The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Availability of Flour

kumitedad's picture
kumitedad

Availability of Flour

Wonder if anyone has had this experience yet.  Went into Safeway near my work for quick shopping, and could not find the bread flour.  Asked the clerks if they had moved it somewhere else, and they told me that the only bread flour they had were in those little boxed mixes for bread machines.  The only thing that worried me is that I remember not too long ago when Rye flour was to be had in all supermarket (out local Albertson's for one) now the only place I get it in bulk down here is Whole Foods.  Anyone else noticing this at their local supermarkets.

 

Thanks for letting me blow off a little steam.  I did tell the clerk I found it weird that they did not offer bread flour.  Hopefully I will not be the only one.

 

thanks

ray

 

Elagins's picture
Elagins

The food industry doesn't make its money on ingredients, but on value-added (quality-diminished) prepared foods -- and that includes the supermarkets who allocate shelf space based on volume and profitability. It's simply not as much in their interest to sell bread flour for $0.50 a pound or so as it is for them to sell industrial bread, complete with preservatives and HFCS, for $3 or $4 a pound. Do the math: how many times will you have to come back and how much more will you spend to buy industrial bread than to buy 5# of flour and bake your own?

Stan Ginsberg
www.nybakers.com

noonesperfect's picture
noonesperfect

I shop at Safeway all the time in the Silicon Valley area, and they always carry a variety of bread flours, including King Arthur, Gold Medal, and a house brand.  Maybe the one you went to doesn't get the demand, or maybe the clerk just didn't know.

Try asking a manager or checking out a different location.

 

brad

occidental's picture
occidental

I usually find gold medal as well as a generic bread flour at my local Safeway.  This week when I went to by my usual 10# bag of gold medal bread flour it wasn't there and there was no place on the shelf where it should have been if it was sold out.  Luckily King Arthur was on sale (I wouldn't buy it otherwise) or I would have been going to the other store in town to search out bread flour.  I thought it was pretty wierd and ended up looking all up and down the isle looking for the regular selection.  Maybe Safeway's have recently changed what flours they stock?

00Eve00's picture
00Eve00

I can usually find bread flour at any supermarket.  Every supermarket I've been in sells King Arthur bread flour for around $3.22-3.99 for 5lbs.  I tend to stick with Gold Medal bread flour because it's around $2.20 for 5 lbs.  But the only place I found Gold Medal bread flour is at Walmart.

I had the hardest time finding rye flour.  The only place I could find it was at a Wegman's (Similar to a Whole Foods).

 

KansasGirlStuckInMaryland's picture
KansasGirlStuck...

I don't know about GM bread flour as I only buy KA bread.  I stock up when it goes on sale.  I do know that I can't find hide nor hare (nor bag) of rye flour.  I have looked at Safeway (2 different ones, both megastores), Superfresh (2 different ones) and Giant (only 1 so far).  I know Safeway used to carry it as I used to see it, but as soon as I decided to give rye bread a shot it seems to have disappeared from the shelves.  Haven't had a chance since someone recommended asking the store to order it since they already carry several other Bob's Red Mill flours.  We have one Wegman's but it 20 miles away and not in an area where I generally go.  There are plans to build one very near my home, but no set date yet.

00Eve00's picture
00Eve00

 

It seems, at least in my area, I hardly see rye breads being sold in a bakery section.  Perhaps people are uninterested in rye in general? I guess people's tastes have changed since I was a child.  

This could just be something limited to my area though.

 

flournwater's picture
flournwater

I bought a truck load (well, not really - but a lot just the same) of Gold Medal on sale at our local Safeway for $1.95 per 5 pound bag today.  After reading about the problems othes appear to be having I figure I visited flour heaven today.

jj1109's picture
jj1109

is very limited, in my experience. I would kill to get my hands on some of the flours available in the US, but the postage to Australia is pretty much more than the product :(

MommaT's picture
MommaT

Hi,

I was planning to post this evening, for quite the opposite reason.

Today, while shopping at my local Stop and Shop, I stumbled across King Arthur Flours - All-Purpose, Bread and Whole Wheat - priced at an unheard of 2 for $5!

I double checked all the expiration dates, just to be sure there wasn't a particular reason they were so cheap....and all was in order.

I'd highly recommend that if you are in the greater Boston area and use KA flour, you make it quickly to your Stop & Shop this week!   My basement is still quite cool, so I stocked up!  (as an aside, they also always have Hodgson Mills Rye Flour, one of the only ryes I can find around here)

Enjoy....

Tania

rts306's picture
rts306

I agree....I live in Fairfax county in VA and I could not find rye flour in any of the supermarkets around here.  Only a few of them carry bread flour of any brand.  I had to go to Wegman for the BF.