www.sausagemaking.org

what flours have improvers already in them, i was ging to try some out i tend to use tesco own brand or allinsons

lidl sell" family favourite bread flour ", it already has bread improver in it and makes good bread

It depends what you mean by improvers, all flour in the UK, other than 1OO% Wholemeal, contains additives:

http://www.valuedns.co.uk/pages/truth_about_flour.asp

All flours other than 1OO% Wholemeal must have a specified amount of chalk added to them. This became law following an outbreak of rickets in Dublin in 1941. In addition to the chalk it is compulsory to add certain specified amounts of Iron, Thiamin (vitamin B1) and Nicotinic Acid to all flours other than wholemeal. Some consider that this is little more than a token attempt to make up for the many items missing from flour that is not wholemeal.

I hope this helps.

Phil

Waitrose Leckford Estate Strong bread flour is good but I use flours from Shipton Mill http://www.shipton-mill.com/Home.html almost exclusively. They sell over the internet and delivery is free if you order 24kg or more. Also, delivery is included in the price of the larger bags. I cannot get the kids to eat much other than white bread so I buy Organic number 4 in 16kg bags for 15.50 GBP.

The flour doesn't have improver but doesn't seem to need it - I add about 1.5g of ascorbic acid to mixes using wholemeal flour and they seem to come out OK (so long as you don't ask the kids).

Sounds good. I buy flour from my local mill through local distributers and curse them for not doing offsales. Maybe I should just pick up the phone and ask them..

Dave

I think that all white flours will have the additives I mention above - they just don't have to be listed on the packet.

Phil

Phil

You'll soon be able to add Folic Acid to that list if the bureacrats get their way - not that it will have direct benefits for the majority of the population though.

Richard

Improver is a term usually associated with an added ingredient that will enhance the gluten level of the flour. Often cheap flours with low protein levels are used in bulk bread making, an improver is nothing more than vital wheat gluten (vwg), when added to cheaper low protein flours, it increases the gluten levels. Improver is a very general term and can include other ingredients or additives. But if your looking for improved gluten levels, just by vwg and add it to your apf (all purpose flour). By the way if you buy a good quality flour, there is no need to get one with any improves. as actually with improvers your only buying a lower grade flour with additives to bring it up to normal protein levels, just another marketing hype.