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

[Oregon Blues]

[[[.........but when people ask what do you say....non of your business? .....]]]]]

First off, there is absolutely no law that says you must answer every question asked of you. You always have the option of ignoring the questions. Ignoring questions is exceptionally easy on the Internet. Just don't answer.

Or, you can say, I am lucky enough to be able to purchase flour from a local mill, (truth) Then don't answer any more questions about the flour.

I suspect that because your baked goods look so good, they are wanting to know how to get the same results. Then that snob thing kicks in. Basically, it is bullying, although a fairly mild kind of bullying. You really could realize that they are just rude and there is nothing wrong with you. Their bad behavior reflects badly on them, don't make their problem into your problem.

 

[BettyR]

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.

Yeah, I guess I get a bit defensive about being from the country. People have a tendency to think that if you are from the country that you're a little less intelligent than the average person and that is just not true. One of my daughters is in college working on her Masters degree in Psychology and Nutrition. When she graduates she will be working with people with eating disorders. She was in her Nutrition class one day and they were working on a project and the Professor stopped the class to remind them that eggs are not a dairy product.

My daughter said she started to laugh and the Professor wanted to know what was funny. She asked him if he was joking, he said no...why? She said unless someone has invented a new type of cow that laid eggs that she hadn't heard about, how could anyone think that eggs where a dairy product? He asked her if she was raised on a farm....she said yes. He said I thought so...He said that people who live in the city know that eggs come from a farm and they are stored in the dairy case so they must be a dairy product. They don't stop to think about what kind of animal eggs come from so he always has students who will lump eggs in with the dairy products.

Now I ask you....who is the dummy here?

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!!

Thank you....

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!"

I don't know how anyone who works a full time job could ever have time to bake to sell at the market. You would have to be super woman or at least have a lot more energy than I have. And yeah I really shouldn't let those snobs get to me. I guess I was just having a weak moment and decided to have a little "pity party" all for poor little me. But I'm over it now.

 

[BettyR]

[[[.........but when people ask what do you say....non of your business? .....]]]]]

First off, there is absolutely no law that says you must answer every question asked of you. You always have the option of ignoring the questions. Ignoring questions is exceptionally easy on the Internet. Just don't answer.

Or, you can say, I am lucky enough to be able to purchase flour from a local mill, (truth) Then don't answer any more questions about the flour.

I suspect that because your baked goods look so good, they are wanting to know how to get the same results. Then that snob thing kicks in. Basically, it is bullying, although a fairly mild kind of bullying. You really could realize that they are just rude and there is nothing wrong with you. Their bad behavior reflects badly on them, don't make their problem into your problem.

You are very kind.......and you are right. I guess I should just realize I'm letting myself in for a rasher of trouble and just ignore or skate around the question. Only problem is I think I have let the cat out of the bag. But that local mill answer is a good one and I may use that one next time and hope they don't ask anything beyond that.

Thanks....

 

[peeplessinNC]

"People have a tendency to think that if you are from the country that you're a little less intelligent than the average person and that is just not true."

Same way some people think Southerners are less intelligent because some of us t-a-l-k---a---l-i-t-t-l-e---s-l-o-w. That's when I roll my eyes and think "oh, puhleeze."

 

[halo]

AP flour for me, King Arthur Flour. Have a bag in the fridge right now. Also have a bag of whole wheat flour, and rye flour. Thats it. Ive made cakes that called for cake flour with AP flour, and never heard a single complaint. Have never used bread flour to make bread.

That challah loaf is beautiful. What kind of bozo would snub that?

 

[sundance]

I always use AP flour and have for more than 60 years, Just easier for me to mix what ever on my own than trying to use self rising, which doesn't always rise to my expections.

 

[NYRIR]

AP-unbleached King Arthur here. Sometimes some self rising for 2 recipes that call for it, and occasionally wheat flour.
No complaints here....

 

[luvmychicknkids]

I would say I do quite a bit of baking. Cinnamon rolls on Sunday mornings, bread for dinner, the biscuits my husband claims he married me for, the only cakes I usually make are pound cake, angel food, and my hubby's favorite, German Chocolate. I also bread foods for frying, make roux, etc. And all that ever sits in my kitchen is my good old standby, all purpose flour! I have found some cheap brands taste off, however. Now that I live in Texas, I almost always use our favorite grocery, HEB's brand. Some people just need something to make themselves feel superior. If they have to be flour snobs, they must be pretty sad people!

 

[wyoDreamer]

I just read all the posts and I am surprised that no-one mentioned wheat gluten.
I use just plain ole AP flour for just about everything I bake. However, when I make pizza crust or bread, I add a tablespoon or two of wheat gluten to the dough. I get it from the grocery store, in the "specialty" baking area where you would find the organic flours and whole grains. The extra gluten makes the dough stretchier and you can get a nice thin and crispy pizza crust. I make my breads a little heartier, and the wheat gluten helps it rise better. This may make a big difference to my breads because I am high-altitude and stuff rises so much faster so I need the dough to stretch better.

Does anyone else add Wheat Gluten to their bread dough?

I do mill my own wheat for whole wheat bread though - no wheat gluten needed there.

 

[Beekissed]

AP and our own grind of red turkey wheat here. AP has fed millions of people out there and it has never let us down~my mother has fed all her nine kids and many grandkids on it with no complaints. Me too! Fancy flour is just window dressing...bread is bread. I'd put my bread up against anyone's for taste, texture, flavor and appearance~all with AP flour.