Flour will make or break your sourdough bread journey. I learned the hard way. Trial and error. Mostly error. 😔
Below is a list of bread flours that I have used extensively since those first 18 months of making (failed and flat) sourdough bread. These flours made the difference for me in sourdough and while they will encourage better results for you they have also changed as of 2024. The recent growing season in Australia has seen a drop of 1% protein in our bread flours, and while it falls within the rage accepted by those flour companies, it has affected even my own sourdough results.
I’ve added some notes to each of the below bread flours, on how to get the best results with each. If you buy a flour that I’ve listed as high protein and you find it too has changed, just use one of the hacks mentioned for the other flours. The easiest being, replace 50g of water in the bread dough with and egg. The other is to use a small amount of vital wheat gluten. 7-10g should suit most bread flours. Specific notes are provided below.
The majority of these flours are Australian and will make great yeasted bread also. Finding home-grown goodness is always a bonus!
If you live outside of Australia you can find the same information relevant to your country here.
While this list will be helpful, you won’t always have it on hand when you’re out shopping. So I want to let you know the easy way to recognise suitable flour, at a glance, without knowing brands, types of flour etc. And… surprise surprise, it’s not reading the name of the flour written on the bag!
Labels such as ‘bread flour’ or ‘strong flour’ are given by the company selling them. However they can be intended for yeasted bread, which gets its rising strength from bakers yeast, and these flours can be low (or high!) quality imports etc. The manufacturer may have their own definition of what’s suitable for bread making.
SO, HOW CAN YOU TELL WHAT FLOUR IS BREAD FLOUR WITHOUT GOING BY THE MANUFACTURER’S MARKETING?
Flour is required to display nutritional information on the packet. Look for the table that tells you the % percentage of salt, sugars, carbohydrates and… protein. It’s the little box that looks like this:
The protein content will give away whether or not the flour is suitable for sourdough and other bread-making purposes, even if the name on the packet says ‘bread flour’.
Any white (wheat), spelt, rye, wholemeal or other gluten-containing flour with 13% protein* will work for making sourdough (as well as yeasted) bread. But in the case of making good sourdough bread it will make all the difference to get this right. Flours such as rye and spelt and the wholemeal version of any flour type will make smaller, slightly denser (but not flat) loaves.
Some people use all-purpose flour for making sourdough bread and it’s all across the internet, but what ‘all-purpose flour’ is inside the packet, varies across the globe. In Canada, all-purpose flour is strong flour (high in protein) and suitable for making sourdough bread. In Australia, all-purpose flour is a completely different product – it is a 50/50 mix of low and high protein flours, making it too low in protein for sourdough and also too high for baking super soft cakes! It is multi-use though for decent cakes and weird but edible bread. It will produce a crumbly texture for cakes whose sloppy nature requires a cake tin to support it shape while baking. Using the same flour for sourdough will leave you with a wet, sloppy dough that doesn’t have much form and won’t rise in the oven. (Without all the help of eggs which a cake has). It will however be tasty!
*13% protein is 13g per 100g
Sometimes flour with 13% protein isn’t available at your local store. You should be able to get away with 12% protein in the flour however, I should warn you, anything less won’t hold the structure of the bread or rise very well in the oven. Sourdough needs strong flour to develop enough strength to rise your loaf and hold it up! This comes from the protein content in the flour.
If you live overseas, I won’t have access to the same flour as you but have put this list together to help you. However, it is the same helpful tip for you – simply look for flour with 13% protein and you’ll be singing alongside your sourdough bread. You may also be able to compensate for low protein by mixing 50/50 with wholemeal bread flour to boost the nutrient level for the sourdough starter and help it develop those muscles.
You can also add vital wheat Gluten to flour with lower protein content and make excellent sourdough bread. This is an easy and accessible solution. Vital Wheat Gluten is 76% protein and a little goes a long way and makes a very BIG difference. See my article: How to add vital wheat gluten to sourdough bread and listing below for where to purchase.
Wherever you live, don’t use bread mix for making sourdough bread. It’s designed for making loaves of yeasted bread and rarely has the amount of protein sourdough needs in the flour. Bread mix can also contain additives that are unnecessary for making homemade artisan sourdough. The packet may say show the mix as having 12-13%+ protein levels but you will usually find it’s due to seeds or other additions in the mix, it’s not usually from the flour.
A note about wholemeal and wholegrain flours when it comes to sourdough
Wholemeal, wholegrain and flours with fine bran and are not great flours to start your sourdough journey with. The tiny particles of wholegrain interrupt the gluten development and shorten the strands of gluten that allow your dough to stretch and rise with stability. Wholegrain and wholemeal flours also absorb more water than white flours. For my regular sourdough recipes, add an extra 60g water per loaf. While these flours are available with high-protein levels, producing sourdough breads that give you a lovely tasting, honey-coloured sourdough loaf, as mentioned, the doughs are not as stretchy as white. Used at 100% they ripen a little faster and rise a little less – both in proofing and the oven. You can mix with white bread flour for a larger, lighter loaf in any proportion. Sourdough will take the characteristics of the flour you add most of in the dough. E.G 20% Wholemeal and 80% White, the loaf will be more stretchy and stable due to the dominance of the white flour. Experiment to find your favourite blend.
