January 29, 2010 - 8:21pm
bleached or unbleached ?
I was given a 25 lb. sack of bleached bread flour. I always bake my bread using unbleached AP or Bread flour. My question, What will the difference in quality be if I use the bleached flour for my bread baking? koka2
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I made bread with bleached flour for years without any complaints from anyone. I started using unbleached, a certain brand, only when I realised it was slightly higher in gluten and affordable.
Ditto.
Read the label and find the bleaching agent, research the bleaching agent and find our if it is safe or not. With the knowledge the call is yours, just educate yourself 1st.
According to Peter Reinhart in BBA, he says that the difference is the beta carotene content of unbleached flour which gives the bread a certain yellowish tint and more flavor. But he says to go on ahead and use bleached flour if that's all you have available.
You had better believe I'd use it if someone gave it me!!!!! I make all the bread we eat and getting flour at a good price is not always easy.
bleaching also weakens the protein a bit, creating a softer, more open crumb, but not to a meaningful degree.
Stan Ginsberg
www.nybakers.com
Also the BBA mentions that any of the nutrients in unbleached flour are lost in the baking process anyways -- so it's just as healthy to use bleached as unbleached.