What goes on our plate isn’t the only consideration when it comes to what we eat – how it got there has become almost equally as important over the last decade. Whether that’s sourcing from sustainable farmers or making sure we buy local, most modern home cooks have adopted an eco-conscious mindset, prioritising quality over quantity. One word that has been particularly important in that conversation is organic; the production of food without man-made fertilisers, pesticides or additives. Organic farming is rigorously controlled, with producers having to meet strict standards to earn the label.  They use less energy and emit fewer emissions – ultimately, food is grown in harmony with nature and not against it, meaning the land is a haven for nature, increasing biodiversity, supporting wildlife and protecting soil. For us, it means we can buy knowing we are making positive choices. 

It’s probably fair to say that when we talk about organic food, most of us leap to fresh produce like fruit, vegetables or meat. But it’s equally as important to think about how the food we keep in our store cupboards is made; organic farming is important in every area of the kitchen, including in important ingredients like flour, which underpin so many of the recipes we cook. With Organic September – a month-long celebration of all things organic led by the UK’s leading organic charity the Soil Association – on the horizon, we’ve teamed up with Doves Farm, an award-winning, family-owned organic grower, miller and producer, to focus on organic flour, exploring how it’s made and why it’s such an important choice.

Organic flour is a category of flour that hasn’t been artificially processed – in essence, it’s flour that has been milled from organic grain that has been grown to the highest farming standards and produced with higher levels of environmental welfare.  That means it is grown without artificial or harmful pesticides, genetically modified ingredients or man-made chemical fertilisers. 

Instead, organic farmers are allowed to use just twenty naturally-derived pesticides under specific circumstances, as well as methods like crop rotation to nurture crops and fend off issues with pests and disease. At Doves Farm, their organic grain is accompanied by a yellow passport which shows where it has come from and whether it has had any post-harvest pesticide treatments; they reject any with those treatments. The organic approach to farming is enormously positive for our land – it builds soil fertility (an essential component of organic and regenerative agriculture models), is safer for wildlife and biodiversity and protects our waterways – more on that below.

As we’ve touched on, organic farms are much better for the environment – their emissions levels are lower (artificial fertilisers and pesticides are produced by burning fossil fuels), they keep our soil and water systems unpolluted and benefit wildlife, often becoming havens for bees, birds and butterflies. Studies into the differences have found that organic farms generally have more plant and flower diversity, as well as more insects, butterflies and birds. Keeping our soil in good health is particularly important – soil is, after all, the foundation for agriculture and the crops we rely on, and looking after it ensures a strong food system for generations to come. 

The benefits of organic flour also extend to what we eat – buying organic is an easy way of fully knowing what has gone into our food and the journey it has made to our kitchens – tests of non-organic bread, for example, have previously found residue from pesticides. Using organic flour supports nature, protects the environment and gives us peace of mind when it comes to what we eat and drink.

You can use it in any recipes that need flour; that might be white or sourdough loaves (organic flour is usually recommended for sourdough starters, because it contains the natural microbes which allow it to ferment), sweet treats like cookies or cakes (or maybe our rhubarb and apple crumble above), pizza bases, pastries, the bases of sauces and much more. It’s incredibly versatile. 

Look for an Organic-certified brand like Doves Farm, which has been a pioneer of the organic movement since the 1970s (you can read more about its history here) and knows its stuff. It has a whopping twenty-four organic flours in its range, with a product for every baker and recipe – there’s everything from Plain White Flour to Seedhouse Bread Flour and White Rye Flour to Oat Flour. It’s stocked in Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Ocado, Holland & Barrett and independent health food and farm shops across the country, as well as on its website.

We know that having an understanding of where our food comes from is important, but to make real change, that mindset has to run through our cooking. And it’s essential that this extends beyond just meat and vegetables to other everyday ingredients like flour, which underpins so many recipes.