It is always good to see side-by-side comparisons showing results of different approaches; I generally really gravitate to those posts. That said, two years ago, the blog was filled with posts about finding ways to adapt to limited ingredient availability and still be successful making bread. I find the shift in tone embodied by this post a little disconcerting, even if the supply chain is somewhat improved at the moment.
Yes, results will probably be better when you use the flour called for, but the message that comes through this particular blog post struck me as: "Don't have the exact flour called for in a recipe - forget it!" I really don't think that's the message KA wants to be giving potential and actual customers. Given a few other recent KA marketing misses, I decided to comment on this.
I know, the mission of KA is to sell more flour and of different types, and the Blog is here to help that mission. But the encouraging support of those other blog posts made me feel less of a customer and more of a friend in a community, getting the benefit of those with more (and different) experience. Let's not forget all the KA recipes that include explicit substitution notes of "Don't have X on hand? - use Y!"
On the plus side, this blog post has pushed Pan de Cristal and Milk Bread to the top of my list of "to try" recipes as I abandon sourdough bread. (The only sourdough bread recipe that worked at all for me in more than a year of attempts was Pain de Campagne. And yes, I used scales and tried everything in the Sourdough Guide and contacted the Hotline, to no avail).
And I do hope first-time contributor Jennifer returns and shares more of her experiences!
September 22, 2022 at 4:04pm
It is always good to see side-by-side comparisons showing results of different approaches; I generally really gravitate to those posts. That said, two years ago, the blog was filled with posts about finding ways to adapt to limited ingredient availability and still be successful making bread. I find the shift in tone embodied by this post a little disconcerting, even if the supply chain is somewhat improved at the moment.
Yes, results will probably be better when you use the flour called for, but the message that comes through this particular blog post struck me as: "Don't have the exact flour called for in a recipe - forget it!" I really don't think that's the message KA wants to be giving potential and actual customers. Given a few other recent KA marketing misses, I decided to comment on this.
I know, the mission of KA is to sell more flour and of different types, and the Blog is here to help that mission. But the encouraging support of those other blog posts made me feel less of a customer and more of a friend in a community, getting the benefit of those with more (and different) experience. Let's not forget all the KA recipes that include explicit substitution notes of "Don't have X on hand? - use Y!"
On the plus side, this blog post has pushed Pan de Cristal and Milk Bread to the top of my list of "to try" recipes as I abandon sourdough bread. (The only sourdough bread recipe that worked at all for me in more than a year of attempts was Pain de Campagne. And yes, I used scales and tried everything in the Sourdough Guide and contacted the Hotline, to no avail).
And I do hope first-time contributor Jennifer returns and shares more of her experiences!