In every home baker’s pantry is a bag (or three!) of flour. From King Arthur to Gold Medal for all-purpose, from White Lily self-rising flour to Bob’s Red Mill for spelt and buckwheat, here are the flour brands we purchase again and again.
It’s always in our pantry. It’s in practically every baking recipe. It’s got a permanent spot on our grocery list. And, if we didn’t realize before how much we rely on it, the buying rush and ensuing shortage last spring due to the pandemic made it pretty clear that everyone wants to have it on hand.
Yes, I’m taking about flour.
Today we consider availability, consistency, and specialty for a list of flour brands we rely on and buy again and again!
Our Favorite All-Purpose Flours
We love King Arthur Baking Company, Bob’s Red Mill, and Gold Medal for all-purpose flour.
King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
$6.99 for three 3-pound bags from King Arthur Baking Company
Formerly known as King Arthur Flour, King Arthur Baking Company updated their new name and logo last summer to better represent the company’s commitment to all kinds of baking. (You’ll see some of the photos in this post still show the old “King Arthur Flour” name and logo, but be assured, the product is the same!)
While other flour brands mill to a protein range, King Arthur mills their flour to a strictly-controlled and consistent protein count of 11.7%. This means you can expect the flour to perform the same way every time you use it.
King Arthur’s all-purpose flour is made from 100% American-grown hard red wheat. It’s also unbleached, unbromated, and contains no artificial preservatives.
I often swap a little white whole wheat flour for all-purpose to get more nutrition. King Arthur calls for white whole wheat in my favorite waffle recipe, so I’ve kept it on hand ever since! – Rachel
Bob’s Red Mill 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour
$4.69 for 5-pound bag from Bob’s Red Mill
Bob’s whole wheat flour is what we go to when we want that full-on, all-in whole wheat taste!
Stone ground on cool, quartz millstones, Bob’s whole wheat flour retains every part of the wheat kernel: the wheat germ, bran, and endosperm. It has a protein content in the 13-15% range, and gives a deep, nutty, whole grain flavor to breads and baked goods.
Our Favorite Alternative Flours
Bob’s Red Mill wins on all accounts when we’re looking for alternative flours. It’s the most readily-accesible brand, both in-store and online, and we can always trust the quality. Here are the alternative flours we cook with the most.
Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground Spelt Flour
$4.29 for 22-ounce bag from Bob’s Red Mill
I like Bob’s Red Mill for any specialty flour. I use spelt flour in pancakes and quick breads for the nutty flavor, and Bob’s always delivers. – Summer
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Buckwheat Flour
$5.49 for 22-ounce bag from Bob’s Red Mill
Bob’s buckwheat flour is a staple in my house. I love our buckwheat pancakes and buckwheat waffles recipes, and this flour works wonderfully. -Cambria
Bob’s Red Mill Oat Flour
$3.69 for 20-ounce bag from Bob’s Red Mill
I like to sub in a little of Bob’s oat flour in pancakes and muffins, for a bit more whole grain flavor and nutrition. – Cambria
Our Favorite Specialty Baking Flours
Swans Down Enriched Cake Flour
$3.19 for 32-ounce box from Target
Swans Down cake flour is a low-protein pastry flour made from soft white winter wheat. Bleached, enriched, and repeatedly sifted to create a very soft, very delicate flour, it’s a classic choice when you’re aiming for supremely airy, light desserts, like this vanilla cake!
White Lily Self-Rising Flour
$9.99 for 5-pound bag from Amazon
A must for Southern-style biscuits! White Lily’s self-rising flour is milled from soft winter wheat and blended with leavening agents and salt. It has a super-fine texture and a 9% protein content.
If you want to make a true Southern biscuit, White Lily is the only flour you should use. The soft winter wheat is milled so fine, it almost feels like cornstarch. Its low protein content makes baked goods light and fluffy. If you’re making biscuit and they end up like hockey pucks, you might need to switch your flour to White Lily. – Summer LEGGI TUTTO
