Yes, as stated below, GM Harvest King flour is marketed to professionals, institutions, bakeries, etc. GM Better for Bread flour is identical(literally) to Harvest King. It is a retail product and is available virtually anywhere. Well, at least most larger stores, nationwide.
Ironically, the closest large store to me does not carry any bread flour, so I have to travel a few extra miles to get it, but it is practically the only bread flour I use. Fortunately, it is very inexpensive where I get it.
If I remember correctly, Harvest King is an older name for Gold Medal's Better for Bread flour. Better for Bread is available in many grocery stores and at WalMart. A stronger flour than Better for Bread would be King Arthur's High-Gluten flour. Better for Bread is a wonderful flour, very extensible. However, in order to support all that butter, sugar and cocoa butter, a pandoro really could use even more protein. KAF high-gluten has about 14%. If that isn't available, you could also try KAF Bread Flour.
That said, it is not as strong a flour as KA Bread flour, and if you go with the advice of, "as strong as possible", KABF is the strongest flour many are likely to find at the retail level.
I'm gearing up to make a batch and looking at Carol Field's pandoro recipe, which calls for half AP flour and half pastry flour. So a lowish protein content, presumably imitating a weak Italian flour.
That differs from the advice up top of this thread for strong flour. Any advice?
As strong as possible, low ash (tipo '00')
Thank you for the information. I suppose it is why my dough was more like batter than bread dough.
Janet
What recipe are you following? I'm UK based and can suggest brands available here if you are also located here.
I am using the recipe in Susan Tenney's blog:
http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2009/12/15/pandoro/
I live in the US. Am currently swapping emails with a sales rep at General Mills, trying to find a retail source in New Jersey for Harvest King flour.
Yes, as stated below, GM Harvest King flour is marketed to professionals, institutions, bakeries, etc. GM Better for Bread flour is identical(literally) to Harvest King. It is a retail product and is available virtually anywhere. Well, at least most larger stores, nationwide.
Ironically, the closest large store to me does not carry any bread flour, so I have to travel a few extra miles to get it, but it is practically the only bread flour I use. Fortunately, it is very inexpensive where I get it.
If I remember correctly, Harvest King is an older name for Gold Medal's Better for Bread flour. Better for Bread is available in many grocery stores and at WalMart. A stronger flour than Better for Bread would be King Arthur's High-Gluten flour. Better for Bread is a wonderful flour, very extensible. However, in order to support all that butter, sugar and cocoa butter, a pandoro really could use even more protein. KAF high-gluten has about 14%. If that isn't available, you could also try KAF Bread Flour.
Some people say that the two flours are the same, but LindyD was told by GM that they are different. cf this thread from 2008: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/7555/gold-medal-bread-flour
I haven't found either line so far, but there are a few more supermarkets to check out.
Janet
All due respect, they are identical.
That said, it is not as strong a flour as KA Bread flour, and if you go with the advice of, "as strong as possible", KABF is the strongest flour many are likely to find at the retail level.
Better for Bread is more similar to KAAP.
I'm gearing up to make a batch and looking at Carol Field's pandoro recipe, which calls for half AP flour and half pastry flour. So a lowish protein content, presumably imitating a weak Italian flour.
That differs from the advice up top of this thread for strong flour. Any advice?