# Need to switch flour due to cost



## passioncook (Apr 9, 2008)

Well, flour is ridiculous these days as most of us know.  I always buy KA flour (both bread and AP) and today at the store it was $5.50 a bag.  Sheesh!  I do a lot of baking and go through a lot of flour and this just isn't feasible.  

Are any of the other brands decent - like Gold Medal, Pillsbury, etc.?  I was going to buy it direct from KA but that doesn't end up being any cheaper, in fact its a bit more expensive by the time you add in shipping.


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## suziquzie (Apr 9, 2008)

They are all just fine and all cost just the same. I paid 5.50 for Pillsbury today. Thats just the way it's gonna be.


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## merstar (Apr 9, 2008)

I'm a prolific baker and have used Gold Medal unbleached all purpose flour for many years - it's excellent.


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## Dave Hutchins (Apr 10, 2008)

I like Gold Medal Bread flour for all of my bread formulas


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## AMSeccia (Apr 10, 2008)

We really do prefer King Arthur, and have tried a couple other like Hodgson's and Bob's (not sure if I got those names right, but they seem familiar), as well as Pillsbury and Gold Medal.  Since we're just baking for family consumption, I'm in a place where I have to buy what's affordable, even if that means the store brand.  I do notice a bit of difference on some things, but it's still good home cooking and all you can do is all you can do!  I'm running out of things to cut back on ...


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## LadyCook61 (Apr 10, 2008)

AMSeccia said:


> We really do prefer King Arthur, and have tried a couple other like Hodgson's and Bob's (not sure if I got those names right, but they seem familiar), as well as Pillsbury and Gold Medal. Since we're just baking for family consumption, I'm in a place where I have to buy what's affordable, even if that means the store brand. I do notice a bit of difference on some things, but it's still good home cooking and all you can do is all you can do! I'm running out of things to cut back on ...


I've been doing test baking with store brand Shoprite unbleached AP , it really isn't bad, good enough for the artisan and no-knead baking I do.  I do have more expensive flour too and probably will not buy more of those.  The breads and cakes are good enough for hubby and me.


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## pacanis (Apr 10, 2008)

I bought some KA bread flour last week at Wally World and it was $3.89/5 lbs.
I haven't boughten bread in so long, is that going up, too?


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## whole milk (Apr 10, 2008)

Count your blessings.  Where I am (Japan) 2.5kg (5lb) bag of flour is 10USD.  Butter is 7USD for four sticks and milk, eggs, meat -- everything -- is continuing to rise.  

But I feel your pain -- but it's going to get worse before it gets better.


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## bethzaring (Apr 10, 2008)

I can get King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat flour for $3.18 a 5 pound bag at Wal-mart.  I will pay what ever it takes to buy King Arthur ww flour.  Bread is a significant part of our diet, we will sacrifice to eat nutritious bread.  I do not compromise when it comes to bread ingredients.


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## JoeV (Apr 10, 2008)

Here in NE Ohio we have a chain store called Marcs (discount grocery store), and I just bought two 5# bags of Bob's Red Mill unbleached bread flour for $2.58 per 5# bag. Guess I'll have to go stock up and get 8-10 bags if the price is going that high. Just ran some numbers the other day and figured that with premium ingredients my bread costs right around $1 per loaf. Compared to the store prices of $2.38 +++ per loaf, I'm still ahead of the game. I didn't realize flour prices were that volatile. I think someone along the way is cheating the public, especially if I can get Bob's Red Mill shipped from Oregon to Cleveland, Ohio and buy it for $2.58 a bag, and I have to presume the grocer is making SOMETHING on the sale. Something is fishy here, and I'm not sure this is all market driven. Call me cynical, but I'd say there's more opportunistic greed at work here than just changing market conditions (international situations excluded).

Joe


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## mcnerd (Apr 10, 2008)

pacanis said:


> I bought some KA bread flour last week at Wally World and it was $3.89/5 lbs.
> I haven't boughten bread in so long, is that going up, too?



