Am I the only one who thinks bread flour is overhyped for most bakes?

I was in a baking group on Facebook last week and someone said you can't make good sandwich bread without King Arthur bread flour. I use all-purpose from the store brand for everything and my loaves come out fine. My husband can't tell the difference when I do side by side tests. Has anyone else tried swapping flours without ruining a recipe?

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tarab541mo ago

Three years ago I switched to all-purpose for everything after my bread flour went stale and I didn't want to buy another bag. My banana bread, dinner rolls, and sandwich loaves all turned out just as good. I honestly think the difference only matters for fancy artisan breads with super high hydration.

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parker_campbell1mo ago

Tarab is right. I've been doing the same thing for two years now and nobody in my house has noticed. The only time bread flour made a real difference was when I tried making ciabatta and it came out like a hockey puck anyway. AP flour works fine for 90 percent of what people actually bake at home. Bread flour is just a marketing gimmick for people who want to feel fancy.

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