For the first couple of years of my sourdough journey, I was a loyal customer of King Arthur bread flour. It’s dependable, well-behaved, and—thanks to its higher protein content—produces exactly the kind of chewy crumb I like. Compared to all-purpose flour, it’s simply in another league when it comes to structure and consistency. Every recipe I built around it worked. No drama, no surprises.
And that, in a way, became the problem.
At some point, I realized I wanted to move away from what I can only describe as “industrial predictability.” Not because there’s anything wrong with King Arthur—there isn’t. In fact, if you’re starting out with sourdough or you’ve found your groove and like your results, I’d recommend it without hesitation. It does exactly what it promises, every single time.
But bread isn’t only about performance. It’s also about character.
After baking yet another loaf with 100% King Arthur bread flour—beautiful rise, airy crumb, crust just the way it should be—I had to admit something: it still didn’t taste like the bread I had in mind. Calling it “disappointing” would be unfair. The bread was excellent. But it wasn’t that bread.
The reference point in my head was a loaf I used to get at an Italian restaurant in Northampton, Massachusetts—Spoleto’s. Darker, chewier, full of flavor, with a depth that made you slow down whether you wanted to or not. It didn’t rely on theatrics like exaggerated oven spring or Instagram scoring. It just tasted right.
I had a suspicion early on: the difference wasn’t technique—it was the flour.
That bread didn’t behave like whole wheat, and I was fairly certain it wasn’t. It had too much structure, too much lift. But it also didn’t taste like standard white flour. Somewhere in between. Which led me down the predictable rabbit hole: local mills, stone grinding, small-batch flour.
What I found was… mostly whole wheat.
Plenty of stone-milled options, but nearly all of them leaned heavily into whole grain. Valuable, no doubt—but not what I was after. I wasn’t trying to bake a dense, nutritional statement. I wanted that balance: strength and flavor.
Then I came across Ground Up in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
They offer stone-milled flours across the spectrum—including a bread flour. That caught my attention immediately. Finally, something that might bridge the gap.
But a bit of digging made it clear: even when both are labeled “bread flour,” King Arthur and Ground Up are not playing the same game.
And that’s where things started to get interesting…
At first glance, both flours carry the same label—bread flour—but that’s where the similarity largely ends. What separates King Arthur from a stone-milled flour like the one from Ground Up is not marketing or branding, but the entire philosophy behind how the grain is handled.
King Arthur bread flour is roller-milled, a process designed for efficiency and consistency. The wheat kernel is stripped down to its endosperm, removing the bran and germ. What remains is a fine, uniform flour with a tightly controlled protein content—typically around 12.7%. The result is exactly what most bakers expect: strong gluten development, elastic dough, reliable fermentation, and highly predictable outcomes. It is flour engineered for performance, and it excels at that role.
Stone-milled flour follows a different path. Instead of separating the grain into parts, the kernel is ground more holistically. Even when labeled as “bread flour,” it tends to retain small amounts of bran and germ. These components introduce not only additional flavor but also complexity. The natural oils from the germ and the mineral content from the bran contribute to a fuller, more layered taste—something that refined flour simply cannot replicate.
But this comes at a cost, at least from a technical standpoint. Those same bran particles that add flavor also interfere with gluten formation. They act almost like tiny blades within the dough, slightly weakening the gluten network. As a result, the dough may feel less elastic, less forgiving, and sometimes harder to shape. Even if the protein content on paper is similar, the functional strength of the dough is different.
Water absorption behaves differently as well. Stone-milled flour tends to take up more water due to its composition, but not always in a uniform or predictable way. A dough may feel firm at first, then relax unexpectedly as hydration redistributes. Fermentation can also be more active, driven by the higher enzymatic activity and nutrient availability. In practical terms, this means the dough requires closer attention. Timing becomes less rigid, and intuition plays a larger role.
Then there is consistency. With King Arthur, what you baked last month is what you’ll bake next month. With a small mill like Ground Up, variation is part of the product. Differences in wheat source, harvest conditions, and milling batches can subtly influence the flour. For some, that variability is a drawback. For others, it is precisely the point.