You are lucky to get it at under $4/bag, but there are spot places where you can still get such low prices and people should be taken advantage of while you can.  It will not last long.


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## Katie H (Apr 10, 2008)

Currently KA flour is $3.19/5-pound bag at our area Wal-Mart stores.  Last week a local  market had Gold Medal on Saturday Special for $.99/5-pound bag.    I bought 2 bags because I was nearly out of bench flour.  Normally I use Aldi's house flour for bench flour, but their flour is now up to $1.69/5-pound bag.  I use bench flour for breading, etc. so I don't have to "sacrifice" my prized KA flour for those tasks.

As an experiment, I purchased a 25-pound bag of Sam's bread flour a few weeks ago.  It was less than $11.  I'm going to do a side-by-side comparison with bread made with KA flour and the same bread made with Sam's flour.  We'll see.

My current plan is to buy extra flour when it goes on sale and vacuum seal it and store it in a cooler/darker area of the house.  No room in the freezer or I'd store it there.

In the end, we all do what we have to do when things get tight.  One thing I know Buck and I won't do and that's give up our homemade bread.  Actually, we couldn't afford commercially-produced bread.  That's gone way off the scale price-wise.


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## jennyema (Apr 10, 2008)

KA bread flour was $3.29 for a 5 pound bag last weekend at my reg supermarket.

My father and grandfather worked for General Mills and we were forbidden to use anything but Gold Medal flour and GM products.

But now that I'm a grown up, I won't use anything but King Arthur.


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## AMSeccia (Apr 10, 2008)

OMG, I was in Sam's the other night and their bread flour was $26 ... you better get back there Katie, before it doubles again.  I didn't get the AP flour there because it was bleached, and I prefer the unbleached.  I can't remember the exact price, but it was a bit less than the bread flour.


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## Katie H (Apr 10, 2008)

AMSeccia said:


> OMG, I was in Sam's the other night and their bread flour was $26 ... you better get back there Katie, before it doubles again.  I didn't get the AP flour there because it was bleached, and I prefer the unbleached.  I can't remember the exact price, but it was a bit less than the bread flour.



Thanks for the "heads up," Andrea.  I'm doing my side-by-side experiment this weekend and will be back at Sam's next Wednesday.  My test will determine if I buy any more of the flour at Sam's.


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## Wart (Apr 10, 2008)

Another NE Ohio price report ...

Paid $5.12/10lb at one Super Wally World last week, $4.94/10lb at another Super Wally two nights ago.

Real tempting to buy whatever they have left. The small sacks are still in the $2 and $3 dollar range.

How long will flour keep both at room temp and frozen? Freezing would be done in air evacuated poly bags.


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## Chef Mark (Apr 10, 2008)

suggestion Katie...go to your favorite bakery-request owner to order you a case...maybe because I live in small community this is possible...if not a corp or chain...rest owners will do it too...King Arthur-maybe because I am a Medieval fanit is going to go up - so - get ready...we'll be paying Japan's prices before long-hope I'm wrong-don't think so


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## JoeV (Apr 10, 2008)

Let's see... Chicken Little just told Goosey Lucy that the sky is falling... No, no, no, it's the _Flour is Rising_...Whatever!!! I'm headed to the store and getting several of those $2.58 bags of Bob's Red Mill unbleached this afternoon (just in case). While I'm there I think I'll buy a couple of chickens to see about bringing down my egg prices. $2.29/dz for large at the discount grocer.

Off to the store....


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## Fiona (Apr 10, 2008)

I'm shocked. Here in Paris I pay about Euro1 per kilo!!


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## JoeV (Apr 10, 2008)

Fiona said:


> I'm shocked. Here in Paris I pay about Euro1 per kilo!!



