September 27, 2023 - 5:33pm
Bleached vs unbleached flour, again...
Aside from the self-inflicted underproofing/underfermentation and fools crumb, the flavor and texture of this small loaf was as good as any previous loaf. My wife had purchased the flour a couple of weeks ago at the bulk food store, only noting that it was labeled "Bakers Premium Flour" and had 12.5% protein. Imagine my chagrin to learn that it is in fact bleached. I'm going to bake another test loaf in a few days to correct my proofing errors but please say again: What are the principal reasons not to use bleached flour? Thanks and best wishes. Dave
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Benzoyl peroxide and chlorine are commonly used to bleach flour. Those are two chemicals I don’t want used on my food. Benzoyl peroxide is used to treat acne.
I also avoid bromated flour because potassium bromate, a dough conditioner, is a recognized carcinogen. It is illegal in all the industrialized countries, except the US.
My personal preference is always unbleached and unbromated flour.
I use unbleached flour and I really don't see any need to do it. It may not be food, but I will note that chlorine (or chlorine dioxide) is used in most municipal water that is safely consumed.
You are wise!
Best wishes. Dave. 👌😎