Side by side test of two flour brands at our bakery in Ohio

Last Thursday we ran the same baguette recipe with our usual brand and a cheaper one from the same supplier. The cheap flour made dough that tore when I stretched it, and the loaves came out flat with a pale crust. The expensive bag cost $8 more per 50 pound bag but produced a springy dough and a golden, crackly crust. We bake 120 baguettes a day, so that $8 spread over that volume is nothing next to wasted batches. Has anyone else done a direct side by side test like this and found the cheap option was actually fine for a different product?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugoj121mo ago

Buddy of mine runs a small pizza joint and swore the cheap flour was fine for their daily dough. He tested it side by side on their thin crust and it honestly worked out okay, just needed a touch more water and a shorter mix. But he said the same bag was a disaster for their Sicilian squares, came out dense and sad. So yeah, one product can be fine, another a total flop.

diana5121mo ago

Is a sad square pizza better than no pizza at all?