Fisher Flour

In 1993 I moved from Vashon Island near Seattle and drove to buy the 50# lb bags of various flours at Fisher Mills. I had a pizza recipe that was written up in Seattle times. It used a combination of 2 flours that they sold. (One of them might have been Mondako.) I also used their gluten flour for pure gluten bread. I was in heaven with their flours.

Now that I live in Virginia I have never been able to buy anything that comes near the quality of their flour. It would be interesting to know what products actually did use their flour. I use King Arthur now and like it, but nothing compares to that flour in Seattle.

I recall at one time that there was a sell-out before and there was rumour that a home baker could no longer buy flour there, but a few months' later when I went back, it WAS available. I wouldn't give up on them. It might just take them a while to get it together to realize that home-bakers depend on them.

Good luck, Dee

If you really can't buy direct from the factory, ask them for the name of a wholesale restaurant supply house and buy from them. You may pay a dollar or two more, but what's a couple of dollars spread over 50 pounds compared with not being able to get the flour.

Another alternative is to find a friendly bakery or bagel shop and ask them if you can place an order with them from time to time.

Barry

At first I cried. Then I realized that lacking the ability to buy their "Power" bread flour, I could now buy an even better one: WheatMontana. I can buy it at Whole Foods for $4 for 10 pounds. A much higher gluten level for making bagels.

WF is also a great source for special price KA AP flour. TJ's also is a good source for KA. I buy wonderful rye flour (Rodgers) accross the border in Canada. That is also a great source for Robin Hood AP flour. You can buy the 25 pound sacks of RH at Costco.

I remember the name Morbread, but cannot remember what it was.

It seems that Costco stores carry different flour brands. I don't even want to become accustomed to buying flour there as it changes. Janet

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. By the way, has anyone heard whether the quality standards are being maintained since the change of hands? I was told that one reason for the reliability of the flour was that sampling went on throughout the run rather than just at the end.

Thanks again,

Carolyn

barry wrote:

Yeah, it really frosts me to read about all you people buying those good flours at Costco and all I can get in the local Costcos (I've tried three) is some Conagra or ADM 10% "bread flour." And the price isn't all that great to boot!

I've asked the managers what's going on and all I got was a hum-a-da hum-a-da answer. I guess it's the same old story -- it's what the customers ask for or what they'll buy.

Barry

If you can afford two memberships, try BJ's as well (I got in on a membership special and will renew at full price) if you have any in the area. BJ's does carry King Arthur flour 10# $3.69, where I shop in Fairfax, VA and in Palisades Shopping Center Exit 12 going north in NY on Hwy 287 where I shop sometimes. Sometimes I get scared when they are down to the last few bags and wonder if they will ever get any more, but they haven't so far.

One year, some time ago Costco had the best 100% semolina in 25 or 50# bags. I bought a bag. It was getting low and I asked if they would be getting more. I listened to this guy who said, we'll always carry it. Of course -- they didn't ever carry it again. [And it was CHEAP, too!]

Dee

You know, maybe we are working this the wrong way around. There was one time when I was successful getting a food product back into Costco and it has been there ever since. I called and emailed the home office of the producer, told them how much I loved their product, there wasn't another around that was as good, there wasn't anywhere else I could get it, I'd been a faithful customer for years, da-da,da-da, da-da, you get the idea. Would they please work on Costco to carry it again? I actually feel guilty now every time I walk past the sausages and don't buy a package. Oh, I specified the particular Costco store to the sausage-maker home office. Janet

When my local grocery store spent months-upon-months to revamp their store (Martin's - owned by Giant), I never saw King Arthur "Bread Flour" again. I hunted down the manager and told him that every good baker used King Arthur. Within a couple of weeks, it was back in the store. I know the feeling of requesting something in a store, thinking I should buy some each time, feeling responsibility for its being on the shelf. I can only HOPE that it will be there tomorrow, and hopefully I will take no responsibility for its not being there if it isn't.

Crossed fingers, Dee

To borrow from a quote attributed to Yogi Bera:

If people aren't buying something, how are you going to stop them?

Or the following "dedication" from a book of humor published in the nineteenth century:

This book was written by the authors and pubished by the publishers to be read by the readers. If it is not successful, the responsibility must lay with those who did not buy it.

from History and Records of the Elephant Club by Edward Underhil and Mortimer Thompson New York. 1857.

Cheers, The Old Bear