Charmion - I've got flour in my cupboard that's rather more than a decade old, still in the packet, still fine. As for bread flour, I only make bread intermittently these past few years because I eat so little of it now (it's easier to stick a "reduced" sliced loaf in the freezer, even if it is commercial cardboard! ;-) ). But I stopped using bread flour long ago.

Have you ever tried using ordinary flour? The gluten is only there to aid the 'rise'. If you use ordinary flour, you simply get a denser, chewier loaf. It's still perfectly good bread! One possible use for that 10lbs+ (what is this kilo thing, woman? ;-) ). Add cheese! Add onions! Add mustard, pepper, anything you like! If the only alternative is the compost bin (or fork it straight into the veg patch; I'm assuming one or t'other is available), you might as well experiment, right? ;-)

P.S. Worked out the Edmund reference after a pause. Condolences. My appetite, too, is the first thing that disappears when I feel manky. But what would you want him to do if things were reversed? Get on with things? Take a deep breath and... Keep reminding yourself that he still lives, if only in many people's hearts! ;-)

P.P.S. I'm still trying to use up last year's onions (so 14 months old). Lunch today was a couple of onions, some red cabbage & celery (ditto to the 'eating up'), spinach that was only on the field 3 days ago, stock, plenty of tarragon, and a smoked haddock fillet. All souped with a couple of tsps of (ordinary!) flour to thicken a little. Tasted alright to me! But I shan't submit to Kansas City - I'm sure I'd be disqualified (under Trumpery) as a 'bloody foreigner'! ;-)