Spurred by a recent flour question: why does some flour have barley in it, and some doesn't? And why? And what are the qualitative differences (flavor, texture) between the two?
posted by gjc on Feb 5, 2009 - 4 answers

Hi all, I am doing some writing on the history of baking, and I was wondering when flour became pure. We take for granted the fact that flour in our grocery stores is free from insect larvae, twigs, and other contaminants. I have heard that the purpose of sifting flour was once to get this stuff out. Now we sift for nostalgia's sake or possibly to make flour fluffy. I want to say that flour became pure with the advent of large flour millers in the 19th century like Wasburn-Crosby and Pillsbury (both now are part of General Mills). But that is just a guess. When did things really get cleaned up? Do any of you foodies and bakers know? Thanks!
posted by tnygard on Feb 5, 2009 - 23 answers

Looking for home storage solutions for bulk items such as flour, sugar, rice. [more inside]
posted by jeremias on Aug 9, 2008 - 20 answers

Is it possible for gluten to transfer into the air and harm a celiacs sufferer? [more inside]
posted by isopropyl on Jan 9, 2008 - 7 answers

Can self-raising flour be turned into plain flour? [more inside]
posted by popcassady on Dec 26, 2007 - 8 answers

Where can I buy masa precocida or masarepa (corn flour for Arepas) in subway accessible parts of NYC? Also what kind is better for homemade arepas?
posted by riffola on Nov 26, 2007 - 11 answers

I have a vague memory of some show airing during the early 1980s that I think was sponsored by Robin Hood Flour or maybe King Arthur Flour. I have little to no recollection of what happened on the show (some sort of baking challenge for kids maybe?) but I know that I would watch it around lunchtime when I had half-days of kindergarten. It could have been either a PBS or CBC show as we got CKWS out of Kingston, Ont. in my village in Upstate NY. Robin Hood Flour sounds right, so I'm leaning toward it being a Canadian show. Does this ring any bells with anyone?
posted by stefnet on Oct 20, 2007 - 11 answers

where can i get tsampa in sydney? [more inside]
posted by taff on Jul 4, 2007 - 5 answers

Calling all food scientists and breadophiles!!!! Clear flour contains which proteins and at what percentages? [more inside]
posted by goalyeehah on Apr 3, 2007 - 4 answers

Should I put the flour used to dust the counter and/or pizza peel back in the bag? [more inside]
posted by jclovebrew on Feb 11, 2007 - 17 answers

How do I wash flour out of my towels? [more inside]
posted by iloveit on Jan 18, 2007 - 13 answers

What can I do with 10 pounds of white flour? Besides making a boatload of cookies, of course. As usual, there's [more inside]
posted by zippity on Dec 2, 2006 - 19 answers

I've got a 10lb bag of all purpose flour. What easy-to-prepare foods can I make with it? [more inside]
posted by raydexter on Aug 2, 2006 - 24 answers

I would like to buy a 25-50 lb sack of flour in NWDC. The only place I can think of is Costco in Tenleytown, and I'm not a member. I'm limited to metro-accessible areas. Bonus points if it's unbleached white or whole wheat.
posted by The White Hat on Feb 11, 2006 - 10 answers

I'm looking for an economical source for small quantities of various flours, online or brick and mortar in the Boston area. [more inside]
posted by rxrfrx on Jan 16, 2006 - 19 answers