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My sourdough loaves went from flat to perfect after I switched to King Arthur bread flour...
For months, my starter was active but my loaves just wouldn't get that nice oven spring and always came out dense. I was using a cheap all-purpose flour from the grocery store. Last week, I switched to King Arthur bread flour and let the dough bulk ferment for a full 6 hours instead of my usual 4. The difference is crazy... the crust is so much better and the crumb is actually open. Has anyone else had a specific flour make that big of a change for them?
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nathana486mo ago
Oh man, my buddy had the exact same thing happen with his pizza dough. He swore it was his technique, but switching to a better flour fixed everything overnight. Some flours just don't have enough protein to build a good structure.
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rowan_roberts496mo ago
Look at the protein content on the bag, that's the real key. A lot of generic all purpose flour sits around 10-11%, which can make a slack dough. Your buddy probably grabbed one marked for bread or pizza, which is usually over 12%. So he's right that the flour fixed it, but it's not about "better" flour, just the right type for the job.
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the_tessa6mo ago
Flour quality gets blamed way too much. Most all purpose flour from the grocery store has enough protein if you handle it right. The real issue is usually not letting the dough rest long enough or kneading it wrong. Your buddy might have just gotten better at the process over time and gave the flour all the credit. Technique beats ingredients nine times out of ten.
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