Twenty years ago, King Arthur Flour was a regional flour company. Beloved by New Englanders, we weren’t known outside the Northeast.

These days, King Arthur Flour can be found on supermarket shelves in all 50 states. We’re the top-selling organic flour in the country, as well as #1 in sales for whole wheat flour and bread flour. And our unbleached all-purpose? Well, we’re #2 to Gold Medal, but we’re gaining ground fast. And you know what they say about being #2—we try harder! (more…)

It’s not often these days manufacturers get a chance to announce good news about food prices. I’d like to share with you a letter from Michael Bittel, our senior VP and general manager of the Flour division at King Arthur Flour, announcing an immediate price decrease on flour. By carefully watching the wheat market and making some very smart buys, we have been able to secure a supply of high-quality wheat at better than expected prices. This means we can mill the flour at better than expected cost and pass the savings on to our direct customers, the retailers from whom you buy your groceries. (more…)

Once upon a time, there was a Baker’s Store in Norwich, Vermont. Now, this store had a rug on the floor that had been there since the building was built many years ago. And, like the rug in your family room, years of food spills, muddy shoes, and the day-to-day traffic of life and commerce had stained it, wrinkled it, and worn it threadbare. It was time for the rug to go—but how could The Store close for an extended period in the middle of summer, when all of the bakers from far and wide come to visit? The answer was—it couldn’t. (more…)

Last week in this location PJ confessed to her birthday vice: Pepperidge Farm Coconut cake. Well, today is PJ’s birthday, and I took advantage of her being out of the office last week to create my version of that cake so we could have it on hand as we serenade her properly on this momentous occasion. It had to be square, it had to be coconutty and moist, and in this case, it’s coming out of the freezer (where it’s been hiding) just like it does in the store!

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Have you seen the latest Saveur magazine? Gotta love it. It’s packed with gorgeous photos; I mean, total eye candy. The writing’s fine; the subjects are compelling, both to foodies and travelers; and the writing is calm and friendly. (more…)

Every school year King Arthur Flour goes out into the community teaching and inspiring children to bake. Our Life Skills Bread Baking program, aimed at middle-school aged children, provides the tools, tips and techniques needed for successful scratch bread-baking. And we even throw in the flour and yeast! (more…)

The same conditions that create the horrific road conditions that mark mud season in Vermont have a positive side: sugaring.

The 2008 syrup crop in the Sands’ kitchen.

When the nights are below freezing and the strengthening sun combines with above-freezing temperatures, during the day, the maples begin to thaw and the sap to starts to run. (more…)

Vermont has a reputation as a quirky little state, and not without reason. Many of our daily concerns make no sense whatsoever to the country at large. There’s choosing your date for the annual ice-out contest on Brookfield Pond. Making sure your application is in on time for the moose-hunting license lottery. Deciding how soon you can safely swap out your snow tires for the summer set. And not least of all, how bad will this year’s mud season be? The road you see here is just the beginning of what mud season looks like near my house. (more…)

Who knew there was such a crying need for this? I just got this email: “I’m writing to ask if you know of any recipes for Amaretto cake or Harvey Wallbanger Cake that don’t require a cake mix. I’m a from-scratch baker and I’m looking desperately for one! If you can help, that’d be great!! Thanks, Chavi Samet, Israel. So I promptly googled Harvey Wallbanger scratch cake and found no less then ten plaintive cries for a real, honest-to-Pete cake recipe that didn’t start with a box mix. (more…)

King Arthur Flour: we deliver quality.

BUMMER! That’s what I thought when I heard the news that wheat prices had risen even higher and faster than the experts had predicted last fall. The cost of wheat, per bushel, is now more than triple what it was last April. In fact, the cost of wheat has doubled just since last month. WHEW! (more…)