4.2 What you will need

4.2.1 Flours

Volumes have been written on the virtues and shortcoming of all kinds of flour. For the casual baker, but of that can be ignored, however there are a few basics that need to be kept in mind.

4.2.1.1 Sources

I have the good fortune of having access to an excellent bulk food store (Sauder’s Store in Seneca Falls, NY), so I can buy 25 pound bags of flour for about $18.00. Because I can only get there a couple of times a year, I usually buy 2-3 bags and them store them in a sealed plastic tub. I’ve never had any problems with weevils. If you live near a similar source, go for it. However, if you don’t, King Arthur varieties are always good (for high gluten choices, “Bread Flour” works well; their “Sir Lancelot” is the best).

4.2.1.2 Bread vs. All Purpose.

The big difference here is gluten. Fortunately, none of my family have any problems with it, so my motto is the more the merrier. This is where bread flour comes in - it is simply white flour that is high in gluten. Use of bread flour leads to a more elastic dough and a more open texture of the resulting loaf.

4.2.1.3 Whole Wheat Flour

I’ve never been a fan of 100% whole wheat bread, however adding a small amount (maybe 10-20% of the total) tends to improve the flavor (and perhaps marginally the nutritional value) of most bread recipes. It is an essential part of both Pan au Levain and Essential Tartine Bread, and can be added to most of the other recipes (however I don’t recommend it for Dinner Rolls, and adding it to pizza dough is a matter of taste). It pays to get high quality stone ground whole wheat flour - you’ll pay a little more for it, but one bag goes a long way.