Just wasted $80 on fancy bread flour that did nothing special

I bought a 25-pound bag of some high-end artisan bread flour from a local mill in Portland (supposed to have higher protein and better taste) and honestly my sourdough loaves came out exactly the same as when I use the cheap stuff from the grocery store. My crust was even a little paler, go figure. Has anyone else tried paying up for specialty flour and regretted it, or did I just pick a bad brand?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher_wells420d ago

Man, "my crust was even a little paler" hit me right in my baking insecurities. I did the exact same thing last year with some bougie flour my sister-in-law swore by, and my loaves came out looking like they were blushing. I think my sourdough starter was genuinely offended that I spent triple the price for a worse tan. At this point I'm pretty sure my baking skills are the limiting factor, not the protein content.

miles7221d ago

That bit about the crust being paler is interesting. I read somewhere that some fancy flours have less malted barley added, which is what helps with browning. Did you notice any difference in how it felt when kneading or shaping the dough?