Washington Post on the influx of new bakers

[aaronatthedoublef]

A local bakery is selling supplies. I will see if I can pick up some stuff for anyone who wants some.

[skeptic7]

My yeast probably wasn't freeze dried, when I opened the package it was in normal granules. The way it was packed made me think it was a solid block. I guess all the air was removed from the package and it was such a solid shape. I put it in little ziplock bags, in 1/2 cup per bag. I told my neighborhood facebook group that I had extra yeast and gave about 6 bags away. The rest are in my freezer. I actually didn't need any more yeast, I still have some of my original bag left after all the Easter baking.

I was at grocery stores the last couple of days and no one had any flour. I used to find KAF flour at both those stores.

[Mike Nolan]

Walmart had 10 pound bags of Wheat Montana AP unbleached, so I bought one, that gives me a good cushion for the next month or so. My son got some SAF instant dry yeast on Amazon.

[BakerAunt]

I am tempted to ask Aaron to check out whole wheat flour.

I wonder how many new bakers have now trashed their sourdough starters. Those who have not are learning important lessons in process and patience.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Flour and yeast is selling unbelievably fast. Sold out before I even made it to the site.

They were only selling five lb bags of AP flour. But I also know the owner. I can ask for some whole wheat flour. Happy to do it.

Nash in Sequim (pronounced Squim) has hard red and white whole wheat listed on their site as does One Mighty Mill. I have not tried either of their flours. One Mighty Mill is pretty expensive. Their pretzels are good. Their bagels are bread doughnuts.

Let me know and I'll see what I can find.

[Mike Nolan]

I hope all this baking keeps up, but I"m not sure it will. I was looking on Amazon and seeing 1 pound packages of yeast for prices up to $36. Not paying that!

[Italiancook]

For $36, can the buyers even be confident it's good yeast? Somewhere I read during this buying spree that someone found yeast that didn't work. I can't recall where the yeast was located. Is that even possible that yeast wouldn't work, or is it more likely the baker used water that was too hot?

[Mike Nolan]

I had my doubts about that seller as well. If the package is still sealed it should last 3-4 years, unless it has been exposed to high temperatures. Yeast dies at about 135 degrees and that's really HOT water, hot enough to damage your skin and hotter than most people set their water heater.

FWIW, walmart.com appears to have KAF bread flour, two 5-pound bags for $7.15 plus shipping, and if you order $35, shipping is free. May not be available everywhere, I suppose.

[BakerAunt]

I also saw the Walmart listing for bread flour. I had gone to the Walmart site to look for whole wheat flour, but all they had was a 50 lb. bag for $147, which is rather expensive for a bulk bag.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--If you don't mind asking about whole wheat flour, please do so.

My worry is that the mills will prioritize white flour, as that is what the general population usually wants, and that it will take a while to get re-stocked on whole wheat flour.

[Mike Nolan]

Probably depends on the mill. On modern roller mills making whole wheat flour is actually extra work, because they have to reblend the endosperm, bran and germ back to the original proportions. On an old-fashioned grist mill, whole wheat flour is basically what you get.

[skeptic7]

Of the last three large grocery stores, two were nearly completely out of flour, and one only had Gold Medal AP flour. Now today I've been to a fourth grocery store and it had KAF self rising flour, and storebrand white and storebrand whole wheat. I grabbed a bag of the whole wheat -- Does anyone know how this might differ from KAF whole wheat? I've been using KAF whole wheat since I decided to start baking with whole wheat flour. In fact I've been using KA flour for nearly two decades -- soon after someone recommended KAF 200th Anniversary cookbook.

[Mike Nolan]

Your store-brand whole wheat flour will depend on what wheat blend was used to produce it, in general King Arthur flours tend to be a bit higher in protein content than other brands, that's probably true for their whole wheat products as well.

I haven't looked at a bag of whole wheat flour in quite a while, are they always unbleached?

[BakerAunt]

The store brand may also be more finely ground. That's the way I recall the Gold Medal or Pillsbury ones, although I've not used their whole wheat flour for many years. I've been devoted to KAF and Bob's Red Mill.

Mike--Isn't whole wheat flour always unbleached?

[Mike Nolan]

I honestly don't know if whole wheat flour is always unbleached. I can't say I've ever seen a package that indicated it was bleached, but I haven't really looked, either.

The fineness to which flour is milled is a separate factor, not something easily discerned from the package in the USA. (European flours are often labeled in ways that make this a bit easier to tell.)

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