Value/Basics Flour vs Brand Flour?

*EvilMissKitty*

Hi!

Have searched the forum on this but I have found no answer.

I would like to know what the difference is between value/basic flour and branded flour. In some cases the is a £ 1.06 difference in price! I am baking some christmas cookies as gifts and I am about to buy my ingredients.

Any help/advice would be appreciated!

Thanks In Advance

EMK

JulieGeorgiana

Basic is a little heavier... so in cakes it doesn't rise as much! TBH you hardly notice and if you do just add a tiny bit of baking powder!

I bake with Value/Basic Flour and use Bread Flour for Bread because Value/Basic doesn't work well for bread (but then neither does normal branded flour).

If you have a choice... Basic is slightly better I think.

kerri_gt

I use value plain flour in crumbles and find it totally fine - as JulieGeorgiana says, you might find a difference with specality flours, but for basic baking, no frills works fine.

A._Badger

*EvilMissKitty* wrote: »

Hi!

Have searched the forum on this but I have found no answer.

I would like to know what the difference is between value/basic flour and branded flour. In some cases the is a £ 1.06 difference in price! I am baking some christmas cookies as gifts and I am about to buy my ingredients.

Any help/advice would be appreciated!

Thanks In Advance
EMK

It's an excellent question and I'd like to hear the answer from an expert, too.

I wouldn't use it for bread but for other purposes I use 'value' flour without any obvious problems. That said, I always look at the brands when I buy it and wonder if I'm doing the wrong thing!

*EvilMissKitty*

Thanks for all your answers! I would like to know what the difference in quality truly is.

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

If you have a choice... Basic is slightly better I think.

Thank you - while searching the internet I found this website -supermarketownbrandguide.com which is cheaper that basics brand but also states that it is very good to boot!

I am going with your suggestion - basics flour for biscuits!

VfM4meplse

I use basic too with good results.

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

Basic is a little heavier... so in cakes it doesn't rise as much! TBH you hardly notice and if you do just add a tiny bit of baking powder!

Double or triple sifting (don't worry, it only takes seconds!) also gives a lighter finish.

JulieGeorgiana

A._Badger wrote: »

That said, I always look at the brands when I buy it and wonder if I'm doing the wrong thing!

That's what they want you to think... so you'll pay the higher price for what basically is the same product...!

JulieGeorgiana

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I use basic too with good results. Double or triple sifting (don't worry, it only takes seconds!) also gives a lighter finish.

Yes, I've done that for cakes... I also find using soft stork works wonders... and extra time whisking the ingredients and it makes for the fluffiest cake at the church cake stall... so it can't be that bad

asparagusnextleft

I've always used Be-Ro but ran out of flour when I needed to bake an extra batch of Parkin for Bonfire Night (Parkin is a treacley spiced ginger cake for those who might be wondering!). My husband went to the supermarket and came back with Smart Price self raising flour. I wasn't best pleased and thought it would be no good. BUT! The batch made with the Smart Price flour was actually better than the Be-Ro batch. I haven't used it to make a Victoria Sponge or such like yet though but it makes mighty fine Parkin!

cybervic

if you are making bread or need to use bread flour for any reasons, I found Tesco's bread flour makes better bread than allison, more fluffy and less dense bread.

ScarletRaven

For cakes I've always used Morrison's own brand flour, or even the Value flour from there and never had any problems with either. Every Hallowe'en I bake anywhere up to 100 cupcakes and use this flour and they come out perfect every time, decent sizes too