Reference

Artisan Flour Absorption Index & Specs

Sixteen bags from the mill. Protein and ash from the spec sheets; the safe and max hydration numbers count your starter too. Open a flour's page or load the bag straight into the calculator.

16 of 16 flours

• King Arthur

  Bread Flour

  Malted

  Protein

  12.7%

  Ash

  0.52%

  Safe 72%Ceiling 78%Failure

  Unbleached hard-red spring wheat. The default American high-gluten bag — malted, strong, and predictable in a taut skin.

  Use: Country loaves, baguettes, pan bread

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• King Arthur

  Unbleached All-Purpose

  Malted

  Protein

  11.7%

  Ash

  0.48%

  Safe 68%Ceiling 74%Failure

  Softer than KA bread. Fine for sandwich loaves; a 75% “high hydration” mix here is already into caution.

  Use: Sandwich loaves, enriched doughs, pie-adjacent breads

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• King Arthur

  Whole Wheat

  Malted

  Protein

  13.8%

  Ash

  1.55%

  Safe 78%Ceiling 86%Failure

  Hard red winter wheat, bran intact. Drinks more than the protein number suggests; autolyse 30–45 min.

  Use: 100% whole-wheat boules, 10–30% blends

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• King Arthur

  White Whole Wheat

  Malted

  Protein

  13.0%

  Ash

  1.40%

  Safe 76%Ceiling 84%Failure

  Hard white wheat, bran intact, milder than red whole wheat. A whole-grain loaf that still tastes like bread.

  Use: Mild whole-grain boules, 20–40% blends

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Central Milling

  Organic Artisan Bakers Craft

  Unmalted

  Protein

  11.5%

  Ash

  0.50%

  Safe 68%Ceiling 74%Failure

  Unmalted organic bread flour. Extensible, quiet enzyme profile — baguette and ciabatta flour, not a wet country mix.

  Use: Baguettes, ciabatta, lean doughs

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Central Milling

  Organic Artisan Bakers Craft Plus

  Malted

  Protein

  12.8%

  Ash

  0.52%

  Safe 72%Ceiling 78%Failure

  Malted ABC. The mill’s daily sourdough flour — color, oven spring, and a ceiling that matches KA bread.

  Use: Daily sourdough, country loaves

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Central Milling

  Organic Type 82

  Unmalted

  Protein

  12.2%

  Ash

  0.82%

  Safe 74%Ceiling 80%Failure

  High-extraction cream flour. More ash and flavor than white, still a gluten net — pain au levain territory.

  Use: Pain au levain, rustic bâtards

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Central Milling

  High Mountain

  Malted

  Protein

  13.8%

  Ash

  0.54%

  Safe 74%Ceiling 82%Failure

  High-protein organic. Built for open crumb at hydration that would puddle a weaker bag.

  Use: Open-crumb country, bagels

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Bob's Red Mill

  Artisan Bread Flour

  Malted

  Protein

  12.5%

  Ash

  0.50%

  Safe 71%Ceiling 77%Failure

  Unbleached hard red wheat, grocery-aisle available. Treat it like a slightly milder KA bread.

  Use: Home sourdough, pizza, pan loaves

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Bob's Red Mill

  Dark Rye Flour

  Unmalted

  Protein

  10.5%

  Ash

  1.70%

  Safe 80%Ceiling 100%Failure

  Whole-grain rye. Protein here is not gluten — pentosans drink the water and the dough is sticky by nature, not by mistake.

  Use: Rye loaves, 10–30% blends, pumpernickel-adjacent

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Bob's Red Mill

  Whole Wheat Flour

  Unmalted

  Protein

  13.8%

  Ash

  1.50%

  Safe 76%Ceiling 84%Failure

  Stone-ground whole wheat. Bran cuts gluten; blend 15–25% into a white base or hydrate like a whole-grain loaf.

  Use: Whole-grain loaves, 15–30% blends

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Caputo

  00 Chef's Flour (Red)

  Unmalted

  Protein

  13.0%

  Ash

  0.55%

  Safe 64%Ceiling 70%Failure

  Stronger 00 for longer ferments. Still a tipo 00 ash cap — do not chase sourdough-boule hydration.

  Use: Roman pizza, high-hydration focaccia

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Caputo

  00 Pizzeria (Blue)

  Unmalted

  Protein

  12.5%

  Ash

  0.55%

  Safe 62%Ceiling 68%Failure

  Classic Neapolitan 00. Extensible, fine mill, low ceiling — a 75% “country” mix here is a puddle, not a pie.

  Use: Neapolitan pizza, focaccia

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• Caputo

  Manitoba

  Unmalted

  Protein

  14.5%

  Ash

  0.55%

  Safe 70%Ceiling 78%Failure

  High-W Canadian wheat, Italian mill. Panettone and long-ferment strength without American malt.

  Use: Panettone, long-ferment pizza, strong lean doughs

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• General Mills

  Gold Medal Better for Bread

  Malted

  Protein

  12.0%

  Ash

  0.50%

  Safe 70%Ceiling 76%Failure

  Widely available malted bread flour. A notch below KA bread; stay near 70% true hydration for a skin.

  Use: Sandwich loaves, weeknight sourdough

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs

• Giusto's

  Peak Performer

  Malted

  Protein

  13.5%

  Ash

  0.52%

  Safe 73%Ceiling 80%Failure

  Bay Area bakery staple. Strong enough for an open country loaf without jumping to hi-gluten.

  Use: Country sourdough, baguettes

  Load into Sourdough CalculatorView Full Specs