Bread Flour - types

Tim M

Its great how we swing around on this forum to this, then that. Only last month we were all doing standing rib roasts - now bread. What will next month be? Its one feature of this forum - not a lot of new gizmos being introduced - rather food being introduced and how to make it on an Egg. Sorry - I digress.[p]My wife is amazed that I would spend 30-40 min making bread when you can buy it from the store. This comment came from the woman who spent last Saturday making cookies all morning. Anyway, she has informed me that I am to ask if there is a good bread flour that is unbleached? I would assume so these days and I was wondering if you need to alter the bread recipes if you use these?[p]Tim - bread ignorant-but learning

djm5x9

Tim M:[p]Follow this link . . .

[ul][li]Flour[/ul]

Tim M

djm5x9,
Thanks Darryl, I am not sure if I can find that brand around here but I find something I am sure.
I liked your idea about bread sticks - that gives me an idea .[p]Tim

Unknown

djm5x9,[p]King A's is Never Bleached - Never Bromated and that is a good thing. If you have a Winn Dixie or Publix they should have it or at least they do down here in Florida.

djm5x9

Tim M:[p]Grocery store managers of today CAN be like old country store owners of the past - They can get anything you want, you just have to know the right person to ask.[p]For example, Publix in Atlanta does not carry lump. It is listed on the master product listing in Lakeland, Florida. Therefore I can special order whatever quantity I want. The same with other products that may not be on the shelf in Atlanta as long as they are available on the master list.[p]You can order King Arthur by mail. If it is not on the shelf in your area, surely someone can secure it for you. Hey, after all, this is America!

Tim M

Ashley,
Thanks for the Winn Dixie tip - we have one in the 100 mi area and its only 10 mi from here. I'll check it.[p]Tim

Unknown

Tim M,
I buy all my flour from the local health food store. They sell stone ground organic winter wheat and organic unbleached non - bromated for 50 cents a pound. Another source maybe the local bakery. I buy flour at both places. I have ordered flour fom King Arthur's through the mail and seen it in some grocery stores. Hodgeson Mill makes a great whole wheat flour and is sold in most stores.[p]Two great books about bread making are Bread Alone and Bread from the La Brea Bakery. The first by Dan Leader and the second by Nancy Silverton. I've been making bread from scractch for about 3 years. I always have a starter in the refrigerator. Pitas are great to make and also low in fat and sugar content. Hope this helps. e-mail if you have any specific questions about bread.

Unknown

Tim M,[p]We use Gold Medal "Bread Flour". Can't quite remember if it is bleached or not. Doesnt seem to efect our bread making at all.[p]Mary

Mary

Tim M,[p]Depending on how you want your bread to turn out, you may or may not care about the flour. King Arther makes very good flour, but if you have to mail order it, it's pretty pricey. The Giant here carries some KA flours, but in their "gourmet" section, not with the other flours, just to make life difficult.[p]I use flour from my food coop - organic wheat from a little mill in Penn. It is better than KA, IMHO, but not as easy for everybody to get. The main reason for using unbleached flour is to not have extra chemicals in food. Bleaching does an instant maturing or aging of the flour, as well as making it whiter, which helps it some in machine mixed dough. The machines are not your ordinary mixers, but the huge bakery mixers. The home baker won't notice any difference.[p]THe main difference in flours is the protein content. Flour labeled "bread flour" has a higher protein content (about 14-16%), and therefore higher gluten content. The higher the gluten, the higher rising the bread, all other things being equal. There is some flavor loss in the high protein flours as opposed to softer wheats.[p]European breads typically use softer wheat with protein contents of about 10-11% - the typical all purpose flour content. Pastry flours are usually about 8-9% protein. The European bread makers developed a lot of techniques to make great bread from lower gluten flours.[p]Protein content is not the only determinant, the gluten quality needs to be good as well. There are some flours that have a high protein content, but not good quality gluten. A poor quality gluten will not develop well. You can figure this out by trying to make bread with different flours. Another rule of thumb is the higher the gluten content, the longer it takes to knead and develop the gluten.[p]The bread recipe doesn't really have to be altered when using different flours, but you might have to adjust the kneading and rising times to fully develop the gluten and condition the dough. Bread making is done by eye and feel more than strictly adhering to a recipe.[p]Mary

Rex

Mary, I have been getting comfortable with baking bread in the Egg. This past weekend I prepared my first 4 "acceptable" loaves. (This bread makes incredible toast.) It was white winter wheat bread with quinoi and sessame seeds. I always add some rye, soy beans, buckwheat and quinoi to the wheat to mill so as to get a broader range of minerals and nutrition into the bread.[p]I wanted to ask you if you could refer me to a good artisan bread cookbook that specifically uses freshly milled flour in its recipes. I wondered if the Tom Leonard Bread Book recipes used freshly milled flour.[p]We have been using a Whisper Mill to grind all grains as needed to prepare breads, breakfasts (pancakes, waffles, etc) even cornmeal for cornbread or frying fish for about 3 years. The added flavor depth and crust quality that the Egg brings to bread is going to put the bread machine into retirement.[p]I am also interested in your recommendations on where to get a good pizza stone. (I have destroyed one already.) Someone on the list mentioned a kiln shelf as being a good alternative for high temp baking.[p]Thanks in advance,
Rex