Any flour experts?

Paulgul_2

A few months ago I satrted making my own bread - basic farmhouse type, up until the last batch I've always used Allisons flour (either premium or standard strong). Because my local supermarket had sold out the last batch of bread was made using a supermarket own brand. The flour and dough looked slightly darker than normal and the finished loaves look ok texture wise but are lacking in taste - they just don't have that homebaked bread taste.
Is it normal for cheaper flour to affect the final taste like this - I assume its to do with the grain used to produce the flour.
As far as I know all the other ingredients and method was the same.
Paul

aliadds

I normally find the supermarket flour fine! I use both Asda and Lidls bread flour with good results.
May be a silly question but did you put the salt in?

valk_scot

All the different flours make a difference to the end result, I find, with Tesco own brand strong bread flour being the worst imho when it comes to rising. Flour also can vary from bag to bag within a brand and I suspect that's down to what wheat was used in the first place, storage, age etc. So I'm not at all surprised if after you've been using one brand of flour for a while you'd notice a difference when you used a different brand. Does the cost of the flour make a difference? Well, I think that one of the best flours I've tried is Lidl's own brand and it's 68p per bag and I've had some terrible results from Allinsons flour, so who knows?

Caterina

I use either Marriages or Doves Farm organic flours, both strong wholemeal and strong white and they give me excellent results every time (I like to mix 50% of each as a compromise between total white - no fibre - and total wholemeal -a bit heavy). I do all my baking by hand so I could not comment on results for breadmaker use.

Paulgul_2

Ok, thanks for the replies, I'm certain I put the salt in so that isn't the problem. It looks as though its down to the flour, the brand in question was Somerfield. I'm supprised that you have had trouble with Allisons, I would have thought a brand like that would have been amongst the best, but I'll have to give Lidl's brand a try one day. I don't use a machine, its all hand made bread.
Paul

ubamother

if you're a handmade bread person, do you use the 'sponge' method - this ups the whole taste thing several notches. Dan Lepard is my bread hero, especially the science behind gluten etc. he goes into so you really understand what's going on.

Zazen999

I used to do the same, only use 'Proper' erstwhile known as 'posh' bread flour - but I picked some own brand up on the cheap for making sauces etc and used it for pizza and a cinnamon loaf last week and it was the lightest I'd made for ages. How annoying!!!!

x-cupcake-x

I've had good results with Lidl bread flour

foxgloves

I've never had a failure with Allisons bread flour, either the wholemeal or white, but I have to second all those people who are saying that Lidl white bread flour is worth a go. I was a bit sceptical about it at 68p a bag, but it really does make good bread, as well as rolls & pizza bases. Ended up wishing I'd bought more as we don't have a Lidl in our town. I don't think they do wholemeal flour, unless anyone has seen any, though.