January 15, 2022 - 5:30am
Question for Benny/Canuks in general.
Hey, Benny.
I hope you are well. So, this question came up in one of my FB bread clubs. I was wondering if you would mind recommending a couple of readily available flours? Thanks!
Canada question: I bake bread using flour from the grocery store. My bread is ok but I think a better flour would make it amazing. Any suggestions on where to look?
Your friend in bread,
Will Falzon
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at the Wholesale Club. The bag says Strong Bakers Unbleached Flour by Ardent Mills but the store labels it as Keynote unbleached flour.
Before I found this, I used to buy the big bags of Unbleached Rogers flour at Safeway.
I mill the whole grain portion of my recipe.
Hope this helps.
If one isn’t picky about organic vs non-organic flour then I can recommend Robin Hood Best for Bread flour. It is a good strong white flour that does bake good bread.
Another readily available but organic choice that I’ve liked is Anita’s Organic Mill. Their all purpose is more than strong enough for baking bread. They stoneground most if not all of their flours and I quite like their sprouted grain flours as well. I can recommend their spelt as well as their sprouted spelt, their sprouted and non sprouted whole wheat. They have a great whole grain kamut that is the only Kamut that I’ve used. Their type 00 is my new favorite for pizzas.
There is a small mill from Ontario that I really like, their whole wheat and whole red fife are really great. They only stoneground and their flours are all organic yet their prices are really good. Horwick Community Farmers, Joseph Hoover is the name of that mill but it is harder to find this flour. There is a store in Kensington Market that I go to to buy this flour. The only other places in Toronto that I have seen it is at the Healthy Butcher and surprisingly at one of my favourite bakeries Black Bird Bakery. However buying it at Black Bird you pay a premium for this flour for not good reason.
Finally I do buy some flour at Bulk Barn, but mostly it is the Whole Rye I use to feed my starter and bake 100% Whole rye breads. I’ve used their other flours but I’m never sure if they always use the same mills each time and I do like some predictability in my flours. I know that I can do a gluten stress test on the flour that I buy, but I’m a bit lazy to do that every time I buy flour.
Hope that helps.
Benny
Benny, do you add diastatic malt to the Anita's AP organic? If so, do you you it systematically or only on specific contexts? I am considering coming back to this flour as I am running out of my beloved La Milanaise without any hope of finding it in Nova Scotia, but need to find a way to tame or rather understand it...Thanks a lot!
I forgot to add La Milanaise all purpose flour which is an excellent slightly lower protein flour which is my favourite for baguettes. Well priced for organic flour.
To answer your question Gaelle if there is little whole grain in the dough I will generally add diastatic malt. On the other hand, if I do an overnight saltolyse, then no I generally don’t add any diastatic malt. Eventhough the addition of salt will slow the amylase, the long hours the dough is left to hydrate will allow the amylase in the flour to do its job, at least that is what I have found.
Interesting! I will have to experiment by myself, but do you think that 1% of malt would be a good starting point?
Other than for baguettes where the bake time is really quite short so I’ll use 1% diastatic malt, I otherwise only use 0.5% which I think is a good amount to use. Using too much can apparently (I’ve never experienced this) cause gumminess.
I really appreciate you guys! It was so nice of you all to take the time to help a fellow Canadian and bread baking enthusiast! I will pass on the last endorsement of La Milanaise. I am truly lucky to have such generous and accomplished friends here! I am on much needed 9 days (including weekends) break from work. My cell phone is set to do not disturb, and I am going to try and get some bread-making therapy in!
With gratitude,
Will F.
Enjoy your time off Will, we all need to disconnect. I will look forward to your upcoming baking antics!
Benny