Heartland Mills strong bread flour
I've spent about an hour wandering the cyberhalls of TFL in search of a baker who has used Heartland Mills organic strong bread flour. I've found plenty of accolades about Golden Buffalo, and Susan's (of Wild-Yeast) notes about Heartland Mills organic (malted) AP flour - but nothing definitive about HM's bread flour.
From what I've read on the Heartland Mills website, this is an organic, unenriched, unmalted, 12.5% protein flour milled from hard winter wheat.
I'm going to be purchasing 15 pounds of the Heartland Mills organic all-purpose flour this weekend. The organic food co-op folks have told me they don't stock the bread flour, but can order it. I plan to order some, but am curious whether malt should be added to this bread flour, or if it can be used as is.
If anyone has experience baking with it, sure would love to hear your opinions.
It works great as, well, strong bread flour. I don't remember any problems with the final color of the bread, which is what I notice when I use organic flour.
I highly recommend the Heartland Mills flours. If you like whole grain bread, try the Golden Buffalo. I know a few bakers on this site have said that they have had trouble getting used to it, but I used it for Hamelman's Pointe-a-Calliere Miche, and the bread was fabulous! I have also used it as part of a baguette recipe and in other ways that one might add a little whole wheat.
I wish that I had ordered more of all their flours, since I am now facing another shipping cost...
Patricia
If Golden Buffalo is available at the store where I'm headed tomorrow, I'll probably pick up a small quantity just to try it.
Did you add any malt when you used the strong bread flour?
I didn't have any, and it flew under my radar that the Strong flour didn't have it.
I don't remember missing it, but I could have used it in combination with another. Duh. Sorry I can't be more specific. I hope you'll get back to us with your results!
I am curious as to whether the organic strong bread flour from heartland mills would be as healthy as the KA bread flour (non-organic). Why do they not enrich it? Wouldn't it be devoid of vitamins?
organic = no additives keeps it organic.
As noted above, Heartland Mills strong bread flour is organic, unbleached, unmalted, and unenriched. I believe Bill Wraith used it and noted he found no need to add malt, but I recall he had mixed it with another flour.
I've not baked with an unmalted flour, so it will be interesting to see what difference there is....if one is even that noticeable.