White flour: do you keep some in your kitchen for some things

[Aubrey]

or not buy it at all?

 

It just occurred to me that those who prefer whole grains, etc might not even buy white flour. I've always assumed one would keep it around for *some* things or to mix w/ WW (sometimes). Now I'm curious.

[Amira]

When I live in the US, I only keep white flour around to make Asian-style noodles (they just don't work with whole wheat flour). I don't use white flour for anything else. At all.

 

I haven't found whole wheat flour or a grinder yet where I live now, so I'm stuck with white and sort-of-white flour. If I could buy whole wheat flour, I wouldn't need to buy white at all, since I just buy our noodles here instead of making them by hand.

[Mama Geek]

Dh has major problems with gluten. I occasionally buy a small thing of white flour, if I want to make something special for me, but 99% of the time I just eat what I fix for him. We don't usually have it in our house.

[In The Great White North]

We keep white flour. I use both. WW for breads, sometimes in oatmeal cookies; 1/2 and 1/2 in other things, and white for sugar cookies, cakes, gravy etc.

[delaney]

Yes I keep organic white in the house. I try to 50/50 mix with fresh ground WW but in some things it just isn't the same.

[smithical]

I converted our family over to whole grains about a year ago, but I keep unbleached white flour in the house for the occasional batch of pancakes or pizza dough. I have three young boys (4, 6, and 7) who don't complain too loudly about their whole grain pizza crust or pancakes, but every now and then the oldest will ask for the "old kind."

 

I still love the whole grain texture and nutty flavor, especially on pizza!

[TravelingChris]

If you are a baker and like to bake some specific things (cakes, for example), you can't get the right texture without using refined flour.

[Dobela]

We keep white flour. I use both. WW for breads, sometimes in oatmeal cookies; 1/2 and 1/2 in other things, and white for sugar cookies, cakes, gravy etc.

:iagree:I seem to use it in waves. I will go month without using any at all, then I will use several pounds of white flour. I actually keep a bag or 2 in my freezer available. But then I keep a bag or 2 of several types of flour in my freezer.

[Jennifer in MI]

I am a die hard ww flour user and I grind it myself. But, I do keep white flour around for certain things. If we're baking cookies for friends or for sale, for example.

[kewb]

I can't think of the last time I purchased white flour. I don't really bake cakes and the whole wheat flour I grind myself works well in everything I do bake-muffins, coffee cakes, cookies, pancakes, waffles, and breads.

[Tarreymere]

I buy it. My grain mill is hand powered and some days I just don't have the oomph. I guess that makes white flour my convenience food :tongue_smilie:Also some baked goods come out better with a mix of whole grains and white flour.

[angela in ohio]

We only buy the regular white flour (all-purpose) at Christmas for making cookies. But I do keep unbleached flour on hand for when we bake items to give to people I can't assume will like the ww variety and for a few things (pie crust, etc.)

[mytwomonkeys]

i use it to make a breakfast bread we love. i use half & half in this recipe. it really makes it less dense to use 1/2 white flour - otherwise it's really too heavy.

[Peela]

I did always keep some- and I probably still have some back there in the nether regions of the fridge somewhere.

But...I wont buy any more and the lot I have will probably be ditched. Dh and I am both gluten free now and while the kids are not, its unlikely I would use the white flour for anything for them.

FOr things like thickening sauces, I use cornflour. For cakes etc, I am learning to cook gluten free. So many people appreciate it when I take something gluten free to pot lucks, too.

[Pretty in Pink]

I have it on hand, mostly for gravy.

[Amy in NH]

We keep white flour. I use both. WW for breads, sometimes in oatmeal cookies; 1/2 and 1/2 in other things, and white for sugar cookies, cakes, gravy etc.

 

:iagree:

[LidiyaDawn]

I always have normal flour here - dh and dd14 aren't keen on whole wheat anything. I bake cookies, muffins, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, etc, and usually just use the regular stuff. Every now and then I'll buy a small bag of whole wheat flour and mix a bit into the cookies, but they growl at me. :p

[Parrothead]

I don't buy regular bleached flour. I keep unbleached wheat flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, and oats on hand.

[Karen in CO]

or not buy it at all?

