April 22, 2009 - 1:49pm
Trader Joe's White Whole Wheat Flour
Since Trader Joe's stopped carrying King Arthur Flour, and I rarely shop elsewhere, I have started my first bag of their store label flour. I haven't tasted the final product yet and it is only a fraction of the flour used, so I wondered if anyone else has an opinion about this flour.
What I have noticed is that it is much grainier than the KAF. It seems almost gritty, where the KAF is silky. I don't know how it will effect the texture of the bread. One set rising now is sourdough and the other are 8 grain pan loaves (Thanks Sylvia!).
I really liked the KAF white WW, I'll have to see about this.
Marni
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Please let us know, Marni, how TJ's brand stacks up to KA's.
--Pamela
It could be that KA's is sifted to remove some of the bran. We sell a certified organic white wheat flour either stone ground or finer ground. We grind it to order to ensure freshness.
www.organicwheatproducts.com
In my experience Trader Joe's has been less than straightforward in answering questions about the products they sell. Roundabout answers that kind of answer the question but not really...anyway it makes me suspicious of just about everything they sell with regard to quality, origin, and organic/conventional standing.
Jeff
Hi Marni, Sounds like your going to get some fiber in your baking today. I could always buy my KA bread and all purpose at TJ at the best price compared to my other local markets prices...Albertson's has the best price now. I've decided to buy only organic white wheat or organic whole wheat flour/organic whole grains now because using the whole grain and/or parts of the kernel is going to be exposed to pesticides..I don't see how they can avoid being exposed to pesticides when sprayed in the fields. I read a comment JaneDo once made about this and it really got me to thinking. Now every time I pick up a bag of whole wheat...I think about it...I had to send off to KA for the organic white wheat...buying organic whole wheat locally is not a problem.
I will be very interested like Pamela to hear what you think of their new flour...replacement to the KA brand.
Thanks, Marni
Sylvia
I buy so many organic foods, I guess availability and cost have held me back from buying only organic flour. (Though I do pay $3.25 or more for each 1/2 gal. of milk!!) Sylvia, your point about the whole grain makes sense, I may start making an extra shopping trip!
My sourdoughs were a flop shape-wise. I have no idea what happened - well maybe a little - too much water perhaps. But given that, the taste was fine and the texture was good.
I used the batard (which was too flat) as the base, cut through vertically, for open- faced sandwiches with feta, grilled peppers and zucchini. The grown-ups liked it, the kids turned up their noses.
The loaves from your Zo recipe, Sylvia, look lovely and smell great. I also played around with the recipe. We haven't tasted them yet.
As I mentioned, the Trader Joe's flour is just a small part of these. I still have most of a bag to use up.
Marni
Organic can get expensive but I would rather have it and give up something bad for me. The price of organic milk has dropped all of a sudden..that's good!
Glad to hear your mixed grain bread recipe is looking good!
Sylvia
I didn't want to hijack your thread so I posted my review of some freshly ground WW I got from flourgirl51 and her farm milling operation. I too am ready to drop buying the mass merchandise food supplies. When I look at the health issues in our own family, it makes me nervous to not take a stand and change my buying habits.
Sylvia, the flour I got from flourgirl51 was only $3.00 for 5# plus shipping. That is way cheaper than the shelf price at TJ plus I don't have to drive 80 miles round trip to get it. I'm happy now:>) The Organic milk in our local store is all Ultra Pasteurized. I try to stay away from that if I can.
Eric
I too have found TJs to be evasive about their products until I went to the new TJs in my neighborhood. I asked about their flour and was told that It was KA flour packaged for them. Then I got suspicious. They never tell-why are they telling now? I have noticed through the years of shopping at TJs and Costco that when they stop carrying a product that they have had for years it is always replaced with a product that has their name on it But is inferior to the original. That original company may supply or package for them but it is to the specifications that the store and supplier have worked out together for the best deal for each. Some of the the products have be discontinued entirely because the manufacturer could not supply the product cheap enough.
I am not surprised the flour is grainer. I would not be suprised if it were not KA flour at all. Notice the similar packaging? The flour does have 4 grms of protien per 1/4 cup.
