I have been making bread from the King Arthur website and have learned that not all flours are the same. The two flour mils that I trust are King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill. There are some other noteworthy flour mills mostly on the west coast of the US. The big thing to remember is to avoid any flour that might be contaminated with flour ground from genetically modified organism (GMO) grains. Organic flours are the best choice, but availability and cost may limit their use. First I want to list the important types of flour available in the US.
| Name | Ingredient | Uses |
| All-Purpose Flour | Hard Red Winter Wheat | Bread to Pastry |
| Bread Flour | Hard Red Spring Wheat | 12.7% Protein & High Gluten |
| White Whole Wheat Flour | Hard White Spring Wheat | Milder Flavor & Lighter Color |
| Whole Wheat Flour | Hard Red Spring Wheat | 14% Protein & Higher Rising |
| Durum Flour | Durum Wheat | Creamy Color & Chewy Texture |
| Semolina | Coarsely Ground Durum Wheat | Golden Color & Added Texture |
Measuring Flour
Most recipes use volume measurements for measuring flour. This is not a good way to measure flour, the best method is to measure by weight. I prefer to measure flour by grams rather than by ounces, the difference may be small, but a gram is a smaller unit of measurement, so it is preferred by myself. I also believe that the day is coming when the metric system of measurements will be universal, even in America. See my post under Info called https://nitepagancooks.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/us-standard-to-metric/
Pasta flour
Commercially made Pasta uses Semolina. For homemade pasta, most cooks recommend a mixture of different flours. The best recipe for Pasta, I have seen is as follows:
- 4 parts All-Purpose Flour (2 cups) (16 oz) (480 gm)
- 2 Parts Durum Flour (1 cup) (8 oz) (240 gm)
- 2 Parts Semolina (1 cup) (8 oz) (240 gm)
Total for this Formula: 4 cups or 32 ounces or 960 grams
Semolina is available in some grocery stores and natural foods stores, Bob’s Red Mill and mail order from King Arthur.
Durum Flour is only available through mail order from King Arthur.
Amazon does carry both of these flours, but they are usually only available in large quantities. Sometimes you can get these flours from a bakery. I do prefer going through King Arthur and/or Bob’s Red Mill. Both Semolina and Durum Flour can be ordered from King Arthur. Bob’s Red Mill only seems to have Semolina in quantities for the home cook and can be found in local stores.
Pizza Flour
The Formula for Pizza Flour is similar to Pasta Flour and is as follows:
- 7 Parts All-Purpose Flour (1 3/4 cup) (14 oz) (210 gm)
- 5 Parts Semolina (1 1/4 cup) (10 oz) (150 gm)
Total for this Formula: 3 cups or 24 ounces or 360 grams
What is a Part
A part is a uniform unit of measure, can be a cup, ounce or a ml. I would use a 1/4 cup or 2 ounces or 60 grams for the minimum to represent 1 Part.
NitePagan Cooks 