That's probably because France is not taking all their food crops and trying to  turn them into some weird fuel (that actually gets worse mileage) to appease a few splinter groups of people who still dress like Hippies. We tend to do things somewhat knee-jerk on our side of the pond, often without a great deal of thought going into it for the long range outcome. We have found the enemy, and...

I digress before I get banned before I reach 20 posts. (My halo is tilted)

Joe


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## Katie H (Apr 10, 2008)

Chef Mark said:


> suggestion Katie...go to your favorite bakery-request owner to order you a case.



I used to do that, Mark.  Unfortunately the bakery won't do it any longer.


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## Wart (Apr 10, 2008)

JoeV said:


> We tend to do things somewhat knee-jerk on our side of the pond, ...




That includes belief and opinion.


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## LadyCook61 (Apr 10, 2008)

Katie E said:


> Currently KA flour is $3.19/5-pound bag at our area Wal-Mart stores. Last week a local market had Gold Medal on Saturday Special for $.99/5-pound bag. I bought 2 bags because I was nearly out of bench flour. Normally I use Aldi's house flour for bench flour, but their flour is now up to $1.69/5-pound bag. I use bench flour for breading, etc. so I don't have to "sacrifice" my prized KA flour for those tasks.
> 
> As an experiment, I purchased a 25-pound bag of Sam's bread flour a few weeks ago. It was less than $11. I'm going to do a side-by-side comparison with bread made with KA flour and the same bread made with Sam's flour. We'll see.
> 
> ...


 
I like Sam's bread flour, we get the big bag.


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## AllenOK (Apr 11, 2008)

Well, I don't bake much, so I don't really worry about flour quality vs. price/lb.  However, the statistical geek in me was piqued by the 1 Euro / Kilo of flour price quoted by the person in France.  I converted currencies, then weights, and that comes out to $3.60US / 5 lb bag of flour, before sales tax (assuming where you live charges sales tax on food, OK does).


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## mcnerd (Apr 11, 2008)

JoeV said:


> We tend to do things somewhat knee-jerk on our side of the pond, often without a great deal of thought going into it for the long range outcome.


In a better reality perhaps.....

It has been reported that wheat prices are being affected by two dynamics: a shortage on the supply side and an increase on the demand side. Supplies have been hurt by droughts in Ukraine, Europe, Canada and Australia, which are four of the world's leading wheat producing. The U.S. is the world's #1 exporter, and U.S. farmers are churning away, exporting about 16.5m tons of wheat this year, almost double the amount they sold in the same period last year. 

However, a severe drought cut Australia's wheat crop last year to just 10 million tons, less than half the year before. Meanwhile, Ukraine, the world's eighth-biggest wheat exporter, is already cutting exports after drought cut its grain harvest to 30 million tons, its smallest since 2003. The country will ship 58 percent less grain this year, according to its Agricultural Ministry.

While sellers have less wheat to sell, buyers keep coming in with more orders. That's especially true in traditional emerging economies such as Brazil and India, but demand is coming from some surprising places, like South Korea, and Egypt. Egypt bought 10 times more wheat last month than it did a year earlier, in anticipation of higher prices, according to the country's General Authority for Supply Commodities.

 There is a third factor affecting the global wheat market, and that is Russia, the world's fourth largest exporter of grain. Russia has created a "working group'' to consider measures that may include export restrictions, duties and quotas. Kazakhstan also said it plans to introduce licenses for grain exports....and on it goes.


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## AMSeccia (Apr 12, 2008)

Well, the cost of flour goes well beyond just the cost of flour, so even those who don't bake are going to feel it.  Think about quick (pancake, etc.) mixes, cereals, breads, buns, pasta ... all of those processed convenience things many people take for granted.  I am big on food drives, and many of the affordable staples people fall back on are going to be just a bit harder to reach.  I think it's scary times, personally.

Good info mcnerd, thanks for sharing that.


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## Wart (Apr 12, 2008)

AMSeccia said:


> Good info mcnerd, thanks for sharing that.




