HECKERS AND CERESOTA UNBLEACHED FLOUR have been established brands since 1843 and 1891, making them among the oldest trademarks in the food industry. The strongest sales areas for Heckers have always been New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Ceresota Flour is equally strong in Philadelphia, Chicago and Milwaukee.

To make wheat into flour, the wheat is first cleaned, then tempered, ground and sifted a number of times before it is packed into flour bags.

Specifically, the main difference in Heckers and Ceresota from other flours is that its protein content is generally higher, and it is not chemically bleached. Other flours use bleaching agents or compounds of one type or another to hasten the natural whitening process. Bleaching takes away the natural creamy color and changes the starch components of the flour.

The unbleached factor, coupled with the selection of better wheats containing higher protein, gives Heckers and Ceresota Flour better baking characteristics in yeast breads, cookies, pie crusts and cakes.

“Enrichment”: All flour is enriched to Government standards as printed on the side panel of each flour bag.

“Pre-sifted” and “Sifted”: Terms seen on flour packages. All flour is sifted at least six to eight times during the actual milling; therefore, all flour is really “pre-sifted” prior to packaging. “Pre-sifted” is used as a selling point and has confused the industry and presumably, the consumer. All flour packs down during packaging and shipping, thus recipes should recommend that flour be sifted before measuring for your recipes.

“Protein”: Hard wheat flour, such as Heckers and Ceresota, contain more protein than soft wheat flour. Protein is a measurable gluten content of flour. The gluten is a most important consideration in baking. It is developed by the manipulation or kneading after liquid has been added to the flour mixture. The gluten gives the dough the elasticity generated by the interaction with yeast that permits bread or cake to rise. In general, the lower the protein content, the less volume in yeast baked products.

People are concerned that we are super-refining the life out of our food.

We start with the best grain available. The flour whitens naturally - no chemicals, no bleaching agents, bleaching hastens the natural whitening process, no bromate.

Heckers and Ceresota have more protein than other leading brands and that means more bounce in the oven and better texture.