How many of you use plain old all purpose flour to cook and bake with?

[jomoncon]

I'm so glad I found this thread. As a relatively new bread maker, I've been using bread flour that I get from Sams in 25 pound bags at a good price. But the AP flour is definitely cheaper. Next time I make a loaf of bread, I'll try the AP flour & see how it comes out.

Even if we don't like it, the chickens will enjoy it. Just like they enjoy all my other bread-making mistakes!

 

[Oregon Blues]

Back when I used wheat flour, I used AP for everything and it came out fine. However, I can taste a lot of difference in the flavor of baked goods with the different flours, so I only used a specific brand of unbleached flour that, to me, had the best flavor. Sadly, it is far from the cheapest. It was one of those national brands types, can't remember which.

I bought a 50 pound bag of commercial bakery flour at Costco because it was so cheap and ended up throwing it all away. Not such a bargain if you end up tossing it out.

I made everything from bread to cakes to pies to noodles with the AP and, let me tell you, I can make a really good baked good. Nobody has ever complained about my baked goods.

To the OP, if your family is happily eating what you bake, you are doing fine. If it bothers you to be criticized, stop telling your buddies what flour you are using.

 

[BettyR]

Thank you all for your support and encouragement....it's nice to know there are other people out there who think the same way I do. I guess it makes me feel a little less like the country bumpkin that doesn't have clue how the “real” world works.

Punk-a-doodle....I can guess I can understand if you don't like the taste of the regular AP flours how it would be worth it to pay more for a name brand that you do like the taste of. Maybe I am fortunate and my normal AP flour is just good stuff or maybe my palate is just not refined enough to tell the difference. But I often taste my flour when I am seasoning it to fry something like onion rings, which is what we had with our hamburgers last night...and I think it tastes fine. Lucky for me I guess since I don't have access to KA flour unless I wanted to order it on the net.

Mike...The AP flour that I use does come from a local mill that's based in Houston. The name on the bag is Pioneer. I'm on the Texas Gulf Coast about two hours North East of Houston. The man that runs our farmers market says this mill supplies many of the larger bakeries and most of the grocery stores in the Houston area and since he buys in bulk for the market he is able to get the flour at wholesale prices or we would be paying quiet a bit more for it.….It never really crossed my mind that I may be getting a high quality flour at wholesale prices. I guess I just assumed that all AP flour was the same.

 

[BettyR]

To the OP, if your family is happily eating what you bake, you are doing fine. If it bothers you to be criticized, stop telling your buddies what flour you are using.

LOL...That's the funny thing, I have never volunteered that information, but when people ask what do you say....non of your business? ...LOL.

I posted the picture of my first Challah, I was really proud of how it turned out and it was beautiful until they found out it was made from inferior flour. Go figure.....

 

[bnjrob]

Looks delicious! I wouldn't worry about those people - they really should be over that high school crap by now.

 

[hispoptart]

Looks delicious! I wouldn't worry about those people - they really should be over that high school crap by now.

X2

 

[BettyR]

Looks delicious! I wouldn't worry about those people - they really should be over that high school crap by now.

X2

Thanks!!!

 

[Baggagolers]

That looks really good! You should be proud of being a country bumpkin!!!!!!!!!! It's real!!!!!!!!

Edit to add this! I wonder if those food snobs are using BACKYARD FRESH HEALTHY EGGS like we do.

 

[newfoundland]

I think what we are talking about here is a level of skill. Here in UK we have basically 2 types of everyday flour. Plain flour and self raising flour. The SR flour has of course a raising agent already incorporated into it and is generally used for cakes. Plain is used for pastry and biscuits etc, where no rise is needed. Those of use, myself included, who buy ready prepared flours, do so because for us they are more reliable. Those who use plain flour for everything, with such good results, add their own raising agents and therefore possess a higher level of skill! Don't feel like a country bumpking BettyR, you are the real deal!!

 

[peeplessinNC]

You just keep on using what you're using 'cause we can see the results here and you know whether or not your family and guests eat it all up! LOL!

BettyR, you turn out some beautiful breads, cakes, etc. and it sounds as if you are a somewhat frugal baker/cook also, which is great! When I started costing out my breads to sell at the local farmers' market, I also checked around for larger quantities of flour. I can get a brand local to my state in 25# bags and I found a source in my county for organic flour (unbl. and whole wheat) in 50# bags for a good price, but unfortunately their hours don't jive with the times I would be able to pick it up. This season I've decided not to sell at the market because it's just too much effort while doing an 8 to 5 full time job.

There are people who just need to make themselves feel superior to others anyway they can, so to them I just say..... "oh, pooh on you!"