Same here. But isn't it considered good form to include a link to the pasted source? Or at least a mention of the original citation?


The Grain Drain: 3 Reasons For The Current Wheat Shortage

As you walk by supermarket shelves stocked with loaves of bread and pasta, it seems hard to believe, but the world is currently experiencing a major wheat shortage. ...


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## expatgirl (Apr 12, 2008)

What is the deal?  Is flour really that expensive now??????  YOu can make decent bread flour recipes by add some prebought gluten--I found mine in the local grocery----1 Tbsp. or less is all that you need........here, and I know none of you want to hear it, flour is still very cheap and they have  4 grades......maybe I'll stock my suitcases when I leave in May for Texas.....I'd heard that pizza prices were out of sight now......I guess this is why


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## pacanis (Apr 12, 2008)

Well if anyone is interested in stocking up, KA is having free shipping on any purchase over $75 right now.


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## JoeV (Apr 12, 2008)

AMSeccia said:


> I think it's scary times, personally.



When have times NOT been scary? They are just _different_ scary today than they were yesterday. I don't even let it bother me any more. Que sera, sera.

Joe


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## expatgirl (Apr 12, 2008)

I remember 1990 when we closed on our house.......savings and loans had been closing left and right and I had to bring an ATM receipt showing what we had in the bank because they were not taking our word for the salary that my husband was bringing....we had no debt, a flawless credit rating and plenty in the bank but I had to still bring in an ATM receipt of our savings right before the closing....ridiculous and insulting.........


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## Andy M. (Apr 12, 2008)

At the market today:

KA AP = $3.99/5 Lb

KA Bread = $4.29/5 Lb


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## Fiona (Apr 16, 2008)

AllenOK said:


> Well, I don't bake much, so I don't really worry about flour quality vs. price/lb. However, the statistical geek in me was piqued by the 1 Euro / Kilo of flour price quoted by the person in France. I converted currencies, then weights, and that comes out to $3.60US / 5 lb bag of flour, before sales tax (assuming where you live charges sales tax on food, OK does).


 

No sales or any other tax...in France its all included, including prices in restaurants...no extra service charges or tipping unless you really want to!


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## Adillo303 (Apr 16, 2008)

To anyone in Metro NYC area, northern NJ. I just got an e-mail form KA flour. Free shipping on any order over $75.00. Maybe make a large order and distribute.

Hope this type of post is not frowned upon on this site.


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## Fisher's Mom (Apr 16, 2008)

Fiona said:


> No sales or any other tax...in France its all included, including prices in restaurants...no extra service charges or tipping unless you really want to!


Is there still a VAT tax in restaurants? I remember I loved the "no tipping" custom beyond leaving the coins in your change.


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## subfuscpersona (Apr 20, 2008)

*King Arthur Bread flour*

Bread flour is distinguished from all-purpose flour primarily by it's slightly higher protein content (which is a result of the choice of wheats used to mill that flour). In general, the higher the protein %, the better the flour for developing gluten. However, higher values for protein don't automatically translate to better bread.

As a rule of thumb, for most bread, around 12% protein is what you want to aim for. Protein values higher than that are for speciality breads such as bagels, or for breads that may contain a very high percentage of flours that have little or no gluten (such as some multi-grain breads). Too high a protein value can actually result in bread that is tough and has a dense crumb.

My brand of choice for most bread baking is "Harvest King" from General Mills. It has 12% protein. While all flours have increased in price over the past 6-9 months, the cost of Harvest King flour remains significantly less than all types of King Arthur flour.

Here are the protein percentages for some King Arthur flours...
Unbleached Bread flour - 12.8% protein
Unbleached All-Purpose flour - 11.7% protein
European-style Artisan Bread flour - 11.7% protein

You'll notice that KA Unbleached All-Purpose flour is actually a better choice for most bread baking than it's Bread flour.

For biscuits, cookies or pastry, you would ideally want a flour with a lower protein value - about 11% or lower.

