Matthews Regenerative YQ Wholegrain Flour, 1.5kg

FWP Matthews Regenerative YQ Wholegrain Flour is a dark stoneground wholegrain flour milled from YQ wheat - a diverse population of wheat grown using regenerative farming methods that rebuild soil health and support biodiversity. Unlike conventional wheat varieties bred for uniformity, YQ (Yield & Quality) wheat is made up of millions of genetically distinct individual plants, giving it natural resilience and a deep, rich nuttiness that comes through clearly in everything you bake.

This is a versatile wholegrain flour that shines in sourdough, where long fermentation allows the bran to soften and the full depth of the grain's flavour to develop. It works equally well in yeasted wholemeal loaves, soda bread, flatbreads, cakes and biscuits. For a lighter crumb with good rise, try blending it half and half with a strong white flour. Because it's stoneground, every particle retains the bran, germ and natural oils - giving you a nutritionally complete flour that genuinely tastes of the field it came from.

Why We Love It:

• Genuinely regenerative from field to bag - the YQ wheat is grown using a low-input farming model that actively rebuilds soil health, reduces chemical use and increases biodiversity; buying this flour directly supports those farming practices.
  
• A wheat like no other - rather than a single uniform variety, YQ is a population wheat containing millions of genetically distinct plants, bred at Wakelyns Agroforestry by Professor Martin Wolfe and the Organic Research Centre for natural resilience and complex flavour.
• Rich, nutty depth of flavour - the genetic diversity of the grain combined with slow stoneground milling gives this flour a taste and character you simply don't find in standard supermarket wholemeal.
• Whole grain, nothing removed - the millstones grind the complete grain, retaining bran, germ and natural oils for a flour that is as nutritious as it is flavourful.
• Milled by an eight-generation family business - FWP Matthews have been milling flour in Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire since the 1800s; their deep knowledge of grain and their commitment to responsible sourcing is evident in every bag.
• Good for the planet as well as your baking - regenerative agriculture sequesters carbon, restores soil biology and reduces pesticide runoff, making this one of the most environmentally considered flours you can buy.

How to Use:

• For YQ sourdough: combine 400g YQ wholegrain flour with 100g strong white flour, 350ml water, 100g active starter and 10g salt. Autolyse for 1 hour before adding the starter and salt. Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds over 2 hours, then bulk ferment at room temperature for 4–6 hours. Shape, retard overnight in the fridge and bake at 230°C (210°C fan) in a covered Dutch oven for 35 minutes, then uncovered for a further 10–15 minutes until the crust is deep and resonant.
• For a simple wholemeal loaf: mix 500g YQ flour with 350ml warm water, 7g fast-action yeast, 10g salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Knead for 10 minutes, prove for 1 hour, shape into a tin, prove for...