Flour - where has all the flour gone?

[NemophilistRebel]

Are people hoarding it? It’s been 4 weeks since I’ve managed to get any

Ideally bread flour but I’d settle for plain

I tried doves farm direct but they say they’ve been so busy they have stopped selling to public too

I was listening to a thing the other day about flour mills working overtime to meet demand.

Sadly, I think a lot of this hoarded flour will end up as food waste.

Mine might end up in the waste but I’m trying to make myself use it. I bought 1 bag of each type of flour for the occasional baking I do prior to hoarding kicking in.

I went to make bread from a mix and needed to dust the surface. My plain flour was so old it had weevils 🤢. I emptied out anything out of date and restocked

This was before the shortages though but I have zero motivation to bake. I will try though!

I’ve also struggled to get flour. I got some from an Asian mini market. They had a huge choice and prices weren’t inflated.

Yes not seen any for weeks, think everyone had same idea, if can't get bread, have flour on hand.

I think in normal times the demand for flour is fairly stable but these times have knocked everything out of kilter. Everyone has had the same idea at the same time to have a bag of flour in the cupboard.

It's a bit like the toilet rolls. It doesnt take much extra demand to make it look like a shortage on the shelves.

I’m not in the UK but the shelves are empty of flour here too. I’ve been trying to get hold of some so I can make my ds’s birthday cake next week but struggling at the moment.

I bought one bag of plain and one of self raising about three weeks ago as DH said he would be doing some baking to sustain him while wfh so that is two extra bags that probably wouldn't have been otherwise bought, also parents are probably baking with their children who would normally be at school.

I couldn't get flour for love nor money but I will make do with the dumpling mixture I have got already. Not ideal but better than nothing!

We can get flour either, something we regularly buy usually.

All the M&S sandwiches, Greggs food etc etc that is normally eaten, now isn't there, so there's bound to be more home baking.

This is the one thing I was really irritated about. I was working away, when I came back the home baking section in Waitrose looked like it had been looted! It's stayed that way for flour. I'm baking less than normal.

Same here in France, no flour left, although there were a few bags of the more expensive local organic left. I think more people are baking their own bread and making cakes because they are at home. A lot of other cake decorations and baking products are also out of stock.

My kids are staring at screens all day. Yesterday dd made pizzas for lunch, tomorrow we’ve threatened hand made pasta. She’s made shortbread and ginger biscuits this week too. She would cook normally but only once a week maybe? So higher demand in the absence of us going to school and work and eating there.

There much in bigger supermarkets at the moment but I always manage to get it in the coop or local butchers etc or even the local corner shops. I bake lots so always have a few bags in the cupboard.

We been baking at home more often. Before we used to be to busy and it been very nice to bake and teach dc how to bake/ with a lot of supervision as they are to young to do a lot them self. But they love measuring and adding things. It is a nice break from the screens and with all the self isolating we did we needed some positive distractions to fill our time.

I’ve managed to finally get flour this week but still can’t get yeast.

I’m baking so much less because it’s just me and DH in the house....normally, I bake and take the majority into work to share....obviously can’t do that now.

I'm debating posting an ad on Facebook offering to trade toilet roll for a bag of flour

Wish I had enough of that to trade

I can’t even make Yorkshire puddings or toad in the hole

DH bakes regularly. I got flour in ASDA but haven’t seen icing sugar anywhere for weeks.

Weirdly I wanted self raising flour but could only get plain on my online shop so I bought baking powder and bi carb when it came they substituted it for self raising.

I had a look this week and Tesco online had all types, I didn't buy anymore though. I guess no one's using it in my area

I have flour, but my yeast expired in 2018.

I bought plain and self raising and pleased I did. Already baked two banana breads and two Victoria sponges.
Going to make pie, quiche etc - find I get more creative as the shopping gets devoured.

@missynomer, if your yeast is the freeze dried sachet sort, it’ll be fine. Mine is 2017 and works no problem.

We have a bread maker which DH uses but not been able to as no bread flour or yeast for weeks. Never had a problem getting these items before