You can often find the protein content of a brand's line of flours by going to it's web site; if you can't find it in the retail section of the web site, look for a section aimed at professional bakers (or look for a category called "Hotel and Restaurant" which may be abbreviated "H & R". You can also usually contact the manufacturer directly from it's web site and email them your inquiry about their flour specifications.


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## justplainbill (Apr 20, 2008)

Have you seen Harvest King available for sale in supermarkets?


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## ChefJune (Apr 20, 2008)

I think for some people the problem is the quality of the wheat that is used to produce some of the mass-produced flours.  The smaller producers are less likely to be using genetically modified wheat, and probably fewer pesticides in the production.  

Personally, I have found that I don't have a sensitivity to wheat if I use only organic flour. I know it costs more, but I can't stand the gas the regular flour gives me!


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## Sedagive (Jun 20, 2008)

I just paid $6.99 for a 5 lb. bag of KA bread flour.  I was shocked.  I usually pay $3.99 and when it's on sale, $2.99.


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## MexicoKaren (Jun 21, 2008)

I guess I really should count my blessings. I pay the equivalent of $1 for a kilo of flour, so for five pounds, I'm paying $2.27. AND, _Presidente Calderon_ just announced a price freeze on 150 grocery staples, including flour, until the end of the year.

Oh, and Sedagive, we just watched Young Frankenstein Last night - still a very funny movie.


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## ChefJune (Jun 21, 2008)

Sedagive said:


> I just paid $6.99 for a 5 lb. bag of KA bread flour.  I was shocked.  I usually pay $3.99 and when it's on sale, $2.99.



not any more!!  and with the floods in the midwest, the crops are going to be far smaller than even the low yield that was already anticipated.  

I fear the days of "cheap food" in the US are over.  for those of you who are familiar with prices in Europe, you know they've paid more comparatively than we have for many years.


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## expatgirl (Jun 21, 2008)

I know that some of you are in my age range---post 50's and this is like the late 70's and early 80's all over again.........high gas prices and high inflation.......the prices of food were going up weekly.........please hang in there and plan accordingly y'all........don't buy a house that you can't afford is probably the nbr#1 advice I would give now........


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## bethzaring (Jun 21, 2008)

for about the past year I could get King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat flour for $3.19 for a 5 pound bag at Wal-Mart.  Last week the price was $3.99.  I generally keep about 30 pounds of this flour in my freezer. Wal-Mart is a 30 minute drive one way for me and I usually only go there maybe every other month.  A five pound bag of flour does not last long in my house.


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## ChefJune (Jun 21, 2008)

> A five pound bag of flour does not last long in my house.



not in mine, either, Beth.  But when you think how high that is, check out the cost of a loaf of bread!  even the appy-cray stuff is expensive now, but ONE loaf that is comparable to what YOU bake would set you back more than that whole sack of flour around here!


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## MexicoKaren (Jun 21, 2008)

ChefJune is SO right. We are all saving money by making our own baked goods, AND the people who eat these wonderful wholesome, fresh, chemical-free products from our kitchens are happier and healthier. But I'm afraid you are also right, CJ, about the prices never returning to their former state. The world is changing. We must all adapt to that and make some challenging choices about how to spend our money.


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## Wart (Jun 21, 2008)

I look at the Teenies and the Twenty-Somethings and think, These are<I> Their</i> good old days.


I don't know if I should be amused or saddened, or both.?

Flour, two months ago KA AP , 10# bag, $5 (& change). Last I looked it was up to $7.50 ~ $8.00. Probably more today.


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## Michael in FtW (Jun 22, 2008)

Bread bakers are one of the oldest professions ... maybe not "the" oldest profession .. but you know what I mean.

Bread was made for 8,000 years before _King Arthur_ flour ... bread is still made today all around the world without it. 

I know for a fact that perfectly acceptable (actually quite good) bread can be made without it - using those supposedly "inferior" store brands. 