 

It just occurred to me that those who prefer whole grains, etc might not even buy white flour. I've always assumed one would keep it around for *some* things or to mix w/ WW (sometimes). Now I'm curious.

 

Nope. No white flour here at all.

I have spelt flour, rice flour, GF flour, and potato flour, but I don't have any wheat flour at all.

[Chris in VA]

Oh dear. I only have white flour.

[Dobela]

Oh dear. I only have white flour.

:grouphug: I just want to let you know I love you for this :) Until you shared in complete open honesty I was afraid to admit I bought 12- 4lb bags a couple of weeks ago when they were on sale for $1 a bag as a loss leader at a local store. It may last me a long, long time. I do still have whole wheat, rye, and other flours on hand as well. And stone ground cornmeal :)

[Chris in VA]

LOL--I feel much, much better.

 

Does it count that I had a bag of stone-ground cornmeal from George Washington's Gristmill in my freezer last year?

[kdeno]

I use unbleached in the place of white flour.

[alamama]

I use both. However, I do have a question that has been bugging me. I love to bake. Some things just don't turn out "right" when baked with WW. For example, last night I made yeast dinner rolls. The recipe called for white flour, I used WW. They didn't ride as much as I hoped. That seems common for me.

 

Do any of you know how to convert white flour recipes to WW?

 

Thanks!

[carrie_irene]

My DH is now gluten free and I am nearly gluten free. WE are working on moving the kids that way. I used to grind my own WW flour, and rarely used white. I also used WW for sauces and gravies. I even made baked goods for others using wheat! If I didn't tell them, they didn't mind! =)

 

Now I am relearning how to make breads, cakes, etc gluten free! In fact right now I have bread "rising" using a mixture of sorghum, millet, buckwheat, coconut, and potato starch.

 

I found that if I kept white flour and now gluten flours, in the house, I would use them.....and it just made things harder, so if they aren't around, we won't use them!

[carrie_irene]

I use both. However, I do have a question that has been bugging me. I love to bake. Some things just don't turn out "right" when baked with WW. For example, last night I made yeast dinner rolls. The recipe called for white flour, I used WW. They didn't ride as much as I hoped. That seems common for me.

 

Do any of you know how to convert white flour recipes to WW?

 

Thanks!

 

I found that adding a little bit of extra gluten - called high gluten flour, or just gluten - or even a little extra yeast helped alot when I went 100% WW.

 

HTH!

[frankcassiesmom]

I keep it around to feed my sourdough starter. I make WW sourdough but my starter is always more active with white flour.

[flobee76]

I always have a bag of white whole wheat flour on hand. We love baking for others here :D

 

If I am baking for us, I only use WW or Sprouted Wheat flour.

[Karen in CO]

Oh dear. I only have white flour.

 

 

:) Wheat in any form gives me migraines so my answer shouldn't really count. Before my wheat problem, I always kept a box of white cake flour - the super-fine stuff because it makes the best cakes.

[alamama]

I found that adding a little bit of extra gluten - called high gluten flour, or just gluten - or even a little extra yeast helped alot when I went 100% WW.

 

HTH!

 

Thanks! Though I think I just threw out an old box. :glare:

 

I keep it around to feed my sourdough starter. I make WW sourdough but my starter is always more active with white flour.

 

I think we may have some of that. Thanks!

[Ravin]

I've found some recipes turn out better with at least 1/4 to 1/2 the flour being white, incl. biscuits and cookies. also we occasionally use it as a thickener in sauces. So we keep both around, but use a lot more WW than white.

[stripe]

If you are a baker and like to bake some specific things (cakes, for example), you can't get the right texture without using refined flour.

I have to say, the King Arthur whole grains book has some really good recipes and tips. They've got a lot of recipes on the website:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/whole-grains

[Ellie]

The only time I use unbleached white flour is when I make gravy or when I fry chicken (both rarely); sometimes I make cookies (usually around Christmas), and I've never found a whole-wheat recipe that I like. I also, on very rare occasions, make buttermilk biscuits, and I use self-rising white flour for those. Mr. Ellie sometimes makes brownies or cookies all by his onesie. :-)

 

I tend not to do much baking anyway. When I make bread, I only use my own milled whole-wheat flour, which I never mix with white flour.

