July 22, 2010 - 4:58pm
Found some bread flour at Sam's today!!!!
I know you probably think I'm off my rocker to get so excited about bread flour but living in a small farming and ranching community we can't get fancy flour here. All I usually can get is AP flour and I'm anxious to try it out. It's a long drive into the city (75miles) so I don't get in often and usually just to go to Sam's...so I bought 2-25 pound bags. I sure hope I like it. :)
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I'm glad you were able to find some bread flour. I live in Seattle and am able to find whatever I need, but have wondered what it would be like to not have the convience here. I know you can order flour mail order (King Arthur Flour and Wheat Montana both come to mind), if needs be. Let us know your results... I just pulled two batches of scone from the oven about an hour ago. It is summer vacation and I won't have THAT luxury once the new school year starts!
Scones sounds wonderful. Do you make the English scones or the American?
I plan to try my new flour out today. I know I could order flour online but it's just way too expensive. I normally pay $6.00 for a 25 pound bag of AP flour at the local farmers market. This bread flour from Sam's was $6.74 for a 25 pound bag so it's not out of the normal range of what I pay for flour. Some of the flour I've seen online is almost $6.00 for a 5 pound bag and I go through 50 pounds of flour in a month.
Yeah, school is right around the corner. I have a friend who lives in the city that drives a school bus. Her daughter just had their frist grand baby last month and she is thinking about not going back. She's thinking about staying home and becoming a full time grandma. She loves her job but she says the politics are getting to her.
It develops gluten well. The price is excellent compared with grocery store prices for five pounds. I repackage mine in gallon zip lock bags because we do have a problem with moths. I can reuse the gallon zip locks four or five times before flour clogs the closing mechanism.
I also use Sam's APF but many times it's only available in 50 lb sacks.
Someday I'll do some comparative tastings of Sam's more frugal flours versus the name flours, but it's hard to argue price points. (I also buy Sam's yeast in the two packs of one pound each and usually give one away - I know a few folks who cook.)
I re-bag my AP flour in the gallon zip-locks, and then put them in the freezer. I have two freezers...a chest type for meat in the garage and an upright in the house for everything else. I live on the Texas Gulf Coast and it's really hot and humid here. We have a big problem with bugs, it seems that the freezer is the only place that is 100% effective at keeping them out.
I also get my yeast at Sam's...that stays in the freezer as well.
What is the brand name of the flour you bought? At my local Sam's Club, one can only find "bleached flour" and certainly not bread flour. At the local Wal-Mart, it is even worse.
"Morrison's Super Bakers Hard Wheat Bread Flour" and it is bleached.
Thank you Betty. I went online to check Sam's Club and found that they sell Dakota Maid flour, but our local Sam's Club does not sell that. And they were out of stock to order online. I had forgotten that one could order a product and then have it shipped to the store for pick up.
Has anyone used the brand Dakota Maid? When I went to the Dakota Maid web site, they say that their flour is unbleached and unbromated. Good price for a 20 lb bag at their web site, but do not know about the shipping cost though.
Dewey
If it's the same as Walmart then the shipping will be free if it's shipped to the store. We have a Super Walmart in the next town over from us but it still doesn't carry a lot of things that we want. But we can order and have it shipped to the store for free.
WalMart sells both KAF bread flour and General Mills Better for Bread flour. In 5# bags, not larger.
If your local store doesn't have either for some reason, check to see if you can order online and have it delivered for pickup at your local store.
KAF and GM are unbleached and unbromated, of course.
I'm very lucky that my Sam's Club carries high gluten flour. If you ever get the chance try it out, it makes the fluffiest, softest bread ever.