Availability of Central Milling Co. Flour (with digression on Chicken Cacciatore)
Several TFLers (myself included) have had good experience with flours from Central Milling Company (affiliated with Keith Giusto Bakery Supply) in Petaluma, California. In particular, I have been loving CM's Organic Artisan Baker's Craft flour for baguettes and other hearth breads, and I and Brother David have been very happy with CM's Organic Type 85 flour for miches. KGBS provides flour to some of the best artisan bakeries in the Bay Area and beyond. When I went to pick up some flour in November, I met Nicky Giusto (the "front man" for Keith Giusto Bakery Supply) and he is a great guy, very committed to making artisan organic flour available to all interested bakers. He spent quite a while describing their numerous products and recommending specific flours for specific applications.
After David's exuberant review of CM's Organic Type 85, a number of questions came up about the availability of KGBS flours. I spoke with Nicky today and got some answers.
It has been mentioned that CM mills the AP flour and whole wheat flour that Whole Foods sells under their 365 label. Nicky confirmed that Whole Foods' organic all-purpose flour is their Organic Beehive Unbleached Malted All Purpose flour, and it is available in all Whole Foods Markets. Nicky said he thinks this flour is the best they produce for making baguettes. Whole Foods organic whole wheat is also from KGBS. And Whole Foods' conventional (inorganic?) all-purpose flour is another KGBS product, Gilt Edge All Purpose.
It has also been noted here that COSTCO in some Bay Area stores carries CM flour.
Beyond the flours available through Whole Foods and COSTCO, Nicky says that his regional distributors are not really set up for small orders (under $500). KGBS will sell direct to home bakers any of their flours that they have broken into 5 pound bags. These are available either to pick up (best to call ahead) or by UPS shipment if it is an order of 20 pounds or more. Different flours are available at different times. When I was there, he had 5 pound bags of about 6 or 7 different flours.
Nicky also said that they hope and expect to make more flours available in small quantities in the future, but for now they have their hands full with their primary business of supplying bakeries. It's clear that KGBS wants to get their good flour into our kitchens, but it may take some time to get their packaging and shipment systems in place.
I'm just glad I get to Petaluma often enough to keep my pantry stocked.
KGBS/Central Milling's phone number is 866-979-2253.
Here's a link to a previous discussion about Central Milling: (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/14044/my-visit-central-milling).
Glenn
Thanks, Glenn!
Another question has come up in some discussions, and you shared the answer with me on the phone this morning: CM supplies WFM nationally. So, WFM 365 brand flours are from CM, regardless of where you buy it, not just in Northern CA.
David
I guess I was insufficiently emphatic when I said::
I could have added: "all across these United States of America" or "even in Waukegan" (I like rhyming, but I'm not sure there is a WFM in Waukegan).
In any case, you are welcome for information. It's always a pleasure talking flour with Nicky. I hope some day soon to hear him say he has 30 kinds of flour in bulk bins.
Glenn
I can only plead distraction by the aroma of the Pollo (Chicken) Cacciatore simmering in the background. (Very highly recommended.)
David
But apology accepted, David.
I have a chicken of indeterminate fate in the fridge. Maybe I'll Cacciatore it. That recipe looks good, but I like lots of celery in my Cacciatore.
Should be the perfect compliment to my variation on SF Sourdough that's rising now.
Glenn
It's the oil-cured olives and the capers that give this recipe its specialness.
I usually make half a recipe but with twice as much garlic. I use chicken thighs and sometimes bone-in breasts, not whole chickens. It makes enough for 2 meals for 2, with sauce left over. The sauce is wonderful with pasta or rice.
Just make sure to simmer it until the sauce thickens (about 40 min.).
Enjoy!
David
I make Chicken Cacciatore 5 or 6 times a year, but have never made it with olives. Since Cat (who dislikes olives and mushrooms) is in Australia this week, I think Mr. Chicken is going to learn Italian tonight. I think I have some red wine around here somewhere.
Glenn
In the interest of international-interspecies understanding, in Italian, "to cluck" is "chiocciare." You never know when you might need to know these things.
Boun appetito!
David
Gesundheit!
Maybe Italian chicken soup would help.
Glenn
What a wonderful idea, David. The Chicken (which ain't been clucking--in any language--for several days) smells incredible, especially with San Francisco Sourdough in the oven at the same time. The sauce is delicious, but needs another 15-30 minutes to thicken a bit (coincidentally, that's when the SFSD will be cool enough). I left out the capers, but added celery and parsley, and I used meaty green olives. Any recipe worth following is worth following not quite precisely. This will be demonstrated when I blog about the SFSD.
Thanks.
Glenn
I always buy the 365 flour but I'd love to get it in bulk. I'm really ignorant about flour types, can you recommend a set of standard bread and whole wheat that I should consider requesting if I called CM?
Someday I'll understand the different types but for now my intro to the world of starters is keeping my brain busy enough!
Bob--
The best source of recommendations would be Nicky Giusto. He knows his products and seems like a straight-shooter. His number is in my initial post above.
My own experience is limited to the Artisan Baker's Craft (malted), which I love for hearth breads and pan breads, and the Organic Type 85, mentioned above. Nicky says the Beehive Malted (the one sold as organic AP at WFM) is his favorite for baguettes. For very high protein (14%) bread flour, they offer the High Mountain Hi-Gluten.
I have not tried their whole wheat flours, but Nicky recommended the Hi-Protein Fine, as one of his favorites of their products.
Glenn
Does anybody have the mill specs on the 365 AP flour?
My Portland Costco had Central Milling Organic AP in packages of 2 ten lb bags.
They provided next day delivery to me, since I am about 200 miles from the Petaluma warehouse. It's a lot faster than deliveries from KAF. Of course, if I lived in Vermont ...
David