In the end, the distinction is simple: one flour is designed to behave, the other to express.
The Differences in an Overview
Core difference:
This is not just brand vs. brand — it’s industrial roller-milled flour vs. small-batch stone-milled flour.
- Milling process
King Arthur: roller-milled
Ground Up Grain: stone-milled
Impact:
- Roller milling removes bran and germ → cleaner, more uniform flour
- Stone milling retains more of the whole grain → more flavor, but more variability
- Grain composition
King Arthur: refined (mostly endosperm)
Ground Up Grain: closer to whole grain (even if labeled “bread flour”)
Impact:
- Ground Up Grain contains more bran and germ particles
- These physically interfere with gluten formation
- Protein and gluten behavior
King Arthur:
- ~12.7% protein, tightly controlled
- Strong, predictable gluten
Ground Up Grain:
- Likely similar protein range, but less standardized
- Gluten strength is effectively lower due to bran
Impact in dough:
- King Arthur → elastic, extensible, very forgiving
- Ground Up Grain → slightly tighter, more fragile structure
- Water absorption
King Arthur:
- Absorbs water predictably
Ground Up Grain:
- Absorbs more water (bran + germ), but not always evenly
Impact:
- Dough may feel dry at first, then slack later
- Requires adjustment and experience
- Fermentation behavior
King Arthur:
- Stable, controlled fermentation
Ground Up Grain:
- More enzymatic activity (fresh milling, more nutrients)
Impact:
- Ferments faster or more actively
- Can overproof more easily if you’re not careful
- Flavor
King Arthur:
- Mild, neutral
Ground Up Grain:
- Noticeably richer: nutty, slightly sweet, sometimes earthy
This is the biggest advantage of the stone-milled flour.
- Shelf life
King Arthur:
- Long shelf life
Ground Up Grain:
- Shorter shelf life (natural oils from germ can go rancid)
- Consistency
King Arthur:
- Extremely consistent bag to bag
Ground Up Grain:
- Can vary depending on wheat source, season, milling
Bottom line
King Arthur:
- Performance flour
- Predictable, strong gluten, easy to work with
Ground Up Grain:
- Flavor flour
- More complex, less predictable, requires adjustment
Practical takeaway for your sourdough
- If you want reliability → King Arthur
- If you want flavor → Ground Up Grain
- Best approach → blend (e.g. 70–80% KA + 20–30% Ground Up Grain)
That gives you structure without losing the character of the grain.
Take your sourdough baking beyond the basics with Hannah Dela Cruz’s inventive and highly practical collection of recipes. From rustic loaves and soft sandwich breads to flatbreads, crackers, pasta, breakfast staples, and desserts, this book shows how to make the most of both your active starter and your discard.
A self-taught baker, Hannah has a way of making sourdough approachable without oversimplifying it. She walks you through the entire process—from creating and maintaining a starter to baking your first successful loaf—then gradually expands into a wide range of recipes that build confidence and skill without feeling overwhelming.
Her recipes strike a balance between classic and creative. You’ll find familiar breads like a Whole Wheat Country Loaf alongside more adventurous options such as Mexican Hot Chocolate Rye or Semolina Chili-Cheddar Loaf. There’s also a strong focus on breads that fit into everyday life—Honey Butter Rolls for sandwiches, or enriched and filled breads like Sweet Potato–Cardamom Buns, Garlic Butter Couronne, and Cherry-Chocolate Babka.
Where the book truly stands out is in its approach to discard. Instead of treating it as a byproduct, Hannah turns it into an opportunity. Her discard recipes cover everything from breakfast and snacks to pasta, dumplings, cakes, cookies, and desserts—each one making practical use of what would otherwise be thrown away, while adding that subtle sourdough depth of flavor.
Whether you’re just starting out or already comfortable with sourdough, this is the kind of book that keeps you baking—not because you have to, but because you’ll want to try what’s next. More information…
