The Fresh Loaf

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flour

giyad's picture

Different types of flour (local vs international)

October 17, 2012 - 10:53am -- giyad
Forums: 

Hello,

I live in the US and recently started baking.  I'm trying to bake a traditional sandwhich bread from my home Lebanon.  However, when I went to Lebanon I saw that the flour they use over there is labeled and organized completely differently to the flour in the US.  Over there they have Zero, Platinum, Extra, etc... while here we have Bread flour, cake flour, pastry flour, whole wheat, etc..  I'm not able to find a comparison table, and I'm not able to draw the similarities myself so I was hoping someone could explain or at least point me in the right direction.

Stephanie Brim's picture
Stephanie Brim

This is what I've been doing for the last few days. I thought, since this was an interestinng case, that I should post a few things.

The first time I tried to make a starter I did it in the way I almost always do it: stone ground rye and water. For the first time in my starter-making, I got nothing. A few bubbles, but nothing ever concrete after the first few days. It was my first real failure since using the method mentiond in Sourdough 101. I decided that I should change out one of the variables to see what it was.

I remembered that I had a small bag of graham flour I was going to use to make smores cookies...and then I fell sick and ended up getting my gallbladder evicted. Cue finding it again, and then using it to make the second starter. And...resounding success. It's so much a success, even, that I could use it now. It's only been about five days, though, so I don't really plan to, but you know how you feel when something goes extremely *right* from the get-go.

In the mean time, I should mention that I've started feeding it with King Arthur plain bread flour and it's peaking in 4 hours most of the time, no more than 6.  It's taking basically *all the willpower I have* not to just bake with it right now. It smells sour, and yeasty, but not overly acidic. I just don't want to use it before it's really mature enough.

So...hi? And look forward to pictures from me as I bake. Again. Husband will be so thrilled at having ten different kinds of flour in the house again. :D

Also: I have been a member for four years and a week now. Time *flies*.

sustainthebaker's picture

I need Unique Pastry Ideas

July 17, 2012 - 1:41pm -- sustainthebaker

I am working at a small bakery and we are expanding into wholesale accounts. One that we want in particular keeps asking us for a unique pastry, something customers can only get at this spot. I have a few ideas but was wondering what else is out there.

 

Does anyone have any good ideas for a pastry ideas that are unique? Can be anything from laminated pastries to muffins to yeast-leavened pastries. Use your imagination.

 

Thanks

EricD's picture

Kamut

June 18, 2012 - 8:44am -- EricD
Forums: 

Hi all,

I've been hearing a lot of mixed things about Kamut lately, and I was wondering if anyone can help me with some of the differences between Kamut and grano duro, which I believe we call durum in America?

MNBäcker's picture

Brown rice flour...?

April 19, 2012 - 11:58am -- MNBäcker

Hi again.

So, since it looks like I need some rice flour to rub into and dust over my "couche material", I'm wondering if I can just mill some brown rice I have in the cupboard? Or should I either buy some white rice and mill that, or buy milled rice flour outright? I have a Nutrimill that I'm sure would be up to handling the job.

Thanks in advance,

Stephan

http://www.firebrickbread.com

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