Baker1-

> Recipes call for All Purpose, but I'm wondering if using bread flour
> is better. I use bread flour for my banana quick breads and it turns
> out better than using AP.

I'll put in a plug for reading Shirley Corriher's wonderful section on
flour in _Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed_ You should be
able to find it in your library. Along with McGee she's a wonderful
food science writer.

I was finding that my scone recipe was coming up really wet, and for a
moment was perplexed. Then I realized that I'd switched flour, and
deduced that clearly the bulk organic unbleached AP I used for the last
two batches was lower protein than the King Arthur AP I'd previously
been using. Shirley does a great job of laying out the information, in
part explaining why it is some recipes "don't work". For example a
biscuit recipe written by a southern cook using the low protein AP,
10.5 % Martha White, when made with a 12% Pillsbury or Gold Medal AP,
will produce a dried up dough because of the absorption differences.

Anyway, I think her book is very useful and well worth reading. I've
had it out of the libaray so many times, it's finally gone onto my
holiday wish list this year. <G>

-Marylouise

On 2 Nov 2005 13:17:40 -0800, "
> wrote:


>I'll put in a plug for reading Shirley Corriher's wonderful section on
>flour in _Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed_ You should be
>able to find it in your library. Along with McGee she's a wonderful
>food science writer.
>
>-Marylouise


Very interesting. I'll take a look, because I agree that being
somewhat off by only a few %'s can mess up a meal.

Thanks for the tip.

"baker1" > wrote in message
...
> On 2 Nov 2005 13:17:40 -0800, "
> > wrote:
>
>
> >I'll put in a plug for reading Shirley Corriher's wonderful section on
> >flour in _Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed_ You should be
> >able to find it in your library. Along with McGee she's a wonderful
> >food science writer.
> >
> >-Marylouise
>
>
> Very interesting. I'll take a look, because I agree that being
> somewhat off by only a few %'s can mess up a meal.
>
> Thanks for the tip.

When making bread, biscuits, and scones, and pie pastry I don't use a set
measure of liquid. I only add what is needed to make a proper dough. I
agree that Chorriher's book is a good read ( I own a copy), it is very hard
to know what the percentage of gluten forming proteins is in any given brand
of flour. Therefore, on a practical note it is important to realize that
you don't have to add all the liquid specified in a recipe, but only the
amount to make the consistency of dough you want.