At Baking Steel, we make A LOT of pizza (and bread and cookies and tarts and the list goes on). Recently, I stopped to reflect on how much flour we use on a daily basis. Have you ever stopped to think about Flour? It’s a pantry staple that most people don’t give much thought to. But I really think you should!
Without question, debate or argument, the only flour we ever use at the Baking Steel Test Kitchen is organic. I don’t even think about using anything else. And believe me, there are a lot of other options out there. Typically people gravitate towards an all-purpose flour. While you can find “unbleached,” many of these flours are bleached. Look at the label of your flour, if it is not labeled as bleached or unbleached, it is bleached…Bleached flours have had all their germ and bran content removed. They are artificially aged through the use of BLEACH (wtf, isn’t bleach toxic???) and bromate, which can also leave the flour with a bitter aftertaste. Sounds appetizing, right?!? And while I’m at it, Potassium bromate is also illegal in the European Union, Canada, Brazil and elsewhere because it causes cancer in rats and mice.
Organic flour is milled from pesticide-free grain and grown in soil only fertilized by natural substances. The flour is not artificially processed or chemically ripened. It’s also been said that organic grain develops more robustly, taking in more nutrients from the soil and thereby making the flour healthier and more nutritious for consumers. Personally, I think everything we make with our organic flour tastes better too! Remember, these pizzas, breads, and baked goods are being deposited directly into your temple, YOUR BODY, so make good choices!
We have been using and absolutely love the products from Central Milling. Not only are they an amazing company to work with, but they know their products extensively and can talk about them passionately. They can help you to choose a flour that works just right, for you! And of course another great option and familiar to most is King Arthur Organic Flours. There are a ton of amazing choices when it comes to flour, just make sure when choosing you are making the right choice for you and your guests with organic flour.
Shop all our Baking Steel products to begin your pizza making journey!
