GUIDE: What Is Granary Flour & What Are the Alternatives?

In recent months, during and following lockdown it’s become very difficult to buy certain types of bread flour.

For months flour supply in many supermarkets became non-existent and it became a case of buying whatever you can get rather than what you wanted.

One of the flour types which has been difficult to find is Granary flour and for Granary fans like me, this is sad times! but what is Granary flour and is there an alternative you can use instead?

Granary flour is a trademark of the Hovis brand and it’s made using a combination of white and wholemeal flour along with malted wheat flakes and malted barley flour. The malted wheat is slowly toasted to create a rich and nutty flavoured bread with a nutty texture. Other flour brands produce Granary alternatives which can be identified by the term ‘malted flour’.

Read on to find out more about Granary flour and the alternatives you can use if Granary is unavailable.

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Granary flour alternatives

To find an alternative to Granary bread flour, look for flours which are called malted or contain malted grains.

Bread-making at home has become increasingly popular and with more flour providers coming to the forefront.

Supermarkets are stocking an increasing amount of artisan bread flour made by smaller producers and some using traditional techniques.

You might be able to find a malted flour in your local supermarket and many are available online. Here are some malted flour brands which I recommend as an alternative to granary flour (including links to buy):

Seeded and malted bread flour – by M&S at Ocado

Doves Farm Malthouse bread flour – available at Ocado or directly from Doves Farm

Shipton Mill light malthouse flour, they also sell malted flakes separately so you can create your own mix – available online directly from Shipton Mill

Allinson country grain also has a similar texture to granary – available at Tesco.

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Tips for using Granary or malted flour to make bread

• Granary or malted flour usually contains a degree of wholemeal flour along with whole grains, which tend to be thirsty and will continue to absorb water throughout the kneading process – you may need to add a bit more water to the recipe.
• Add a bit of butter to the mix (around 40g) – this will help to create a soft bread texture and will help your bread stay fresher for longer too.
• Seeds work really well in Granary bread – add some to the dough and use them as a crunchy topping on the loaf.
• Try making Granary or malted crusty bread rolls – these make a great side dish to many dishes (my favourite with these rolls is prawn cocktail), they’re amazing eaten warm with lashings of real butter.

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Try this Hovis Granary bread recipe

I hope this post has helped you to find out more about Granary bread and what you can use instead if it’s unavailable.

If you want to have a try at making a Granary or malted loaf, see the recipe via the link below:

Granary bread recipe

For more information on UK bread flour, click the link below:

Best bread flour (available in the UK)