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PANICKING OVER FLOUR

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD PANIC OVER THE FLOUR I USE IN CLASS. IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE MATTERED THAT MUCH IF I ONLY BAKE BREADS FOR EATING, BUT WHEN YOU SELL AND USE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF FLOUR THAT YOU HAVE TESTED FOR YEARS, IT DOES MATTER. BIG TIME.

LAST WEEK'S CLASS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THE DISPARITY BETWEEN TYPES OF FLOUR IN THE MARKET. I HAVE BEEN USING THE SAME FLOUR FOR YEARS AFTER MY SHORT STINT AT PUREFOOD'S AND WHEN THIS BRAND RAN OUT FROM MY USUAL SUPPLIER, I MADE DO WITH THE AVAILABLE BRAND.

MY FIRST IMPULSE WAS TO TEST THE FLOUR BEFORE USING IT IN CLASS. IT TURNED OUT WELL, I TESTED IT USING A HIGH RATIO FORMULA AND THE FLOUR'S ONLY NOTICEABLE CHARACTERISTIC IS THAT THE WATER ABSORPTION IS QUITE LOW, IN FACT WAY TOO LOW FROM THE ONE I REGULARLY USE.

I MADE SEVERAL RECIPES USING THE FLOUR AND AGAIN, THE BREADS LOOKED FINE IN TERMS OF THE VOLUME AND CONSISTENCY. BUT WHEN I GOT TO THE CINNAMON ROLLS, THE FLOUR BECAME A DIFFERENT ENTITY. BOY, IT REMINDED ME OF THE TIME WHEN I WAS STILL TEACHING MYSELF WHAT A DOUGH LOOKED LIKE.

THE BREADS DID RISE, BUT THE VOLUME IS WAY TOO SMALL. SO THIS IS WHERE THE PRICE FACTOR COMES IN. I THOUGHT I COULD GET AWAY WITH USING THIS VERY CHEAP FLOUR BUT I WAS IN LIMBO, IT WAS JUST WISHFUL THINKING. I AM NOW IN PANIC, I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO BUY MY FLOUR. WELL I DO KNOW BUT I HAVE TO GO TO CUBAO OVER A SACK OF FLOUR?

OKAY SO IT WAS A GOOD THING MY SISTER'S DRIVER TRAVELS THE SAME ROUTE SO HOPEFULLY I CAN ASK HIM TO BUY IT FOR ME.

THIS FLOUR I AM TALKING ABOUT IS NOT AT ALL THAT BAD. IT JUST WAS NOT RIGHT FOR THE KIND OF RECIPES I TEACH, TO BE FAIR, IT IS SUITED FOR LOW SUGAR, FAT AND EGG RECIPES.

MAYBE I CAN MIX IT WITH A MUCH HIGHER OR STRONGER FLOUR. I AM NOT MAD OVER HAVING TO COME ACROSS THIS KIND OF FLOUR, IT IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE. WHAT I AM MAD ABOUT IS THE PRICE DIFFERENCE!!! ONLY 10 PESOS FROM THE ONE I USE AND 20-40 PESOS FROM THE MOST EXPENSIVE FLOUR.

I SUSPECT SOMETHING SINISTER REGARDING THIS, AND I WOULD ONLY POINT A FINGER INTO THE SO CALLED "PROFIT MARGIN" WHEN IT COMES TO SELLING FLOUR. I BOUGHT THE SAME FLOUR LAST MONTH, APRIL AND THE SACK COST 706 PESOS, A MONTH LATER IT BECAME 800 PESOS!! A WHOPPING 94 PESO HIKE IN THE PRICE!!!

WHAT IS THIS? THE HIGHER MUCH STRONGER FLOUR OVER AT JUBILEE IN CUBAO IS SELLING FOR ONLY 810 PESOS, AND WELLINGTON AT P840.00. COME ON. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS STORE, BUT IF DTI STOPS THEM F ROMSELLING FLOUR, WHERE WILL I GO? CUBAO AGAIN?

HERE'S TO MAKING DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. HURRAY.

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