Maybe as *passioncook* said in the title of this thread, "Cost of flour........need to switch" - it might be time to explore less expensive flours.


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## LadyCook61 (Jun 22, 2008)

I use different less expensive brands for my bread, it turns out fine.


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## marigeorge (Jun 22, 2008)

I can still buy the store brand for $1.19 for 5#. It may not be KA, but it makes darned good bread! I lived not far from KA when I lived in Vermont, but still preferred the Canadian Robin Hood flour, which I haven't been able to buy here in the midwest.


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## Wart (Jun 22, 2008)

Sure can make great food with 'inferior' flours, its just that KA is the only one I was watching and taking note of. Till recently KA was selling for the same as or less than other flours.

Last time we bought flour we got Gold Metal because of the cost but I'll be darned if I remember how much we paid.


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## ChefJune (Jun 22, 2008)

Michael in FtW said:


> Bread bakers are one of the oldest professions ... maybe not "the" oldest profession .. but you know what I mean.
> 
> Bread was made for 8,000 years before _King Arthur_ flour ... bread is still made today all around the world without it.
> 
> ...



Point is, Michael, there is likely NOT to be much in the way of "inexpensive" flour of any kind soon, given the cost of fuel, and the new uses for grain, compounded with the floods in the midwest, where most of the grain is grown....


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## VeraBlue (Jun 22, 2008)

Tell me about it!  It's up to 4.99 by me here in northern NJ.  Pillsbury was only 2.59, so I bought that.  Like you, I do lots of baking so flour is necessary.

I made biscuits today, and needed some flour for the board.  After I panned the biscuits, I used whatever was left on the board to make the roux for the gravy.  Cannot waste even an ounce..


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## Michael in FtW (Jun 22, 2008)

ChefJune said:


> Point is, Michael, there is likely NOT to be much in the way of "inexpensive" flour of any kind soon, given the cost of fuel, and the new uses for grain, compounded with the floods in the midwest, where most of the grain is grown....


 
You're absolutely right ChefJune! But, I believe that if you look at what I _actually_ said, what you quoted, I never said anything about "inexpensive" flour ... what I said was, "it might be time to explore _less expensive_ flours."

I like the consistency of KA; as well as Bob's Red Mill, Pillsbury, Gold Medal, etc. - but there are _less expensive_ store brand alternatives that will make quite acceptable loaves of bread.


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## Bigjim68 (Jun 22, 2008)

In Richmond, KA is $3.59 today.  I really don"t know what it was a couple of months ago as KA is not on my things I can substitute list.  I like the Unbromided and Unbleached idea.  Bread, wheat, and all purpose the same price.


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## jpmcgrew (Jun 22, 2008)

Maybe it's time to get a wheat grinder and make your own flour? It's not easy to get whole grain wheat but I bet it's cheaper in the long run especially if you live in a wheat growing area. A good grinder can be expensive but will pay off in the end and makes the freshest most heatlhy bead ever. My mother used to grind her own wheat and made the best bread ever.


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## jpmcgrew (Jun 22, 2008)

I prefer the unbleached white flour and also I keep whole wheat and other grains etc depending on what I'm making. I could kick myself for not buying more of the the Hungarian High Altitude flour at $3.74 for 5 pounds at Walmart a couple of months ago.I only bought 2 bags. Another thing to maybe stock up on is dried yeast.


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## Bigjim68 (Jun 22, 2008)

I get yeast in 3 pound bags at Costco for around 5 bucks.  I am not a serious baker, so 3 pounds lasts over a year.  I put it in a ziplock and store it in the freezer.  I have never had it go bad.


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## Wart (Jun 23, 2008)

jpmcgrew said:


> Maybe it's time to get a wheat grinder and make your own flour?



Like I really need that idea to bounce around my head.

All the questions, all the possibilities.

