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hutchndi hutchndi is offline
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Default Premium flours? ? ?


"Ray" > wrote in message
...
> I've noticed that in the supermarket some of the premium flours can cost
> twice as much as the standard brands.
>
> Is there really any difference, or is it just a cook's conceit?

Here in Rhode Island, King Arthur is the premium flour I suppose, and I
always have great results using it, to my own cook's conceit. For the
longest
time I avoided using anything else, even while it was the most expensive. It
is unbleached and unbromated, and I like the way this adds a little color to
my bread. It is very high gluten without being labeled as "Bread Flour" but
by most standards it might as well be. Because of this I probably get away
with a multitude of sins in developing gluten. On the occasions that I did
not have any on hand and used cheaper brands for whatever reason, I may
have found that I needed to squeeze in an extra stretch and fold during bulk
fermentation, and that is something you will have to judge for yourself with
different flours. If prices make you wince, and if there is a bakers supply
/ distributer nearby, a 50 lb bag of whatever you really like to bake with
will probably average out nicely pricewise pound for pound with the cheaper
brands sold in little bags in the supermarket.

Happy Baking!