KA versus Big Box Store flour
This week-end, I did a test baking two breads with a sourdough starter.
Bread 1 used KA unbleached white bread flour and bread 2 used Sams Club Conagra bleached white bread flour.
Made two barms Friday evening and Saturday added the dough, one rise, re-fold, proof and into the oven.
Only used the starter, flour, water and salt, each loaf exactly the same ingredient weights and process.
The KA had a nicer cream color, but both rises were the same, oven spring was the same, crust and crumb was the same and we could not taste any difference. Both did not have much taste, but the objective was a test, not a tasty white bread. No tint of sour.
At the KA being almost 3 times the price, I was a bit surprised?
Found a mill about 1 hour away, custom order, good prices, so I will steer away from the bleached flour, but really I don't think there was any difference between the two tested as far as performance and taste.
I wouldn't go near bleached flour.
After trying several, I have settled on Trader Joe's house brand called Baker Josef's. I use the unbleached all-purpose.
Many people who avoided bleached flour did so not so much because it was bleached, but because "bleached" has always also meant "bromated". That no longer seems to be the case, and it is not that uncommon to see a flour that's only bleached. But putting bleached/unbleached issue aside, I believe there's only one KA flour worh buying - their bread flour, which is the strongest available in retail packaging, although the strongest does not always also means the best. Their all-purpose flour is comparable in quality and performance, if not in price, to other bread flours, and as far as their whole wheat flours go , I think they should be avoided altogether.
Is very nice flour.
I hesitated on buying the Sam's Club flour in the past because that is a lot of flour to use up if it doesn't work for bread. Good to know it works well.
I've used Ceresota, Dakota Maid, Pillsbury,Gold Medal-all either unbleached AP or bread flour- and I never had a problem making a good bread with any of these. The only problem flour I ever encountered was Roundy's brand (a store brand) of unbleached AP flour. It behaved poorly- almost like a very soft flour. As far as bleached flour, I had some bleached Pillsbury AP flour that almost felt granular and didn't seem to like to absorb water easily. I don't know if it was a fluke as I gave it away and never bought it again.
There are only two of us and we go through a 25lb bag in about 6 weeks. Enjoy baking for fun though and always asked to bake bread for social events with friends etc.
The Conagra has worked well for me with white yeast breads, whole wheat and rye sour dough breads. I have also done a white yeast bread with some natural enhancers in the dough which is a killer, soft and long shelf life.
At $8.18 for 25lbs it goes a long way.
I found Lindley mills not to far away though and will go buy directly from the mill, a bit more expensive, but unbleached, more protein choices and will be a good experiment.
Personally I do not have an issue with bleached, after all we have free halogens in our tap water which serves a good purpose. With good sourdough there is always rye, whole wheat or something else added which adds nutrients.
As I understand it, the protein content in the ConAgra flour you buy can vary from state to state. The company is happy to let you know this information if you call their support number and tell them which Sam's club you bought it from. I am not sure if the bread flour protein varies as much, but I know the AP flour definitely does (especially if you live in the south).