I wonder if I can convert my coffee grinder into a flour mill? Wife may stop complaining about having it around (My grinder is about the size of a KA600. LOL)


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## Wart (Jun 23, 2008)

Bigjim68 said:


> I get yeast in 3 pound bags at Costco for around 5 bucks.  I am not a serious baker, so 3 pounds lasts over a year.  I put it in a ziplock and store it in the freezer.  I have never had it go bad.




3 1/4oz packs: $1.20, ~ $1.60/oz
1 4 oz jar Red Star: ~$5.00, ~ $1.25/oz
Per ounce from Mr. Bulky: $0.25 ~ $0.33
1 2lb bag Red Star, ~ $5.00, ~ $0.16/oz


I figure 1/4 oz yeast / loaf, 1/2 oz per batch. Around 1 lb flour/ loaf, 2 lb per batch. A batch is 6 to 8 buns and a loaf, 2 batches a week.

Thats about right, a jar a month and a sack a week for just breads. Adds up but is still far cheaper than 'store bought chemistry bread", even adding in the honey or whatever else I'm adding to that batch.


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## Bigjim68 (Jun 23, 2008)

You are probably right, Costco yeast is in 2 pound bags.  It is Red Star.  Homemade bread costs less than a buck a loaf.  I use only a bread machine, and only to knead the dough.  Takes less time to bake a loaf than to go the store and get one.


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## jpmcgrew (Jun 23, 2008)

Wart said:


> Like I really need that idea to bounce around my head.
> 
> All the questions, all the possibilities.
> 
> I wonder if I can convert my coffee grinder into a flour mill? Wife may stop complaining about having it around (My grinder is about the size of a KA600. LOL)


  Sorry I brought it up. NOT!


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## seans_potato_business (Jul 2, 2008)

I buy cheap flour for 50 (Euro)cents per kilo. Whole-grain is too expensive for my liking.


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## justplainbill (Jul 2, 2008)

Sir Lancelot has gotten so expensive that I've begun to cut back on the proportion of it which I use in my bread making.  Unfortunately, for sour ryebread, there seems to be no good substitute for first clear flour.  Thank goodnesss that Pillsbury bread flour has not gone through the roof (last time I looked), but I don't bake bread in the summer.  I considewr bread and beans to be the staff of life and the price of both has risen far more than the gov's cpi.


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## babetoo (Jul 2, 2008)

merstar said:


> I'm a prolific baker and have used Gold Medal unbleached all purpose flour for many years - it's excellent.


 
me too, i also have used the store brands over the years. usually less expensive. i figure baking is cheaper than a hunting rifle, or a fishing trip. all in your point of view. lol

babe


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## Adillo303 (Jul 9, 2008)

I agree the cost of flour has gone way up. I am out of bread and do not have time to bake till the weekend, I nnede to buy a loaf. Thinking that I would replace my homebaked bread with fresh baked bread, I bought a loaf at Zarros. Thye are a NYC baker. $3.75. A loaf of NYT uses 3 cups of flour. I am not sure how much 3 cups weighs, so I can calculate what the flour costs, but, I bet it is not that much.

Just a thought

AC


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## MexicoKaren (Jul 9, 2008)

Flour here has topped at 10 pesos a kilo (roughly $1 for 2.2 pounds), and the price has been frozen by Presidente Calderon on this and 149 other staples until at least the end of this year.


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## Michael in FtW (Jul 9, 2008)

Adillo303 said:


> I agree the cost of flour has gone way up. I am out of bread and do not have time to bake till the weekend, I nnede to buy a loaf. Thinking that I would replace my homebaked bread with fresh baked bread, I bought a loaf at Zarros. Thye are a NYC baker. $3.75. A loaf of NYT uses 3 cups of flour. I am not sure how much 3 cups weighs, so I can calculate what the flour costs, but, I bet it is not that much.
> 
> Just a thought
> 
> AC


 
By the time you add everything else in the recipe into the equation - 3-3.5 cups of flour will usually produce a 1-lb loaf. At least, that has been my experience.


