September 14, 2009 - 5:33pm
About the Giusto's Flour
I have seen this flour mentioned A LOT, sorry if this is a dumb question, but - where in the US is it available?
I imagine there are sources to get in the internet, but paying shipment of flour is so expensive! I would like to know where to get it, maybe in one of my next travels I could find myself in the right spot and would get my luggage a bit heavy coming back....
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Hi, Sally.
Giusto's is in South San Francisco. You could throw a baguette from their headquarters and hit the San Francisco Baking Institute ... if you have a good arm.
I buy Giusto's flours in bulk from Whole Foods Market. MC says the WFM house-brand (365) Organic All Purpose Flour is actually Guisto's Baker's Choice, at least in Northern California.
I know that most all of the local bakeries that have any pretensions of baking artisanal breads use their flours.
I don't know if they get to the midwest, but you could call them and ask if they have a MI distributor, then call the distributor to see who retails Giusto's, etc.
Here is a link to Giusto's internet storefront.
David
Well, I caved in....
placed an order for that bread flour, could not resist it. At least I'll get to see what everyone is talking about, right?
I should be in the Bay Area in November, but somehow "could not wait" :-)
I would love to know if these 2 are actually the same - in Florida. I currently have the 365 Organic AP - and have been very curious to try the Guistos, since my favorite all time is the Acme baguettes, which supposedly use Guistos. You have access to both - if you ever have the chance to compare- please post the results. A lot of us do not have access to Guistos, unless we pay exhorbitant shipping.
"exhorbitant shipping"
indeed..... talk about impulse buy, I am already feeling bad (sigh)
act in haste, repent at leisure?
Hi, Aprea.
Generally, neither the manufacturers nor the retail outlets is very open about the source of their house brands, until the relationship is severed. For example, for some period of time, Trader Joe's branded flours were from KAF. This only became public knowledge when KAF made it known they were no longer supplying Trader Joe's.
My only source of info. re. WFM and Giusto's is from MC, who does seem knowledgeable. However, it is my impression that WFM sources locally when possible, so where they get their flour in FL may be different from CA. If you talk to the grocery manager at your local WFM - the person who does the ordering - he/she may know and share the information. It's worth asking.
Also, I'm now confused regarding the relationship between Giusto's and the Central Milling Co. Are they the same products or different?
I have used the 365 Organic AP Flour, but not much for baking bread. It seemed fine.
David
Central Milling's organic bread flour is available at a limited number of Costco stores on the West Coast. The price for two 10# sacks just went down to $11.99.
Giusto's has taken their eye off the ball and it shows.
+Wild-Yeast
Is there any way to determine where else Central Milling distributes their flour? I'm from Wisconsin and am always on the lookout for a higher quality flour available to me without shipping expenses.
What interesting information regarding flour! Our local Costco does not have CM flour (at least not when my hubby looked). I had been buying "Guisto's flour" at my local health food store, Community Market, in bulk. It didn't seem much different from a quality brand UBF purchased in the grocery store. Thanks to you, stevel, I "googled" Full Circle Bakery and found out it's in my general neighborhood, so hopefully I'm on my way! I hope Heather Irwin is correct in her comments on the farmer's market website. If they'll sell to a li'l ol' homebaker, I'll hurry on down! I'll see and report back results. (For locals, here's the farmer's market link: http://santarosafarmersmarket.blogspot.com/2009/03/full-circle-baking-company.html
Joyful
I've tried Giusto's and was indifferent about it. I'd already been using KAF for about a year when I tried Giusto's. Frankly, I didn't see much difference between the two flours in terms of the final product.
In order to get the Giusto's, I did have to call them to get the name of a distributor. Then the distributor told me where I could buy it locally.
I did find it at a local co-op market. I bought just enough to make some baguetttes. I used the hearth-oven technique. And as I said, my final results were no better than what I've had using KAF.
But good luck with it.
I bought some Giusto's Unbleached Artisan Flour fron NY Bakers and am extremely pleased with it. I've baked hundreds of loaves of sourdough bread and these were the best loaves ever. The crust and crumb were perfect!
I'm curious about NY Bakers flours. I know they sell Giusto's artisan flour, but they also sell a "Euro Artisan" blend of their own. Has anyone tried this flour from them. I am considering buying some of that and some of their Type 00 pizza flour. If anyone has any experience with NY Bakers flours, I'd like to hear from you. Thanks.
Also, for artisan breads like baguettes, boules and such, what ash count/protein percentage is best to use? I noticed NY Bakers artisan flours have ash content that runs the full spectrum from .42% to .80% and protein ranging from 10.5 % to 12% And I don't know if higher or lower ash count/protein percent is best.
New Yorkers might like to know that Central Milling white and whole wheat are now carried by some Health Nuts stores. This chain also carries Arrowhead Mills and Bob's flours as well as a good selection of specialty ingredients and add ins, such as dried fruits and seeds.
Awhile ago, Central Milling in Petaluma took on the name of Keith Giusto Baking Supply. So it's all in the same. It's listed in my Sonoma County phone book (last year's book) under Central Milling at 755 Southpoint Blvd., Petaluma, CA 94954, tel. (707) 778-1073. I believe they are still selling some items in 5-lb. bags if you call ahead, but don't quote me.
Just to be clear, Keith Giusto Baking Supply and Giusto.com are not the same. Giusto's is located in South S.F. and KGBS is located in Petaluma, CA. I have called both companies and they did not associate with one another. giustos.com is a wholesaler that distributes to retailers, but they do sell online to anyone. I have purchased the Giusto's Vita Grain Artisan unbleached malted bread flour and yes, the shipping costs are ridiculous, but to me the artisan breads I bake are worth that cost. All the Whole Foods Markets in the bay area and out lying areas have not carried Giusto's flour, so I continue to order it online. Hope that helps.
My recollection is that Keith sold the South San Francisco company to a relative some years ago. Central Milling in Petaluma is his, with the recent name change. FYI, Keith also has a retail bakery, Full Circle Bakery, in Penngrove, CA.
As of a few years ago, the flours sold by Whole Foods under their 365 brand were from Central Milling, at least on the West coast. I was told WFM's AP flour is CM's "Beehive" AP product. I have used it, and it's good stuff.
David