The Worst Flour For Bread And Cookies Is Not The One You'd Expect

There can be an overwhelming amount of flour options to choose from when you're perusing the baking aisle, and many of them include brands you grew up with. Nostalgic and familiar names such as Pillsbury may be sitting in your kitchen cupboard right now; however, when Chowhound set out to test nine of the most popular flour brands and rank them from worst to best, surprisingly, Pillsbury showed up last.

As our tester worked their way through the most popular flour brands, some patterns emerged. The weaker flours in the list often produced flatter cookies, loaves with less chew, or products with an overall lack of flavor, and Pillsbury was the worst offender. It's not that it was unusable, but compared with better flours, the results just didn't hold up. Test bakes made with it came out overly wet or slack (even when the recipes were followed exactly), and the end results leaned more cake-like than chewy.

Because of its performance, our tester concluded that Pillsbury might work better for light cakes as opposed to than anything that needs strength or stretch. It would probably be a great flour to use if you're whipping up quick pancakes. Using cake, bread, or all-purpose flour changes baked goods pretty substantially, and a good all-purpose flour sits right in the middle. Unfortunately, Pillsbury just doesn't pass the test.

If you compare the Pillsbury flour features to others on the list, like King Arthur flour, Chowhound's crowned winner, the difference is vast. King Arthur produced evenly baked and flavorful goods with a better rise and more structure, perfect for sourdough, and despite its high protein content, there's no risk of it turning cookies overly hard or chewy.

This detailed flour analysis proves that just because a brand is iconic doesn't mean it's the best. This is especially true when it comes to baking goods like cookies and bread, where structure and taste are really going to matter in the final product. The main benefit of Pillsbury is probably just that it's affordably priced, which makes it appealing for anyone who is looking for a bargain. 

You may even have it in your home from a previous trip to the store. If so, you should certainly finish it off before moving to better options. Just don't forget to check when flour expires, especially if it's been sitting in the pantry for a while. If you've been consistently using Pillsbury and blaming yourself for your less-than-desirable baked goods, it may be time to shift the blame — and swap out your flour.