Mariah
which tells of the fact that TJs does not carry KA anymore. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2009/03/02/say-it-aint-so-joes/
Hi and good morning... as I read this, I remembered that we had a serious thread going on about this on the King Arthur's website. No, not only it is not the same, but... if you read the bag there are additives that KAF does not have. Please read the side and share with us, as I would not buy TJ's flour - the packaging is similiar, btw....
I have been very happy with KAF for more years than I care to admit to.... and I do buy it at BJ's... $6.49 for a 10lb bag of AP. Unfortunately, they do not carry the organic flours, so I buy those wherever I find them.
Peace,
ivy
Ivy, I don't have a strong opinion of the TJ's flour yet, but the label says it it 100% white whole wheat and it claims to have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
Mary, I have to say also that my local TJ's was quite open about the fact that this new flour is not made by King Arthur.
I haven't tried their all purpose yet and wonder if the protein content will be high enough for bread baking, as KAF is.
Marni
I don't know about the white whole wheat, but I bough their AP yesterday, and It has 13.3% protein! that means it's enough to pass for a bread flour!
I've never worked with white whole wheat, so I don't know what it's like, but my standing theory is that any AP/Bread flour will taste great because of the higher amount of gluten, which is essentially sugar. (I think I heard reinhart say it as well in a video on TED).
Still haven't made anything with the AP, but I don't think it will be grainy.
but I did notice that it does have more additives then other flours (especially KA).
Wow, that's pretty high for AP. Are you sure?
--Pamela
I'm pretty sure. serving size is 30g, proteins is 4g.
the additives were all of those funny-named chemicals.
I'll check out the stats on the WW and AP and let everyone know.
--Pamela
Pamela, I posted info a few days ago about Tjs flour copied from the bag. I sure as heck don't know how to find it.
Mariah
It's here in this thread a few post down. The AP flour seems normal to me, ingredient-wise. The usual stuff and my cookies and quick breads are coming out fine.
Marni
I can't find the post but maybe it is too early in CA. --Pamela
From the bag Protein 4G. Ingredient's :unbleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid. No artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives.
I think this is the quote that mredwood was referring to. Right now it is the last post in this thread.
Marni
I guess I'm destined not to know.
--Pamela
I don't know what happened here! I just tried to cut and paste the ingredients mredwood posted below and everything went haywire! Can you see the ingredient list? That was all.
Did you get to TJ'S yet?
Marni
Nada on both counts, but maybe I'll get to TJs today. --Pamela
yeah, the additives don't seem suspicious or anything, there's just more of it. I tried it, and I'm thinking I like it more then the regular white flour I usually get (called gold medal or something). I never noticed a big difference using bread and AP flours, so I guess this AP can be used as bread flour easily, as it has the same protein precentage.
I haven't checked the AP, what additives are in there? The ingredient label on the white whole wheat claims to be just that.
I guess I don't have that discerning a palate, because, I haven't noticed a great difference in my breads. My other baked goods have been tougher though, so maybe the TJ's AP does have a higher gluten content.
Marni
is protein, not sugar.
I've used both separately in making my 100% whole wheat sandwich breads. Comparable quality. Couldn't tell the difference between the two.
Yippee
Interesting I have only one experience with KA white whole wheat. I love it. So soft and silky. I did buy TJs AP and have not used it yet. It is soft and silky. From the bag Protein 4G. Ingredient's :unbleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid. No artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives. I was surprised when I looked at the label. Could be a bread flour. I remember reading about the designation of the gram of protein. Don't remember exactly details. If it's between ? & ? they can call it a particular #. I remember reading and thinking the range is wide. So you can have a barely 4 G or an almost 5. It could be like a nice 3. A real AP. Why on earth would they sell a bread flour for the price of an AP flour? It is $2.99 a 5lb bag. That's 60 cents a lb. Remember TJs doesn't have sales.
I just bought a 50 lb. bag of Pendleton Mills Big Spring 14½%. I hope it's ok. We shall soon see. I have used their Power that is 13½. Not bad.
Mariah