[mommymilkies]

I prefer using unbleached King Arthur AP flour. We eat healthy, but I prefer French bread sometimes and figure if I go through the mess of baking, I might as well make it to my taste and texture preference. I think part of that is from whole wheat anything making me nauseous with my last pregnancy. I could only stomach Bunny Bread. :lol I figure this is at least healthier. My aversion is still around, too.

[AllBoys]

Oh dear. I only have white flour.

 

Oh I am so glad it isn't just me. I would like to try using whole wheat - can any "white flour only" people who made the switch tell us about how that went for you?

[Occasionally]

I've found some recipes turn out better with at least 1/4 to 1/2 the flour being white, incl. biscuits and cookies. also we occasionally use it as a thickener in sauces. So we keep both around, but use a lot more WW than white.

 

:iagree:

 

Except that I still use more white than whole wheat. I personally dislike the "nuttiness" of whole wheat (though I keep trying!) I like King Arthur's "white whole wheat" for its milder flavor.

[nmoira]

If you are a baker and like to bake some specific things (cakes, for example), you can't get the right texture without using refined flour.

This is true for fiddly stuff (and puff pastry), but you can do an awful lot with whole grains. The King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook is a good place to start.

 

ETA: I do keep aged unbleached bread flour and unbleached all-purpose flour, but don't use them often.

Edited April 12, 2011 by nmoira

[BlessedMom]

Yes I always have white flour on hand in our kitchen.

[Julie Smith]

We have the oldest glass jar of white flour. The only thing I use it for is when making a cake (from a mix). After I butter the cake pan I sprinkle on some flour.

[joannqn]

or not buy it at all?

 

It just occurred to me that those who prefer whole grains, etc might not even buy white flour. I've always assumed one would keep it around for *some* things or to mix w/ WW (sometimes). Now I'm curious.

 

 

I tried giving it up completely and found that I would rather not eat. We use a mixture of unbleached and whole wheat here.

[MrsBasil]

I keep it on hand. It's what I use to make play dough. :001_smile:

 

Also, we prefer the taste of certain things when made with a mix of white/wheat or with white flour only. I generally have whole wheat, white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry flour, and unbleached white on hand.

[LostSurprise]

Yes. I use use it in conjunction with whole wheat, rye, oats, and other grains. It's also cheap and easy to use for sourdough.

[joannqn]

Oh I am so glad it isn't just me. I would like to try using whole wheat - can any "white flour only" people who made the switch tell us about how that went for you?

 

 

Substitute part of the white with whole wheat in things that it won't affect much. My bread recipe calls for 3 cups flour. When my kids are given the task of loading the bread machine, they use 2 cups white and 1 cup wheat because they prefer the softer texture. I use half and half. Substitute half of the flour in banana, zucchini, apple bread; you won't notice (trust this picky eater on this). Substitute half in your pancakes and waffles. Although we haven't been able to covert to using only whole wheat, we actually all prefer our pancakes and waffles to be 100% whole wheat now.

 

Start with that. Some whole wheat is better than none.

 

Don't substitute in cookies, cakes, biscuits, and cinnamon rolls to start with. If you are anything like me, you'll throw them away rather than eat them.

[stripe]

King Arthur flour's all whole wheat brownies are REALLY good. You need to let them sit overnight (to soften the bran). I couldn't tell, and neither could anyone else. The whole grains book is really nice.

[BeckyFL]

Yes.... I always have some unbleached white flour on hand.

[In the Rain]

Yes, we keep some on hand. Home ground ww flour leaves some sauces kind of gritty.

[Penelope]

I only keep a little bit for when I need to bake something for a potluck, church, etc.

 

I used to bring my healthier treats, only to find people weren't eating them. :)

[Alicia64]

I converted our family over to whole grains about a year ago, but I keep unbleached white flour in the house for the occasional batch of pancakes or pizza dough. I have three young boys (4, 6, and 7) who don't complain too loudly about their whole grain pizza crust or pancakes, but every now and then the oldest will ask for the "old kind."

 

I still love the whole grain texture and nutty flavor, especially on pizza!

 

Do you have a good WW pizza dough recipe? I use a bread machine and can't seem to find a good recipe.

 

I don't mean to hijack.

 

Alley

[regentrude]

Of course. Cakes don't taste good with whole grain.

[kolamum]

We keep both on hand. :)