What is the difference between fresh milled flour and bleached flour?

Fresh milled bread flour has different properties than bleached bread flour. Bleached literally means when the flour turns from a brown colour to white. Oxygen in the air reacts with the flour to turn it white. This natural oxidation process helps develop the gluten in the flour, making the dough stretchy. If you like a light fluffy loaf add 1tsp of vital wheat gluten per cup of fresh milled flour. If you like a denser hearty loaf use the fresh milled bread flour as is! Another major difference is the taste. The oxidation process also tends to mellow the flavours of the grains.