Flour - Go big or go home

[T_Altmayer]

Since we are talking about flour in general, I ordered some 00 flour for the first time and was under the impression that is was super finely ground. I made a dough ball today for pizza, and it actually felt way more course than AP flour. It was almost between cornmeal and flour to me. Is that normal?

No, it should not feel like cornmeal. Perhaps you did not knead it enough? Not sure what else it could be unless its not really 00 flour which seems unlikely.

This is what I bought
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WQ75O2Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and it felt kind of course right out of the bag.

Ok, that makes sense. Caputo makes different types of flour. You bought the semolina flour which can be more coarse and is not 00 flour. I think this is the flour you want (or something similar), makes wonderful pizza dough: https://www.amazon.com/Antimo-Caputo-Chefs-Flour-Pounds/dp/B005HEEFN2/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=00+flour&qid=1588794137&s=grocery&sr=1-2

[Linda_Baehr]

No, it should not feel like cornmeal. Perhaps you did not knead it enough? Not sure what else it could be unless its not really 00 flour which seems unlikely.

This is what I bought
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WQ75O2Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and it felt kind of course right out of the bag.

Ok, that makes sense. Caputo makes different types of flour. You bought the semolina flour which can be more coarse and is not 00 flour. I think this is the flour you want (or something similar), makes wonderful pizza dough: https://www.amazon.com/Antimo-Caputo-Chefs-Flour-Pounds/dp/B005HEEFN2/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=00+flour&qid=1588794137&s=grocery&sr=1-2

Oh crap, I thought it was the 00. Oh well. More flour to buy!

Thanks!

[David_K_o_l_i_n]

Big difference. Semolina is coarsely ground

[Brandon_R]

I know there are bread recipes that call for semolina, but I mostly use it for homemade pasta. You’ll have to crank that up next, Linda!

[CFu]

For those who are interested in staying away from tradition AP or white flour, I would suggest looking for artisan flour millers. We have a great one in Pasadena and the products are exceptional. They do all their own milling onsite. Well worth a visit to their website if you are serious about baking. Gristandtoll.com

thanks for the rec tom. I’ve seen it before but never thought of going!

[Tom_G_l_a_s_g_o_w]

For those who are interested in staying away from tradition AP or white flour, I would suggest looking for artisan flour millers. We have a great one in Pasadena and the products are exceptional. They do all their own milling onsite. Well worth a visit to their website if you are serious about baking. Gristandtoll.com

I use local millers quite a bit, but I’ve found I need to use a scale for measurement rather than volume measurements, since the density of the flour varies quite a bit more than commercial product.

Good call

Bakers should use weight anyway.

[T_Altmayer]

I use local millers quite a bit, but I’ve found I need to use a scale for measurement rather than volume measurements, since the density of the flour varies quite a bit more than commercial product.

Good call

Bakers should use weight anyway.

Very true, but I also sometimes adjust water and flour for dough depending on how it looks and feels. That being said, I almost always use grams as a start.

[T_Altmayer]

For those who are interested in staying away from tradition AP or white flour, I would suggest looking for artisan flour millers. We have a great one in Pasadena and the products are exceptional. They do all their own milling onsite. Well worth a visit to their website if you are serious about baking. Gristandtoll.com

thanks for the rec tom. I’ve seen it before but never thought of going!

The sell very interesting flours, but their cornmeal (I use it for a killer blueberry cake) and their polenta are also good. All of it can be a bit pricey comparatively.

[Christine_Huang]

I would not have mentioned it but this weekend I hosted an oncologist I had never met in person who wanted to listen to my stereo. He had seen photos and posts on an audio board and reached out to me.
He arrived with food and a bottle of wine and before we listened to some vinyl records, we sat in the kitchen and ate, drank, and talked.

I see the social distancing thing is working well.

To respond is to create further thread drift and potentially piss off Christine, who is among the last on this Board I would want to alienate.
So I will simply say it was a concern of mine and I was tempted to ask him to wait a few months but did not.
I have a neighbor who has five young children. He knocked on my door on Sunday asking for help repairing his daughter’s bicycle.
As I worked on it, I had he and three of his kids within two feet of my face watching.
We all have our own risk-aversion levels. I could have said something. I chose not to.

I’m not offended at all. Mitch was very nice about it and informative. It’s not like he posted condescendingly on my thread that I was eating poison and tried to shame me.

I believe in white flour in moderation - somewhat. I specifically bought the King Arthur Flour as I trust their company and that they never bleach their flours. That being said, when I bake bread, I always play with the flours and usually end up with a good portion of whole/ancient grains in the mix. The high-gluten bread flour helps to augment the lack of gluten in the whole grains so that the bread rises better.

I’ve been buying FarmerGroundFlour Rye, Spelt, Farro and Buckwheat here in NY and I ordered 15 lbs each of 3 artisanal whole grain hard winter wheats from Four Star Farms in MA.

The 50 lb bags makes sense for me as I split it with friends and I also give away a lot of my bakes to friends and neighbors. It lets me play with recipes more than I could otherwise.

[TGigante]

For those who are interested in staying away from tradition AP or white flour, I would suggest looking for artisan flour millers. We have a great one in Pasadena and the products are exceptional. They do all their own milling onsite. Well worth a visit to their website if you are serious about baking. Gristandtoll.com

thanks for the rec tom. I’ve seen it before but never thought of going!

I use it for a killer blueberry cake

Caddyshack - Well? We're Waiting

[T_Altmayer]

thanks for the rec tom. I’ve seen it before but never thought of going!

