American vs Canadian ingredients

[Kerry Beal]

Thank you all for the excellent information.

Kerry, please.  American flour contains more / less protein?  So this makes what kind of difference in baking what?

Next time in Sobeys I'll get Western dairy.

Perhaps I have never used beet sugar at all....

(still not getting any notification of this thread although still noted as receiving said)

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Canadian tends to have higher protein content - which results in more gluten as I understand it - which probably also explains why RLB cake recipes were always tough and dry for me.

[Darienne]

Thank you all for the excellent information.

Kerry, please.  American flour contains more / less protein?  So this makes what kind of difference in baking what?

Next time in Sobeys I'll get Western dairy.

Perhaps I have never used beet sugar at all....

(still not getting any notification of this thread although still noted as receiving said)

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Canadian tends to have higher protein content - which results in more gluten as I understand it - which probably also explains why RLB cake recipes were always tough and dry for me.

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Thanks, as always.

[sugar plum]

I've been interested in this difference between Canadian and American flours for awhile. Most of my baking cookbooks are American and I have had a few flops along the way (blaming the flour not my abilities, of course!).

I was at a baking class last week by Nick Malgeri and he spoke about it (he hates Canadian flour, quelle surprise!). It's sparked my interest when he said he didn't like King Arthur flour but never disclosed which AP flour he used himself.

This past weekend, I did a little research on Cook's Illustrated and they actually recommend KA's unbleached and Pillsbury when compared to other American brands like Gold Medal and Lily White. I think you can buy KA flour at Whole Foods here in Toronto. Is it really worth it? Frankly, I usually make do with Robin Hood or whatever is on sale.

[CaliPoutine]

I think you can buy KA flour at Whole Foods here in Toronto. Is it really worth it? Frankly, I usually make do with Robin Hood or whatever is on sale.

I used to buy KA before the big wheat price increase. Then, I realized since I bake a lot of cookies, I was really wasting $$ on it. I switched back to Gold Medal for cookies/cakes. However, If I'm making bread, I prefer KA AP or bread flour. I also really love their white whole wheat. I bought some Robin Hood Nutra Blend ( half white, half wheat) and I hated it. My muffins were horrible( blaming the flour and not me!!). I dont know, maybe its a mental thing since I grew up with American flour and thats what I learned to bake with. I swear though, when I use Canadian flour, my stuff just doesnt come out right.

[Pam R]

I've used Canadian flour (Robin Hood for as long as I can remember) for most of my life (exception: brief 3 years living in the US ), and because it's all I've ever used, I'm don't have any problems with it. But, the thing is, I've used plenty of American recipes with my Canadian flour and not had any problems. Now, I haven't tried biscuits. . .

[prasantrin]

I've used Canadian flour (Robin Hood for as long as I can remember) for most of my life (exception: brief 3 years living in the US ), and because it's all I've ever used, I'm don't have any problems with it.  But, the thing is, I've used plenty of American recipes with my Canadian flour and not had any problems.  Now, I haven't tried biscuits. . .

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I've never had any problems, either, but I think if one were to do a side-by-side comparison, one might see a difference, especially with cakes.

[Alex]

And speaking of sugar, the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce that's sold in Canada (and, I assume, in GB) is made with sugar. In the U.S., it's high fructose corn dreck, er, syrup. I think it makes a difference, as do others.

[Tri2Cook]

Does anybody happen to know if Robin Hood Best For Blending Flour is basically the same critter as Wondra? The R.H. website describes it as "Best For Blending Flour is milled using a special process to provide you with a granular flour that blends easier into wet or dry ingredients with less dusting or clumping than regular flours. It can be used in any recipe that calls for all purpose flour and is an ideal thickening agent for sauces and gravies". Sounds pretty much the same to me.

[Kerry Beal]

Does anybody happen to know if Robin Hood Best For Blending Flour is basically the same critter as Wondra? The R.H. website describes it as "Best For Blending Flour is milled using a special process to provide you with a granular flour that blends easier into wet or dry ingredients with less dusting or clumping than regular flours. It can be used in any recipe that calls for all purpose flour and is an ideal thickening agent for sauces and gravies". Sounds pretty much the same to me.

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Yup - it's basically the same.

[Tri2Cook]

Thanks Kerry!

[Pookie]

I always understood the difference in Canadian and American flours to be - in Canada "All Purpose Flour" is roughly what Americans would consider "Bread Flour", at least in terms of protein contents.

American "All Purpose Flour" is a blend of High and Low protein flours and thus lower in overall protein content.

Of course, I am Canadian and don't ever remember cooking with anything other than our flour so what do I know!

And as a Note - I love the Western?Liberte dairy products! Especialy the yogurts. Even my local No Frills carries them. I have given up on the other brands and buy those exclusivly.