Okay, here’s my experience with Pillsbury High Gluten Flour, written in the style of a personal blog post:
So, I’ve been on this baking kick lately, trying to really nail down my pizza dough. I’ve experimented with different flours, hydration levels, you name it. I kept seeing people rave about “high gluten” flour, and I finally got my hands on a bag of Pillsbury High Gluten Flour. Here is how it went.
Getting Started
First, let’s talk about what I expected. I wanted a flour that would give me that chewy, stretchy crust – the kind you can really fold and get those nice big air bubbles. I’d been using all-purpose, and it was okay, but I was craving something more. Something, well, more professional-feeling.
I grabbed my usual recipe, the one I’ve tweaked a million times. Here is how it looked:
- Pillsbury High Gluten Flour: 500g
- Water: 325g (that’s 65% hydration)
- Instant Dry Yeast: 5g
- Salt: 10g
- Olive Oil: 15g
The Mixing and Kneading
I dumped the flour, yeast, and salt into my stand mixer. Gave it a quick whisk to combine everything. Then, with the mixer on low, I slowly drizzled in the water. Once it started to come together, I added the olive oil.
Now, this is where I noticed the first difference. This dough felt strong. Like, noticeably stronger than my usual all-purpose dough. I let the mixer knead it for a good 8-10 minutes, and it became super smooth and elastic. It easily passed the windowpane test – meaning I could stretch a small piece of dough thin enough to see light through it without it tearing. Promising!
The Bulk Ferment
I formed the dough into a ball, placed it in a lightly oiled bowl, covered it, and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours. It doubled in size beautifully. Again, it just felt different than what I was used to. More…robust, maybe?
Shaping and Baking
I gently deflated the dough, divided it into two portions, and shaped them into rounds. I let these rest, covered, for another 30 minutes while my oven preheated to 500°F (260°C) with my pizza stone inside.
Then came the fun part. I stretched out one of the dough balls, and wow, the elasticity! It was so easy to work with, and I could get it nice and thin without any fear of tearing. I added my toppings (simple Margherita, because I wanted to really taste the crust) and slid it onto the hot pizza stone.
The Result
After about 10-12 minutes, it was done. And let me tell you, it was a thing of beauty. The crust was golden brown, with those lovely charred spots I love. The texture? Incredible. It had that perfect balance of chewiness and crispness. The air bubbles were big and irregular, just like I wanted. It was seriously the best pizza I’ve made at home, hands * that fold! The slice held its shape perfectly, with that satisfying slight droop at the tip. That is the power of this flour.
So, yeah, I’m a convert. Pillsbury High Gluten Flour is definitely going to be a staple in my kitchen from now on. If you’re serious about pizza (or any bread that needs a good, strong structure), I highly recommend giving it a try. You might just be amazed at the difference it makes!
