Okay, let’s talk about this All Trumps flour I’ve been messing around with. It’s labeled ‘high gluten’, and I’d been hearing things, you know? People saying it makes chewy bagels or gives pizza crust that real good pull. My regular bread flour was doing okay, but I was curious. Could this stuff really make that much difference? I figured, why not try it out.
Getting My Hands On It
Finding it wasn’t like grabbing a bag off the supermarket shelf, at least not around here. I had to look around a bit, ended up ordering it. It usually comes in pretty big bags, like the kind bakeries use. Mine was a hefty one. When I first opened it up, the flour itself didn’t look dramatically different, maybe a bit more creamy in color compared to bleached all-purpose flour. It felt fine, soft, maybe a little denser?
First Attempt: Basic Bread Loaf
So, I decided to start simple. Just a standard white bread loaf recipe I use often. Right away, during mixing, I noticed a change. The dough came together fast, almost like it was thirsty. I actually had to add a splash more water than usual to get the consistency right.
Kneading was… well, it was a workout. This dough felt strong. Really elastic. You could feel the gluten developing, making it tougher to stretch and fold compared to my usual bread flour dough. It took a bit more elbow grease to get it smooth.
The rising seemed pretty normal, maybe a little more vigorous. In the oven, it sprang up nicely. Good color on the crust.
The Results and Other Tries
Okay, the taste test. The bread was good, definitely. But the texture was the main thing. It was chewy. Like, noticeably more chewy than loaves made with my standard bread flour. The crust was crisp, and the inside had a nice structure, held together really well.
Since then, I’ve tried it in a few other things:
- Pizza Dough: This is where it really shined for me. Made a fantastic crust. Easy to stretch thin without tearing, and it baked up with that perfect chewy-crisp texture you want in a good pizza. Big win here.
- Bagels: Yep, the rumors were true. The high gluten gave the bagels that dense, chewy texture that’s hard to get otherwise. They held their shape perfectly during boiling and baking.
- Pretzels: Similar to bagels, it gave them a great traditional chew.
I haven’t tried it for things like cakes or delicate pastries. Honestly, I wouldn’t. This flour is all about building that strong gluten network. It’s a workhorse flour for things that need structure and chew.
Final Thoughts
So, yeah, working with All Trumps high-gluten flour was an interesting experience. It definitely behaves differently than all-purpose or even standard bread flour. You gotta be ready for a dough that fights back a little more and needs maybe a bit more hydration.
Is it worth it? If you’re serious about making really chewy bagels, pretzels, or sturdy pizza crusts at home, I’d say give it a shot. It delivers on that high-gluten promise. Just be prepared for the difference in handling and maybe buy a smaller bag first if you can find one, unless you plan on baking a lot of bread and pizza!
