Author Topic: Sam's Club Hi Gluten Flour vs Sams Harvest King Bread Flour (Read 24812 times)

Jackie Tran · « **on:** March 30, 2010, 03:43:34 PM »

My local Sam's club carries The Baker's & Chef's HI GLUTEN FLOUR by Conagra Mills (pictured below) for $16.__ for a 50lb bag. Where as my local Costco carries the Conagra Mills Harvest King bread flour for around $6.__ for a 25lb bag. Costco also carries the Conagra Mills Minnesota Girl Baker's flour in the 50lb bag. Which of the 3 is best for pizza? I like a chewy NY pizza btw.

I'm thinking about trying one of the 2. Any thoughts or experiences with either? I'm leaning towards the hi gluten bleached and bromated flour.

scott r · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2010, 04:25:56 PM »

Tranman, I think you might be confusing some names. Harvest King flour is not made by Conagra, but they do make a custom flour for Costco called Harvest Bread flour. I am pretty sure that is what you saw. Those two flours are pretty different, but both work good for pizza.

The one you have pictured is going to be the most similar to what is typically used in most New York pizzerias because of the bromate and the high gluten. Your pizza will be chewier and less tender with a non bromated flour, so the harvest bread flour would be better for that.

Minnesota girl is very similar to the Harvest Bread flour in its non bromated form. The protein content seems somewhere between a King Arthur all purpose and a King Arthur bread flour, so it would be good for "americanized" neapolitan style pizzas. I am not sure if the one you found is the bromated or the non bromated version, but the bromated version will make a lighter softer crust that still crisps up nice on the outside, however, if your oven temps get above 650 or so I think you will prefer the non bromated version.

I think if you have a normal 550 degree oven and are looking for NY style the high gluten flour pictured is going to be your favorite. If you have access to a wood burning oven with higher temps you might prefer the other two flours.

Good luck!

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2010, 04:38:17 PM »

Scott R, just the man I wanted to hear from. I'm not good with the details and names so I bet you are right about me confusing the names.

I have access to both a good home oven that I can do pizzas at around 750F using the broiler to superheat the stone and broiling the top to finish.

I also have access to a ceramic charcoal lump burning outdoor oven that I can do pizzas at 650-700Deg with.

I bought a 25lb bag of that harvest bread flour from Costco last week and haven't opened it to try it until I saw what Sams' was offereing. Was considering returning to get the Sams Hi gluten stuff.

IYO, would you consider the Hi Gluten flour (from Sams) to be as good as KASL or not even close?
Thanks.

scott r · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2010, 04:42:54 PM »

Honestly, I think you will like it better than KASL

KASL is a great flour, but it can get too chewy if your pizza/bread sits around for a while, or if it is cooked to the point of New Haven/ Totono's style charring.

I think where KASL shines is if you are trying to make an authentic NY style bagel.

As far as King Arthur flours and pizza go I prefer their Bread flour (called KA Special in 50lb bags) to KASL in most applications.

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2010, 05:36:37 PM »

Thank you Scot R. I'm looking forward to giving it a try. Do you know if there is a list on the forum somewhere that list all the different flours available for pizza making along with their relabeled names and respective protein contents?

It may be something that yourself, Peter, or other well experience pie makers could put together. Or maybe a collective effort by all. A thread where ppl can add different flours they've tried along with costs, and perhaps notes on how best to use a particular flour. Just a thought.

scott r · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2010, 05:57:44 PM »

There isn't anything like this yet.

Randy · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2010, 10:46:25 PM »

Our Sams stopped carrying high gluten several years ago. We dropped our membership but might consider going back if they had high gluten flour. I checked the web site but it doesn't list high gluten flour. Has yours had it for a long time?

Randy

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2010, 11:05:19 PM »

Randy I don't know bc it's not the Sams that I usually shop at. We have 2 in Albuquerque and I just happen to be driving by so I thought I would check it out. Our other Sams only carries the Conagra AP flour while this one has the hi gluten and AP flour.
Needless to say I was thrilled to see it. I'm currently getting together a list of the different flours available to me and their respective protein content. I'll post it soon just as an FYI for anyone interested.

You may want to give your Sams a visit just to chk it out and see what they have.

Randy · « **Reply #8 on:** March 31, 2010, 05:36:19 AM »

Tranman, thanks for the information.

Since we dropped our Sam's membership we have found Classico olive oil is much more expensive at walmart than at sams. I think the 100oz bottle at Sam's was $19, an equivalent amount at wally world is over $36.

Ours, in Savannah, carries, AP and bread flour last time we were there but that was a couple of months ago.

Randy

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #9 on:** March 31, 2010, 09:54:39 AM »

It's funny here bc we have a SAMs and Costco across the street from one another. So if I can't find something at Sams, costco usually has it. Our other SAMs and Costco are also within a 1/4 mile of eachother as well across town. I was really surprise to see the 1 Sams not carrying the same bread flou selection as the other. A membership to both Sams and Costco is worth it to me.
For pizza making alone I'm now buying Sams hi gluten flour, big bottles of their OO, belgioso mozzarella and their big bags of shredded mozzarella and provolone, and 40lb bags of lump for my outdoor oven (which is 50% cheaper than Walmart). If I could freeze and thaw canned tomatoes with any satisfaction I'd be getting it there as well for the great prices.

