Matthews Traditional French T55 Bread Flour

Best flour I have found (and I have tried at least 20) for bread making, including some bought in France (I am French). I use a version of Jim Lahey's method and this produces a golden, tender crumb with an excellent crust. The taste is out of this world, the perfect balance between yeasty and savoury. A reviewer said that because of the additives the flour is not suitable for a long rise: this is not correct. The dough does collapse with an 18h rise but rises again once in the oven. Having said that, it is possible to use the flour with very good result with a shorter rise (7-12h): the taste is a little less pronounced but the rise is slightly better. I won't be using anything else for baguette/bâtard/campagne breads (for Campagne, cut it with 1/5 rye flour). I do not have a bread machine but would imagine that it will do very well so long as the cycle is not too long (otherwise it might over-proof, which isn't a problem with the Lahey method because you shape the bread again but would lead to flatter bread in a machine). PS: my baguette/bâtard recipe: Note that this is a no-knead, very high hydration dough inspired by Jim Lahey's recipe for sourdough. The adaptation works fantastically well for baguette. Also note that it is easiest prepared in a Lekue silicone bread baker (on amazon, an excellent investment). 2 1/2 cups of Matthews T55, 1 1/4 tsp sea salt crystals (not ground salt), 1/4 tsp (yes, you read correctly, no more) SAF gold yeast (or SAF red but gold gives better flavour), about 35cl water. Mix everything to a very soft dough. The dough will NOT hold together, this is normal. Cover and let rise 17-8h. After 18h, use a dough scraper (not your hands, otherwise you'll be washing them forever) to lift and fold one side the dough on the other. Turn the bowl by a quarter, repeat about 6-8 times. Each folding gives the dough more strength for the rise. Don't overdo it though. The dough still won't hold together, that's required for a soft and flavoursome crumb. Scrape into the Lekue bread baker (check this out on amazon: these silicone bakers are great. I use 1 for a bâtard, 3 for three thin baguettes), close, cover with a dishcloth and let rise for 45mn. Place on a baking tray and bake 43mn at 235°C in a fan oven for the bâtard, 25mn for the baguettes. Unmold straight away and let cool on a rack. The bread will 'sing' as it cools. Alternatively, bake in a pre-heated cast iron pot as recommended by Lahey. You'll get a bit more rise but it's a lot more faff!

Many other flours now use a mix of English, French and Canadian flours in the mix and still call it type 55. Being gluten sensitive I can't tolerate that and it took ages to work out why. The change has been unannounced. This however is really good. We use it for bread in a bread-maker, making french sticks, Focaccia, Ciabatta, Pizza and sponge cakes and puddings. . well everything you would use flour for really all are really light and fluffy. Excellent every time. 5 stars from me !

Best flour to use when making baguettes.

Excellent quality French flour and perfect for making authentic French baguettes. Perhaps not quite as good as the T65 bio farine de blé I've been using, but my stock of flour bought in France was exhausted and I thought I'd give this a try. A simple mix of yeast, salt, sugar, water and flour, plus a few hours rising and proving and the baguettes were ready to bake. And after just 20 minutes in a very hot [240°C] steamy [add water or ice into a tray at the bottom] oven one had lovely crusty baguettes. Delicious.

Although milled in the Cotswolds the flour is made from imported softer French wheat which is milled to the French T55 specification, and it makes a big difference when baking baguettes. Our normal bread flours are from harder wheats with higher protein contents; strong Canadian bread flours are about 13 per cent, this flour is 10 per cent. That means the flour has a lower gluten content which in turn means a more open texture. You can use the baguette recipe on the bag or whatever your bread maker suggests for French bread which should be just four ingredients, flour, water, salt and yeast – whether dried or fresh makes no difference in my experience, yeast is yeast, although fresh yeast might make you feel a bit more artisan. To add a French touch you can have a longer prove and rise, which can improve flavour, then knock the dough back, form and shape and rise again ready for baking in a hot oven. You can even leave to prove overnight in the fridge. The flour creates crusty baguettes which have a soft, open textured centre which are about as close as you are likely to get at home to fresh baked bread from a Parisienne boulangerie.

Arrived as stated the day after order and well packaged. Normally not keen on extra wrapping but essential for flour. Arrived in good shape. All that I need now is to use it to make croissants! Update: this is the first time I ever tried making croissants! This flour is perfect for the job! Will be ordering more !

Note that this is real French Wheat Flour. It is not from the UK as stated on the package. It is only milled by FWP Matthews in England. Otherwise it is French wheat flour which is important when making bread. Do not use a bread maker like some idiots here have been doing. Do the the traditional way. Just flour, salt, yeast and water. That's it. Look on line for recipes that require no kneading. There's too much crap in other bread flours. The French have preserved their wheat stocks for over 200 years with mixing it with other strains. And that is why its still pure. I have a wheat intolerance. And I cannot eat bread made normal wheat flour but I have no problems eating this flour. I've been making breads and everytime it has come out perfectly. Sad that its currently out of stock. I need my bread fix !!

If you like to make baguettes and croissants French flour is a must. This is a really top quality good value product. I use it now for all my bread making including in the bread machine. Try using it with fresh yeast and it takes your bread to another level.