Central Milling vs Honeyvile vs. KA?
It's difficult to find decent bread flour in quantity (or even 5lb) where I live, so think I'll order. Whole Foods (30-40 min. one way) only has Giusto's Baker's Choice? with 11% protein. I have a year-round cool cement garage, gasketed storage containers, and vacuum sealer. I'll also have to try Costco with a friend who has membership (not worth the $ now that the kids have moved out).
In terms of affordable shipping, my short list at the moment for a high-protein, unbleached, malted flour includes:
A) Central Milling High Performer High Protein or Ultimate Performer, B) KA High-Gluten (aka Sir Lancelot), or C) Honeyville Farms Imperial High Gluten or Alta Artisan.
I've never used any of these and would appreciate feedback, plus any other brands to consider. Central Milling is about 2-1/2 hours north (in non-commute traffic, LOL), so maybe we'll get up there at some point on another errand and buy direct. Thank you for the advice!
Although it's not malted, Costco's carries Central Milling organic all purpose flour and it's a real bargain, comes in 2 ten pound bags wrapped together, don't recall the price but cheap. It would probably be worth buying some malt to add to your mix although I haven't done that myself. In fact I should get some malt to try that myself to see how it alters the flavor, although I don't make a lot of white bread. The flour is custom milled by C.M. for Costco, it's closest to their Organic Beehive flour (I asked.) Also, all of Whole Foods 365 brand flours are milled by Central Milling, but as I recall they don't carry a malted flour.
Unfortunately Central Milling in Petaluma (Keith Giusto Bakery Supply) is only open weekdays 8-5 so it's hard for me to get there myself. Super Extra Fortunately my wife works around the corner so she picks it up for me On her lunch break!
No experience with your other possibilities . Hope this helps a little, and happy baking!
Tom
Amazon carries some flours and if you have Amazon Prime, you know the deal on their shipping. If you don't have the Prime service, read their information on it, then check the selection to see if they have suitable flours for you and if the annual fee will save you more than the usual shipping costs.
I'm on my second 50# bag of their imperial high gluten flour and can attest that it makes good bagels, bialys, and rye breads. You can't beat their shipping and they have frequent sales. During Stan's rye bread book test bakes I used their whole rye berries, which make dandy flour when ground in my Family Grain Mill. And currently I also don't need to buy WW four because I buy cases of their canned wheat berries. Wish they also offered the high gluten flour and rye berries in cans, but you can't have everything. I live in the buggy Deep South and finding decent flour is problematic, so have to buy in bulk or pay through the nose. So far, using sealed buckets, oxygen absorbers, and bagging some and storing in the freezer has thwarted the bugs.
I do like Amazon for pizza flour and have also been able, once, to find a 25# bag of bleached high gluten, temporarily abandoning my principles concerning bleached flours. But the Imperial is better.
Thanks for the help! Amazon has some of my list from Heartland Mills, who ships direct. They're out of Sir Lancelot right now. I asked at Gayle's Bakery in Capitola this morning (needed goodies after nasty traffic to a doctor's appt.), but they don't sell flour to the public. She suggested another bakery I thought was long closed (just moved). I don't get to Santa Cruz often, usually Salinas/Monterey/Gilroy. Every time I go to our rural Safeway there are less basic ingredients, but more mixes and gluten-free. They just stopped carrying all King Arthur, so I have to drive 20 minutes to find maybe 3 of their basic flours (not the ones I want).
Hadn't thought about adding malt; diastatic? I use it as recipes direct, but what ratio would you use for boosting a quantity of flour? Also have Vital Wheat Gluten but use it sparingly. I just thought of asking Whole Foods if I can order large bags, instead of buying smaller amounts of what's been sitting in the bulk bins. WF is also a 30-40 minute drive one way.
Central milling should work fine for most breads with the exception of bagels. My favorite AP flour for bread LaFama was on sale this week in 5# bags for $1.49. It is 11.2% protein. But it isn't the protein % tat makes it good for bread it is the kind of protein that counts/ The Central Milling 11% may be lacking the right kind of gluten producing protein.
Happy baking
Thanks dabrownman! I so enjoy reading your posts. I'm seeking hgher-protein more for bagels and a few other things, but am unclear about the kind of protein you refer to and how to figure out which flour has what in it. I always thought it was the percentage, so if could elaboborate a bit or tell me where to get more info, I'd love to learn.
TFL continues to educate, inspire, and make me a better baker. Wish I'd discovered it years ago - there would have been fewer bricks.
wheat is the same but high gluten and bread flours are made with more hard spring wheat because it contains more of the 2 proteins that bond when wet into gluten strands as opposed to the other kinds of proteins more commonly found in hard red winter wheat. Here is a post that explains it.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/400891-what-is-the-difference-between-bread-flour-high-gluten-flour/
Sadly, millers don't say what kind of protein they have they their flour just that their bread and HG flour has more of the two that make gluten.
I order some amazing grains from healthyflour.com I have loved everything I have gotten from there, and are currently baking all my bread using their sprouted white and red wheats. It was wonderful flavor. I also have to recommend their sprouted oats, it made the best oatmeal I have ever had!
at the difference between fresh sprouted grains dried, ground into flour and used in bread fresh - 24 hours after sprouting. Makes store bought sprouted grain flour pale in comparison flavor wise just like store bought regular flour seems a bit stale by the time you can buy it and use it,
I've got an 11 grain mix just foishing sprouting right now that will be bread tomorrow. Nothing like it.
Happy baking with sprouted grains.
Hadn't run across healthy four.com; will check it out. Just found some One Degree Sprouted Khorasan and Red Fife at a grocery way across town that I rarely get to. Plan to try them out soon. Thanks you!