Can't find any bread flour?

[chachp]

 

<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">I thought we had a bread flour thread going but I’ll be damned if I can find it, so I’ll start this one.  As most of you have probably noticed bread flour is next to impossible to be found on store shelves.  At least around here.  We haven’t seen any at Kroger in a month or two.  And forget Amazon.  Close to $20 for a five-pound bag.  Really??</span>

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<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">I started searching online for a formula to make my own with All Purpose Flour and Vital Wheat Gluten.  There are as many formulas as there are posts.  Some are really simple like a cup of this and a teaspoon of that and others are terribly complicated as you have to know the protein content of a bunch of things and I couldn’t really understand it.  I stumbled upon this one and it seems to work for me.  I’ve made about five loaves of bread using this one and I have had perfect results each time.</span>

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<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">To make one cup of my own bread flour I am using 138 gr AP Flour and 5 gr of vital wheat gluten.  Mix this together very well with a whisk.</span>

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<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">I have been using this recipe for a 1.5 lb. loaf at a medium crust setting:</span>

<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;"> </span>

<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">Add the ingredients in this order to your machine unless yours specifies otherwise but they usually put wet at the bottom and separate the salt and yeast:</span>

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<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water</span>

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">1 ½ tablespoons butter at room temperature (recipe calls for unsalted, but I use salted because that’s what I had in the house)</span>

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">1 ½ teaspoons salt</span>

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar</span>

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">Bread flour mix of 414 gr flour mixed well with 15 gr wheat gluten.  If you have bread flour use 426 gr.</span>

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">2 additional teaspoons wheat gluten</span>

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">2 ½ tablespoons milk powder</span>

<!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';">      </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast</span>

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<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter', serif;">This makes wonderful loaf of bread and then there is how good the house smells when its baking.</span>

 

[frigilux]

Ralph- Adding vital wheat gluten is a great way to mimic bread flour, but no one should stop themselves from making bread if you have no wheat gluten and all-purpose flour is all that's available. Most of our moms and grandmothers used all-purpose flour to make their sandwich loaves. The texture isn't quite as sturdy, but it works just fine.

Have never used a bread machine, so don't know if it would be more particular about the type of flour than would kneading by hand, food processor (my go-to), or a standing mixer.

My favorite recipes for cinnamon rolls, soft dinner rolls and pizza dough call for all-purpose flour, as well.

I'm just glad to see so many people baking their own bread!

 

[chachp]

Just another option..

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">I don't know about others but every time I opened a recipe and saw bread flour I passed on to another one.  This makes those recipes an option if there isn't any around.  </span>

 

[petek]

I add about a teaspoon of gluten for each 2 cups of all purpose and don't mix it into the flour.. I just spoon it on top . It's going to get mixed in once the mixer starts. Along with that you can add a bit of lemon juice or white vinegar as a dough enhancer. About a tablespoon for 4 cups of flour. Or you can buy citric acid to do the same thing .

 

[perc-o-prince]

The no-knead Dutch oven bread uses AP flour and is a good loaf (link below)! Luckily our cousin has been quite lucky finding bread flour for me recently, but I use it for bagels, not bread.

Chuck

Easy Crusty French Bread (VIDEO)

A homemade artisan bread recipe for bakery-fresh bread at home! Ready in just a few hours with a crispy, crunchy dutch oven crust. Vegetarian, Vegan.

www.lifeasastrawberry.com

 

[iheartmaytag]

If doing mail order

You might try King Arthur Flour. They are sometimes a bit pricy, but excellent flour.

Flours - Signature Flours - King Arthur Baking Company

shop.kingarthurflour.com

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

It's readily available here at ShopRite.

 

[gyrafoam]

Scarce in SW Virginia as well----

At least, in the chain stores. Hoever, I get a 25# bag at Sam's for about $20.00. Plenty of it. They also have stacks of AP. I find both the BF and AP to be very good quality.

I don't know about Costo since there isn't one in my area.

 

[mattl]

I was buying BF at Sam's for $7.99, $20 wow!  bought 50# at Gordons for $20 a few weeks ago, made some of the best bread I've made.  Claims to be a high gluten Italian style flour what ever that means.