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## JoeV (Jul 9, 2008)

I make NYT bread using 1# of Gold Medal AP flour ($1.68 per 5# bag) and pay $2.16  for 1# of SAF Instant yeast. My NYT bread ends up costing about $.40 per loaf not including the gas to bake two loaves. Pretty darn cheap in my book. 

I feel bad that flour prices have not moved here in quite some time. I just bought flour on Monday at the local Marc's discount store and paid $1.68 for 5# of GM AP, and $2.58 for Bob's Redmill bread flour. Bought 20# of each. Guess it's just a matter of time before it catches up with us here.

Joe


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## Adillo303 (Jul 10, 2008)

Thank you all. I suppose that the information rhat I was trying to elicit, was the number of cups of flour in a 5# bag.
I know this is probably not an exact constant, but, a general number would be OK.
AC


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## justplainbill (Jul 10, 2008)

Adillo303 said:


> Thank you all. I suppose that the information rhat I was trying to elicit, was the number of cups of flour in a 5# bag.
> I know this is probably not an exact constant, but, a general number would be OK.
> AC


 About 4 cups per pound.


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## Wart (Jul 10, 2008)

I get about 5 ounces per cup.


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## ChefJune (Jul 10, 2008)

Wart said:


> I get about 5 ounces per cup.


I get 4.  If you stir the flour and spoon it into the cup, your cup is lighter.  If you're making a cake, it does make a difference.  Bread, not so much.


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## Bigjim68 (Jul 10, 2008)

I think that is why cakes call for sifted flour.  EIther way, that is slightly over 8 loaves of bread, per 5 pound bag, or 50 cents a loaf.  I think that the real savings is in the yeast.  Those little packets cost tons of money.


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## Michael in FtW (Jul 12, 2008)

Adillo303 said:


> Thank you all. I suppose that the information rhat I was trying to elicit, was the number of cups of flour in a 5# bag.
> I know this is probably not an exact constant, but, a general number would be OK.
> AC


 
A 5-lb bag of flour is about 75 1/4-cup (30g) servings (per the nutritional information panel on a bag of Gold Medal flour) - 5-lb x 16 (to convert lbs to oz) = 80-oz, 75 divided by 4 (to convert from 1/4 cups to cups)  = 18.75 cups. 80-oz divided by 18.75 cups = 4.267 oz per cup. 

So, in the simplest terms - 18-19 cups per 5-lb bag.


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## frgsonmysox (Jul 21, 2008)

I didn't realize there was a difference in brands of flour... I just use what I can get cheapest.  The commissary doesn't have a ton of options so I use Gold Medal a lot.  I make all of our bread products (except hotdog and hamburger buns) from scratch and haven't had an issue.  Although I'm still trying to find that sandwich bread recipe that I LOVE.


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## Bigjim68 (Jul 21, 2008)

I buy King Arthur flour largely due to its lack of bromide and bleach.  Generally speaking I prefer ingredients as unaltered as possible.  However I think that it is just as  important to buy ingredients from a store that does a high volume in a given item.  
Case in point, I was in a low volume wine and beer store a few days ago, and they had a beer that is not readily available and that I like.  On a whim, I checked their inventory records (they are usually on the computer), and the beer had been sitting on a warm shelf for over a year.  I didn't buy that beer.


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## Wart (Jul 21, 2008)

Just got a 2 pound brick of Red Star (dry active) Yeast Saturday. 

Under $5.

Same place has ConAgra APF for around $11 / 25 pound bag.


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## ChefJune (Jul 21, 2008)

> Same place has ConAgra APF for around $11 / 25 pound bag.


that flour is definitely going to come from genetically modified wheat, if that matters to you.


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## Bigjim68 (Jul 21, 2008)

I get Red Star as well.  Last I checked, our local Costco sells it for around $2.79.  It does freeze well, and considering that those little packets cost around 50 cents, is a really good buy.


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