Are your flour costs rising? (no pun intended)

[Alfredo]

Funny how long it took for the higher prices to work their way through the system to the retail level (this thread was started last year). Like any commodity bubble, this one had already burst by the time it entered into the consciousness of the public at large. The wheat that was (very briefly) $24/bu in February is just over $9 now.

The "psychology of fear" caused hoarding and hoarding added to the shortages and people panicked - understandably so, since we are looking at a food staple for much of the world. When it's all over and the supply/demand balance returns to normal, we may even be able to see the unintentional humor in stories like this: globeandmail.com: Global shortage has panicked consumers running wild for Canadian rice that isn't

[MoonshineBaker]

I paid $16.04 for a twenty-five (25) pound bag of Giusto's Baker's Choice Unbleached Organic Flour on 9/24/07. For the same product, I paid $21.85 on 4/18/08. There have been several bags in between these - and each has cost more. That's a 36% increase in 6 months. Organic red winter wheat berries have followed a similar price increase. At least we can still get flour- unlike some places on our planet where there are food riots due to the lack of basic foods.

[Frances]

That's what I've been thinking, too... It costs more, but hey, its still in the shops and affordable! That's a small problem compared with what a lot of people are going through.

[dmun]

Here's an interesting video from the NY Times about the effects of high flour costs on a bakery in Afghanistan. One of the fascinating things is watching them use the ovens, which are big tandoor like ovens in the floor, form the ridgy loaves, and mix the dough by hand in a huge stone trough.

An Afghan Breadmaker's Struggle | New York Times Video

(Not to be insensitive to the plight of the Afghans...)

[Wiley]

Update on prices:
On May first I purchased 25 lb bags of Bronze Chief hard spring wheat berries at Walmart for just over 11 dollars a bag. Today the price was just over 15 dollars for the same bag.

Good news is that Costco has 50 lb bags of bread flour back in stock at the same price they were when they ran out of stock some weeks ago...$19.99. I wonder how long that price will hold?

Wiley

[MoonshineBaker]

For the last few months I've been able to find five pound bags of King Arthur flour at reduced prices in a local natural foods store. This store, Natural Selections in Grass Valley, CA sells food that is going to be outdated in 2-3 months. I purchased both the "All-Purpose" and "Bread" flours for $3.55 per five pound bag. The "best if used by" dates on these bags were for December of this year. This store is about a mile from where I normally purchase Giusto's flours. Given the "good deal" on the KA, I've not been using the Giusto's much. The KA is different though in that they add malted barley. The bread I make seems to come out in the same ball park weather I use KA or Giustos-with me adding malted barley to the latter. More time and experience with the KA may change my opinion???? NOTE: using the KA all purpose flour for bread makes for a lighter loaf - not as rustic as flour with a higher gluten content......Richard
P.S.- At another small health food market, my wife found a five pound bag of KA bread flour that was almost at the end of its best if used by date for $1.99. At another local big grocery store, the same KA flour sells for $6.99 for a five pound bag with a "best if used by" date in late September, 2009. I don't think using flour whose shelf life is almost over should be a problem????

[Wiley]

For those following flour's ups and downs, Costco's 50 lb bag of flour is back down to $15.99. I still haven't finished the first 50 lb bag! but I have run out of my small stash of Stone Buhr.
Wiley