I know that regular whole wheat flour needs to be refrigerated, but does white whole wheat flour also need refrigeration? I hate to use up the space in the refrigerator if I don't have to.
I have 5 lb. (2.3 kg), and it would probably take me a month or so to use it all.
The only difference between regular whole wheat flour and white whole wheat flour is the variety of wheat from which it is ground. Regular whole wheat flour is ground from red wheat while white whole wheat is from a lighter pigmented wheat and thus the lighter color. In both cases the germ is still intact and thus as Jonathan Campbell stated, it will go rancid more quickly than white flour.
Keep it in a cool dark place and use up quickly if you can't refrigerate or freeze it.
When you keep it in the refrigerator or freezer and plan to use it for yeast breads, remember to allow it to warm to room temperature before using for best results with your yeast.
I typically look to the packaging for advice on storage. In this case, the King Arthur brand of white whole wheat flour recommends storing it in the freezer "for freshest taste."
You can certainly store it outside of the fridge if you don't have room but the oil in the germ will turn rancid much quicker. But really, if you're going to use the whole bag in one month, that shouldn't be an issue either way.
