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Bread flour vs ordinary plain flour?

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  • MRSTITTLEMOUSE
    MRSTITTLEMOUSE Posts: 8,547 Forumite
    I would'nt use just ordinary plain flour.
    The bread would't turn out quite right.
    I'm no expert breadmaker but it's the high gluten content(I think) that makes bread flour different and much stronger.
    Someone is bound to come along who is a breadmaker and will be able to tell you more.
  • Boodle
    Boodle Posts: 1,050 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    When I make bread I tend to just use plain flour as it is what I have in. It has a lesser gluten content than bread flour but the final result is always more than edible for us and we lurve fresh bread :D
    Love and compassion to all x
  • pawpurrs
    pawpurrs Posts: 3,910 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Funilly enough I didnt have any bread flour this weekend, and used value plain and best loaf ever!
    Pawpurrs x ;)
  • crockpot
    crockpot Posts: 631 Forumite
    I have some value plain so I will have a go!

    Just looked on my supermarket and asda and tesco have it at 68p!

    Does anyone know if aldi do it and how much bread flour that is?

    Thanks
  • ariba10
    ariba10 Posts: 5,432 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    The flour used in bread making is termed Strong Flour.

    If you are happy with the results in using ordinary flour then carry on. Personally I do not like it.
    I used to be indecisive but now I am not sure.
  • squeaky
    squeaky Posts: 14,129 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 7 April 2009 at 10:06AM
    Basically, yes, you can use bog standard plain flour - but you should leave it to rise longer to allow it to form the gluten chains, which are what makes bread chewy. (Short gluten chains are what makes cakes crumbly. So if you've got crumbly bread - this is why).

    There's more information and a link to an interesting and informativer article here:-

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=740633
    Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
    Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.
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  • salster
    salster Posts: 175 Forumite
    I've always used normal Plain Flour and mine does okay.
    Aiming to be Debt free by October 2013 :D
  • jenster
    jenster Posts: 505 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    cos the stong flour is more expensive i tend to use 2/3 value plain to 1/3 strong to
    make the flour go further

    and again comes out fine for us
  • ZCC72
    ZCC72 Posts: 338 Forumite
    crockpot wrote: »
    I have a MR fastbake and make bread and pizza dough in it but the price of bread flour at Lidl has gone up from 46p a bag in jan to 79p now!

    A bag of plain or Sr is 43p, is there any reason why i could not use this? atleast for the pizza dough anyway?

    What is it that makes flour bread flour?

    Or can anyone tell me where I can buy cheap normal white bread flour from?

    thanks

    Definately ok for use for both! It'll be a case of trial and error - just keep working it until it "feels" right. I agree with Squeaky re longer proving time, and you may find that your kneading time is different too- again, just keep going until it feels "springy".

    The science bit....Household flour is soft, roller-milled, refined and probobly bleached. Stong Plain Bread flour is usually milled from a blend of soft/medium soft wheats. The bran and germ are sifted from the ground grain, leaving the endosperm (protein & starch) in a semolina (Semi-half, molina- milled = half milled!!) which is then ground into flour. There are differences for wholemeal, granary, farmhouse, etc...

    Hope this helps.
    :A FLY FIRST, KNIT LATER :A
  • meanmarie
    meanmarie Posts: 5,331 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Thanks to all for information re different flours....have found that I get best results with strong flour, which is €2.45 for 2 kilos, making hm bread very expensive, as plain and sr are €1.19 for 2 k. Will try leaving bread to prove for longer time and see if I can adjust amounts of strong and plain together to get a good loaf more cheaply

    Marie
    Weight 08 February 86kg
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