowers pH → helps keep dough from turning slack/gummy over time
- Tightens handling → less spread, cleaner shaping
- Supports structure indirectly → helps the gluten you do build hold up longer
Default recommendation for ACV: 0.5% of flour