I'll remember to update this thread with a pic or two of their hi-gluten bromated pizza asap.

dms · « **Reply #10 on:** March 31, 2010, 03:22:09 PM »

Quote from: Tranman on March 31, 2010, 09:54:39 AM

It's funny here bc we have a SAMs and Costco across the street from one another. So if I can't find something at Sams, costco usually has it. Our other SAMs and Costco are also within a 1/4 mile of eachother as well across town. I was really surprise to see the 1 Sams not carrying the same bread flou selection as the other. A

Wal-mart does a good job of only stocking things that make them enough money to be worth stocking. if they work out they don't make money selling something in a store, they won't sell it in that store. It doesn't matter what the store across town sells, though that's a factor when opening a new store.

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #11 on:** July 13, 2010, 11:52:03 AM »

Just to update this old thread, I have been experimenting lately with different flours and your comments have so much more meaning to them now Scott R.

I do ultimately like a lighter more tender crust with a crisp outside and this flour Rocks for that. I have achieved my "perfect" pie using this flour and a lower protein content BF from a local whole foods market. I will revisit using more BF's since I am getting more consistent in my dough handling methods and can produce better results than 3 months ago.

To make my perfect pies I'm currently baking at 700F for 3 min to 3.5min.

The flour I bought is bleach and bromated and is not carried by all Sams clubs. We have 2 here and only one of them carries it and I'm not sure they have it all the time. When I run out, I will may give the BFs another try but in the meantime, I'm very pleased with this flour.

Thanks again. I'm now searching for the protein content of this flour. If anyone knows, please post up. I'll post it here once I find it myself.

JT

pwaldman · « **Reply #12 on:** July 15, 2010, 10:35:30 PM »

I am a big fan of the ConAgra Kyrol which sounds just like the Sam's HG. It is bleached and bromated; protein is 14.0 +/-.3%. I like it better than All-Trump but that may just come down to personal preference; I think it handles easier.

Pete W

Chet · « **Reply #13 on:** July 16, 2010, 12:12:10 PM »

I recently finished a 50lb bag of GM Harvest King nice flour and GM Full Strength, I am tempted to try a bag of Con Agra Kyrol rather than the GM All Thrumps 50111, I'll make my mind up when I get to the supplier within the next few weeks, I still have 15lbs or so of KASL left.

Chet

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #14 on:** July 16, 2010, 12:23:27 PM »

What kind of pizza do you make Chet? Classic street style
NY? or something with a lighter crumb?

Pete W, thx for posting the protein content of the kyrol. I bet it's not too far off.

Chet · « **Reply #15 on:** July 16, 2010, 03:43:11 PM »

Quote from: Jackie Tran on July 16, 2010, 12:23:27 PM

What kind of pizza do you make Chet? Classic street style
NY? or something with a lighter crumb?

Jackie

I am now into the Neopolitan style round pies, 300gram about a 14" pie, also the sicilian with a 22oz dough ball, I was making chicago Deep dish for awhile, for now with the Peter Reinhart Neo Neopolitan recipe I am having good results on the tiles at 525 in Conv mode. also the black steel heavy pans are working nicely too with the Sicilian type pizzas.

Chet

Pete W, thx for posting the protein content of the kyrol. I bet it's not too far off.

scott123 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 01, 2010, 11:07:56 AM »

Chau, I did a little digging and think I found a protein content for Sams Baker's & Chefs bread flour:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/616426?tag=highlight-5335610;post-content-5335610#5335610

Quote

At Sam's Club of all places, I came upon a 25# sack of "Bakers & Chefs" bread flour for just $7.00. What the heck! A little research revealed it to be ConAgra's "Minnesota Girl" 11.8% protein enriched and bleached.

this post here:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10208/sam039s-club-flour#comment-107184

references the same information.

Pete-zza · « **Reply #17 on:** August 01, 2010, 11:34:37 AM »

From the King Arthur nutrition data given at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/professional/nutritional-analysis-bakery-flour.html, the Minnesota Girl flour looks to be fairly close to the KA Special flour, which is their commercial version of the KABF. I would imagine that the Minnesota Girl flour is bromated.

Peter

Jackie Tran · « **Reply #18 on:** August 01, 2010, 11:49:26 AM »

I'll see if I can't do some more research as well Scott, thanks for the links.

I have 2 Sam's club that are local to me. One carries this HG flour pictured above and the other doesn't. The other does carry the baker's and chef's bread flour (different bag) and the minnesota girl flour as well. But it has been months since I've visited either of those Sam's Clubs. If memory serves me correctly

there is a baker's and chef's bread flour and then there is a baker's and chef's HG flour.

Con Agra mills a variety of BF's an HG flours. I wonder if they aren't really just the same flours with different labels. I have also wonder if the SC's HG flour isn't really just the same as Con Agra's Kyrol HG flour.
http://www.conagramills.com/our_products/bakery_flours.jsp

Not scientific at all but working with this SC HG flour it seems to absorb more water than a 12% Protein content flour.

Chau

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #19 on:** August 01, 2010, 12:06:34 PM »

So many flours, so little time. It's a real PIA that so many of these flours have to be bought in 50# bags in order to try them and/or get them for a decent price. Maybe pizzamaking.com should think about repackaging these various flours into 5# bags and selling them to the membership as a fund raiser and service to the community. I'll bet it would be popular if shipping costs could be kept reasonable.