I have tried every bread flour that I’ve come across in NSW and then some (including French imports). The below list is what I continue to use. None of my recommendations are sponsored or influenced in any way.
Brands don’t matter as much as protein content and freshness.
BREAD FLOURS AUSTRALIA WIDE
Online
AMAZON AU
Australia-wide delivery
White Australian Grown Bread Flours
Organic Premium Bakers White Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves
This has been my favourite go-to flour however, the current protein content is 12% and I can see the difference in my own loaves. To remedy this, add 7g vital wheat gluten for every 1kg of flour or replace 50g of the recipe water content with an egg. Produces a super tasty, resilient loaf of artisan sourdough bread.
Organic Unbleached Bakers Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves*
Current protein content is 12%. To remedy this, add 7g vital wheat gluten for every 1kg of flour or replace 50g of the recipe water content with an egg. Produces a super tasty, resilient loaf of artisan sourdough bread.
Stoneground White Heritage Flour (5kg)^^ Makes 10 Loaves
13.2% Protein. Wheat type from prior 1960 – unmodified. Contains fine bran. Flour is a pale pink.
Sustainable Stoneground White Bakers Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves
13% Protein. Produces results akin to wholemeal. See note^^ under wholemeal flours below. Being stoneground keeps the nutritional characteristics. Unbleached. Chemical-free. ASP Certified for sustainable grain and farming practices.
*Organic unbleached Bakers Flour will be great on its own. But if you like experimenting, you can add Vital Wheat Gluten. A little goes a long way. Get Vital Wheat Gluten from health food stores or online here: Amazon AU, or Amazon worldwide. Amazon is the cheapest I have found online. Follow my guide: How to add vital wheat gluten to sourdough bread
Wholemeal Australian Grown Bread Flours^^
Organic Whole-Wheat Bakers Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves.
This only has 12% protein. I recommend adding Vital Wheat Gluten (7g per loaf or 16g per kilo)
Sustainable Stoneground Whole–Wheat Heritage Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves
13.2% Protein. Wheat type from prior 1960 – unmodified.
^^Not for beginner (using at 100%) Flours containing fine bran, such as White Heritage Flour and wholemeal flours, absorb more water than their white counterparts. For my regular recipes add an extra 60g water per loaf. These flours have high protein levels but a different gluten structure due to the wholegrain. Doughs tend to be more coarse, sticky and not as stretchy when the flours is used at 100%. They also have less oven spring and a slightly denser, but still soft interior (crumb). You can mix these flours with white bread flour if you want a larger, lighter loaf. To start, try 80% white and 30% wholegrain.
Rye flours
Organic Rye Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves. Rye loaves are naturally smaller, flatter and denser unless combined with wheat bread flour.
Spelt flours
Organic White Spelt Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves^
Organic Wholemeal Spelt Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves^
^Spelt is naturally high in protein, however, it will produce a flatter loaf due to less gluten. White spelt will produce a soft open interior. Wholemeal will be denser and flatter still. Both can be mixed with wheat bread flour for a higher rise if desired. I suggest starting with 80% white and 20% spelt see what you think and go from there. Any proportion is ok however spelt flour responds to water differently so the more spelt in the mix, the wetter your dough will be with the same amount of water. A wet dough is not an issue, it’s just not for beginners. It can be difficult to work with, For a 100% spelt loaf, that is easy to work with and has no kneading, see my recipe here.
BASIC INGREDIENTS
Australia-wide delivery
Brero White Bread Flour (1kg) Makes 2 loaves.
Brero White Bread Flour (10kg) Makes 20 loaves.
Brero Rye Bread Flour (1kg) Rye flour will not rise as much and will produce a lovely, but slightly smaller, denser loaf. Makes 2 loaves.
White spelt flour (1kg) Makes 2 loaves
French Flour
T65 Campaillette Des Champs flour from France (1kg) Makes 2 Loaves*
*THIS FLOUR MUST HAVE VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN ADDED. I’ve included it because I love anything French!! It’s not a sourdough flour BUT can be used magnificently for sourdough bread if you add Vital Wheat Gluten. The crumb is greyish (like the bread I first fell in love with) and the flavour is slightly ashy. The protein level of T65 flour is 10% and I got nothing but flat bread when I first tried it. However, adding Vital Wheat Gluten (46g per kilo for this flour) changed all that! You can get Vital Wheat Gluten from the same store. Follow my guide: How to add vital wheat gluten to sourdough bread and you will have make some wonderful no-knead sourdough.
