"65" Flour

[Anneke]

"Farine 65" is the French denomination for flour that is more complete than regular bread flour. As I understand it, the range is usually from 45 to 150, and the scale denotes a ratio of how much flour was produced per unit of wheat. 150 is a chestnut coloured flour used for grain breads etc.

Max Poilane's baguettes used 65, as do many producers in France.

I'm curious to know if there is a North American equivalent to this nomenclature, and if a 65 flour is even available here. I'd love to hear from bakers both in Canada and in the US.

TIA

[monpetitchoux]

I asked this exact question reagarding 45% a couple of years ago when I was first introduced to this site. I believe that you will find it if you do a site search for it. I think CChiu started the thread. I'm sorry that I don't know how to do the seach and include it as a link in this message.

[KyleW]

I don't think there is a 1:1 match for french flours here in North America. Raymond Calvel, in The Taste of Bread, talks about matching and mixing NA wheats to approximate French flours. His was mainly concerned with #55. He found that a protein level of about 12.5 % was what he preferred, on the low end of "hi protein" flours and the high end of AP flours. Type 55 flour has a slightly lower extraction rate than Type 65.

[Anneke]

Thanks Kyle.

So what is his starting point? What does he mix? How do you find higher protein flour and how many grades are there?

..Sorry, I'm a newbie at this!