The Fresh Loaf

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historical bread flour composition

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HenryV111's picture

historical bread flour composition

Hello everyone,

I am a new member on this forum, and what I have read so far encourages me greatly that you all seem to know a lot about bread-making.

The question I would like to post is whether anyone knows/recalls the composition of the flour that was milled by the "Turog" company (based I believe in Cardiff-sadly no longer in existence).

This flour was based around wholemeal flour, with added ingredients, such as caramel? and "germ-enriched wholemeal flour.

Turog was very prevalent in the Lancashire/Yorkshire areas during the 50s/60s, and the flavour of the bread made from this flour was in my opinion far superior to plain wholemeal bread.

As a child, and then a youth, unlike most of my contempories I much preferred turog to white bread even though the latter in those days tasted far better than just about any of the commercially produced bread of today, apart of course from the speciality breadmakers who still survive.

I have tried several sources up and down the country, including NAMIB, and archive sources without any success. My goal, is to try and reproduce the same mix as was used by turog to continue to enjoy its flavour.

PS, this is not another case of childhood memories leading one astray!, the taste has remained clearly in my memory.


ananda's picture

Hello Henry,

I believe this flour would have been similar in concept to Hovis flour.   The outer bran is removed.   The germ is removed and treated, then added back.   In Hovis, the germ acts as the Improver in the dough.   I suspect this is a similar concept

Not much to go on here, but it's something

Best wishes

Andy's picture

Sounds like my objective with the Miche Maillard, except that I also added back the "indigestible and irritant" (Turog's words, not mine) bran fraction.

Gotta love their motto:  "EAT  MORE  TUROG  BREAD."

Thanks Andy!  What is that little book you (or someone) scanned?


hookie's picture

I was a baker and confectioner in the 60's and 70's and won certificates for Turog bread. 'The flour was produced by Spillers who stated that Turog was a roasted white flour and it bore no resemblance to Hovis which is also unlike it was in the 60's.

gingerfold's picture

Turog flour and the bread made from it did have simililarities with Hovis in that it did contain added roasted wheatgerm. It was based on a light wheatmeal flour (not wholemeal or white flour) and contained caramel colouring to darken it. It was a Spillers Milling brand and I understand that "Turog" was a mythical Welsh giant. Joel Spiller was a Somerset miller who founded his business in the mid-1800s and became a national miller in due course. Spillers saw rapid expansion in South Wales and opened two flour mills in Cardiff. Turog flour was discontinued after Spillers withdrew from plant bread baking in 1978. I worked for Spillers Milling as National Technical Advisor from 1981 for 10 years and we did re-introduce Turog Gold wheatgerm flour in about 1988, but it only sold in small quantitities as Hovis was a far stronger brand.