THE SOURCE BULK FOODS (50+ stores Australia Wide)
Online or in-store. Also available in UK, New Zealand, Ireland & Singapore
Unbleached White Spelt Flour 1kg makes 2 loaves
Organic Bakers White Flour 1kg makes 2 loaves
Australian Wholemeal Bakers Flour 1kg makes 2 loaves
HONEST TO GOODNESS
Home delivery
(Cost varies depending on your location. Free for orders over $100 Sydney Metro)
Organic Premium Bakers White Flour (roller milled) (5kg) Makes 10 loaves (As of 2024, protein content is much lower than previous years. To remedy, you’ll need to add vital wheat gluten (7g per loaf or 16g per kilo))
Organic Premium Bakers White Flour (roller milled) (12.5kg) Makes 25 loaves (As of 2024, protein content is much lower than previous years. To remedy, you’ll need to add vital wheat gluten (7g per loaf or 16g per kilo))
Organic Unbleached White Spelt Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves. White spelt is a naturally flatter loaf, still with an open interior.
Organic Wholemeal Spelt Flour (5kg) Wholemeal spelt is a naturally flatte, denser loaf.
Organic Whole Rye Flour (5kg) Makes 10 Loaves. Rye loaves are naturally smaller, flatter and denser unless combined with wheat bread flour.
Sustainable White Heritage Flour (5kg) Makes 10 loaves
Sustainable White Bakers Flour (stone ground) (5kg) Makes 10 loaves
Supermarkets
Supermarket bread flours don’t contain quite 13% protein.
The percentage of the below supermarket bread flours are between 11-12%. Notes proved for making the most of each brand.
WOOLWORTHS
Online or instore, Australia-wide delivery
Lighthouse Bread & Pizza Plain Flour (1kg) AND Lighthouse Bread, Pizza & Tortilla Wholemeal (1kg) Makes 4 loaves. You need to mix these two flours 50/50. The wholemeal gives extra nutrients to the sourdough and helps it rise with the low protein levels. 4 loaves (2x 1kg packets).
Defiance White Bakers Flour (5kg) Makes 10 loaves. This was my personal go-to flour for a decade, but as of 2024, it no longer contains12.5% protein but 11.7%. The lesser protein content produces an acceptable loaf of sourdough, albeit the crumb is tighter and the loaf is flatter than what I am used to. To remedy this, add 9g vital wheat gluten for every 1kg of flour or replace 50g of the recipe water content with an egg. Produces a super tasty, resilient loaf of artisan sourdough bread.
Some Woolworths stores also offer Lauke Wallaby Baker’s Flour (5kg). This flour has LOW protein and produces fine, but basic results. Your loaf will be smaller, denser, have a lighter coloured crust and slightly less flavour.
COLES
Online or instore, Australia-wide delivery
Lauke Wallaby Baker’s Flour (5kg). This flour has LOW protein and produces fine, but basic results. Your loaf will be smaller, denser, have a lighter coloured crust and slightly less flavour. Makes 10 loaves.
Lighthouse Bread & Pizza Plain Flour (1kg) AND Lighthouse Bread, Pizza & Tortilla Wholemeal (1kg) Makes 4 loaves. You need to mix these two flours 50/50. The wholemeal gives extra nutrients to the sourdough and helps it rise with the low protein levels. 4 loaves (2x 1kg packets).
Make your own bread flour
Vital Wheat Gluten can transform inferior flour into something fairly magical. I have been using it to boost bread flours that are at the lower end of the protein scale with noticeable improvement. A little goes a long way! So if you are limited in with options for bread flour. not all is lost. You can make your own, with whatever flour you have available.
Follow this guide to match the amount of Vital Wheat Gluten you need for the flour you are using.
See: How to add Vital Wheat Gluten to sourdough bread.
Where to get VItal Wheat Gluten
Australia: I’ve found the cheapest online is from Amazon AU or try health food stores.
All other countries also try Amazon worldwide or your local health food store.
Grow the list!
If you find a flour that works and isn’t listed here, contact me with the name of the flour, the brand and where you bought it from and I will add it to the list! If you have a link to the item online, even better! Let’s make getting what you need for amazing sourdough as easy as possible! #community
Make sourdough bread the easy way
If you’re new to sourdough or bread making and are looking for an easy way to dip your toe in the water of artisan baking without the blood sweat and tears of the learning curve, all the sourdough bread recipes on our site are uniquely designed to avoid making flat sourdough bread while doing less. A loaf of sourdough bread takes less than 15-minutes hands-on time, including feeding. *Fist pump!!
Make an authentic loaf of homemade sourdough bread (and pizza!) without kneading, using the window-pane test, autolysing or other time consuming learning curves. This is all about being easy.
There is a beautiful catch to our sourdough starters as well. I’ve made them so you don’t have to maintain them regularly.
There are no courses to take, no baker’s yeast to add, no bread machine to own, no experience to have!
I’m all about easy Sourdough.
If you have a sourdough starter try the traditional recipe here. If you need a sourdough starter, grab some of my 14-year-old sourdough starter. Included is our recipe process, flour recommendations and is ready to bake in approximately 3 days.
I am passionate that anyone, anywhere should be able to make their own sourdough bread easily.
I’ve created a new brand specially for foodies. Visit my Etsy store: Enfoodiest
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The Big Deal About Flour and Sourdough
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