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Depending on your taste preferences, food sensitivities, and budget, the flour you use will vary just like all ingredients when you’re cooking. When the lockdown started, just about everyone started baking banana bread – I mean, we stocked up on all those bananas but didn’t eat them. Then came the loungewear trend. Then came the sourdough trend. Before the pandemic, people with zero culinary inclination began growing their own sourdough starters and became bonafide bakers in mere months. So, here we are now, baking our own bread at home. Let’s take a look at some of the best flours for baking bread.
For the Keto Followers
If you’re following a ketogenic diet, you’re eating super high fat and super low carb. So, you may believe that bread is lost to you completely. This, however, is not the case. There are, however, brands that make keto-friendly flour. King Arthur is one of them – they make a Keto Wheat Flour. While you’ll still have to enjoy what you make with this flour in moderation, it shows there are options out there for you.
Best All-Around
If you’re looking for the best baking bread flour all around, look no further than Bob’s Red Mill. While they boast a variety of flours, they make plenty of other trusted products, from cereals to all types of grains. The Bob’s Artisan Bread Flour is one of the easiest flours to use for baking all kinds of loaves of bread and desserts. You can literally bake any type of bread with this, from focaccia to sandwich bread, pretzels, and everything in between. Not to mention, Bob’s has packaging down to perfection, so esthetically, it’s appealing in the pantry.
Tried And True
If you try and remember back to watching your grandmother bake when you were a child or maybe just hiding in your parent’s pantry sneaking sweets when you were growing up, you’ll be hard-pressed not to have that memory include the gold seal of Gold Medal Flour. Not only has it stood the test of time as an easy to bake with all-purpose flour, but it’s also highly affordable. So, whether you’ve got a large family to feed or you’re just plain frugal, this is a great brand to always have in the pantry.
Self-Rising
When you need your bread to be able to rise on, it’s on, cause, let’s face it, not everybody has time for that you’re going to be presented with several options from which to choose. The one that seems to win the best all-around in this category is White Lily Unbleached Self Rising. But, bear in mind that depending on what you’re going to bake – whether that’s biscuits or loaves of bread, your needs may change. It’s a good idea to research a little on this one.
Sourdough Sweetie
As mentioned at the beginning, 2020 was the year of the sourdough, and it’s still trending through 2021. Not only is sourdough considered absolutely delicious by pretty much everyone, but it’s also packing some profound health benefits. Sourdough is one baking bread that is worth it to learn how to bake, and it will pay you not only in warm tastiness but gut health as well. Since the starter ferments, it’s packed with all kinds of microorganisms that are essential for gut health. Many bakers swear that Rye is the way to go for your starter, but if you’re looking to create your own, do some research and decide which is best for you.
Gluten-Free
Whether you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease or just feel you have gluten sensitivity, it’s essential to know you can still bake and enjoy delicious desserts and bread. A quick trip to any grocery store these days will show the gluten-free options are almost as varied as their gluten-containing counterparts. So, if you’re part of a significant group of the population that is avoiding gluten, the best flour for you is – well, anyone you prefer the taste of! You can go Rice, Cassava, Oat, and there are even several versions of one-to-one all-purpose flours that are gluten-free too. So, you’re not left to do some measurement math when you’re just trying to whip up a quick dessert.
As with all things in life, not all flours are created equal. You know the adage “You are what you eat,” so strive to eat the healthiest possible food within your budget. This means researching ingredients in your flours and all recipes in general. Happy Baking!