I use it for a killer blueberry cake

Caddyshack - Well? We're Waiting - YouTube

Here you go: Cake of the Day: Huckleberry Cafe’s Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

From the book Huckleberry which I cannot recommend enough. She was the pastry chef at Rustic Canyon and now operates Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica. The book is hilarious and has some of the best baking recipes I’ve made.

[TGigante]

I use it for a killer blueberry cake

Caddyshack - Well? We're Waiting - YouTube

Here you go: Cake of the Day: Huckleberry Cafe’s Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

From the book Huckleberry which I cannot recommend enough. She was the pastry chef at Rustic Canyon and now operates Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica. The book is hilarious and has some of the best baking recipes I’ve made.

thanks Tom
looking forward to the start of blueberry season here in NJ in a few weeks

[alan_weinberg]

I see the social distancing thing is working well.

To respond is to create further thread drift and potentially piss off Christine, who is among the last on this Board I would want to alienate.
So I will simply say it was a concern of mine and I was tempted to ask him to wait a few months but did not.
I have a neighbor who has five young children. He knocked on my door on Sunday asking for help repairing his daughter’s bicycle.
As I worked on it, I had he and three of his kids within two feet of my face watching.
We all have our own risk-aversion levels. I could have said something. I chose not to.

I’m not offended at all. Mitch was very nice about it and informative. It’s not like he posted on my thread that I was eating poison and tried to shame me in a condescending manner.

I believe in white flour in moderation. I specifically bought the King Arthur Flour as I trust their company and that they never bleach their flours. That being said, when I bake bread, I always play with the flours and usually end up with a good portion of whole/ancient grains in the mix. The high-gluten bread flour helps to augment the lack of gluten in the whole grains so that the bread rises better.

I’ve been buying FarmerGroundFlour Rye, Spelt, Farro and Buckwheat here in NY and I ordered 15 lbs each of 3 specialty whole grain hard winter wheats from Four Star Farms in MA.

The 50 lb bags makes sense for me as I split it with friends and I also give away a lot of my bakes to friends and neighbors. It let’s me play with recipes more than I could otherwise.

I’ve seen some of her creations on this site. Unfortunately never tasted any. Whatever she is doing is amazing and ok w me.

[Mike_Cohen]

Ahhh but we should listen to your guidance on the safety of our flour sources. Got it.

^So much this.

Mitch, I really wish you (and all who come into contact with you) nothing but safety and health. But given your statements on your social distancing status, your concern for the long term effects of flour on our collective health is literally absurd.

[Linda_Baehr]

I know there are bread recipes that call for semolina, but I mostly use it for homemade pasta. You’ll have to crank that up next, Linda!

I will!
I used to have a pasta machine but I think I got rid of it when I moved to California.

I’m eating the first of two pizzas I just made with the “wrong” flour. It was so soft I couldn’t really form it well so I just kind of smooshed it out. That being said, it tastes really great. Way different than American flour.

[Milton_Hudson]

I know there are bread recipes that call for semolina, but I mostly use it for homemade pasta. You’ll have to crank that up next, Linda!

I will!
I used to have a pasta machine but I think I got rid of it when I moved to California.

I’m eating the first of two pizzas I just made with the “wrong” flour. It was so soft I couldn’t really form it well so I just kind of smooshed it out. That being said, it tastes really great. Way different than American flour.

First off, you don’t need no stinking pasta machine. You can make really nice fettuccine with a rolling pin and a pizza cutter. Pasta rags are easy too.
As to semolina, there are some really good cocodrille bread recipes that use semolina. The key is to let the dough hydrate properly as it takes time for it to hydrate and relax. If you have a kitchen aid mixer, you basically beat the everloving crap out of it for 15 minutes. If doing by hand, its about 20 minutes of stretching. That’s the way the italian grandmother would do it.

[Josh_Grossman]

How do you buy from Restaurant Depot without a re-seller’s license?

You just need to have a good friend with a re-seller’s license… The one that has alluded me that I want a membership to is True World Foods.

[Linda_Baehr]

I know there are bread recipes that call for semolina, but I mostly use it for homemade pasta. You’ll have to crank that up next, Linda!

I will!
I used to have a pasta machine but I think I got rid of it when I moved to California.

I’m eating the first of two pizzas I just made with the “wrong” flour. It was so soft I couldn’t really form it well so I just kind of smooshed it out. That being said, it tastes really great. Way different than American flour.

First off, you don’t need no stinking pasta machine. You can make really nice fettuccine with a rolling pin and a pizza cutter. Pasta rags are easy too.
As to semolina, there are some really good cocodrille bread recipes that use semolina. The key is to let the dough hydrate properly as it takes time for it to hydrate and relax. If you have a kitchen aid mixer, you basically beat the everloving crap out of it for 15 minutes. If doing by hand, its about 20 minutes of stretching. That’s the way the italian grandmother would do it.

Ooo, can you slap it against the counter? I’ve always wanted to do that slapping technique! It seems like it would be a good stress reliever!

Yes, I am going to make pasta without a machine. My problem is I have VERY limited counter space.

[David_K_o_l_i_n]

How do you buy from Restaurant Depot without a re-seller’s license?

You just need to have a good friend with a re-seller’s license… The one that has alluded me that I want a membership to is True World Foods.

I think RD is open to the general public in the pandemic (the restaurant business isn’t so hot now)

[Betty_C]

Ooo, can you slap it against the counter? I’ve always wanted to do that slapping technique! It seems like it would be a good stress reliever!

Slapping things around, Linda? You’re starting to sound like Peter.