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Noticed a huge difference in my sourdough after switching flour brands | Bakers - Guest Forum

Noticed a huge difference in my sourdough after switching flour brands

I used to always grab the generic store brand bread flour for my starter, thinking flour is flour. About 3 months ago I ran out and picked up a bag of King Arthur instead on a whim. The rise on my loaves went from maybe a 1.5 inch dome to nearly 3 inches. My crumb texture got way more open and airy too, not dense and gummy like before. The protein content difference was only about 1% but man, it made a real impact. Has anyone else seen their bake change just from swapping flours like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

blake4322mo ago

...so my buddy Dave had basically the same thing happen with his pizza dough. He's been making neapolitan style for years and always used this cheap bulk flour from the local restaurant supply. Then his wife accidentally bought some Caputo 00 flour for a pasta project and he decided to just use it up on pizza night. His crust went from okay to like something out of a wood fired oven in Naples. The stretch was so much better he could actually do the toss in the air without it tearing. He was so fired up about it he called me at like 10pm to tell me about it. I've been telling people for a while that flour makes a bigger difference than most folks want to admit.

morganj812mo ago

And the thing is, it's not just about protein content or absorption rates either. I've had people swear their dough was fine with bread flour but then they try a 00 and suddenly they're getting that perfect leopard spotting on the bottom. There's something about the way the finer grind and lower ash content in 00 works with high heat that just changes everything. Plus the gluten development feels different when you're mixing it. It's like comparing a cheap rain jacket to a good one - both keep you dry but one just feels better and lasts longer. Dave calling at 10pm is totally relatable, I've done the same thing when I finally got a proper biga going and it was like night and day compared to my usual same-day dough.