The people who come in and out of my kitchen with any regularity notice two constants on my counter: my King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion, and a few bags of King Arthur Flour Unbleached All Purpose Flour. The close observer would also note that I also have a bag of King Arthur Flour Easy Roll Dough Improver on my “flour shelf,” along with a few other specialty ingredients I often use.

So what’s the deal with my King Arthur Flour obsession? It’s really quite simple. It is THE BEST flour on the market. And you don’t have to take my word for it. It’s the flour Martha Stewart uses, and it’s the flour all of my hipster-baker friends use, too.

During this past Thanksgiving, I had a table of about 10 people to serve. I made my famous Amish Dinner Rolls, and the compliments just kept coming. When I make my Raspberry Butter Braid, my ego is constantly stroked with praise and love for the pastry. And while I am all too happy to accept the love lavished upon me and my baked goods, deep inside, I know it’s the flour.

King Arthur Flour has an onslaught of technical information on their site, but the bottom line is this – they use the finest wheat from U.S. soil, their flour has a high protein content (better for making breads rise), and they are 100% employee owned. The noticeable difference in the taste and texture of my baked goods is remarkable. I absolutely refuse to use any other flour, despite the fact that King Arthur Flour, in my geographical area, runs about $5.00 for five pounds. I could pay far, far less for the store brand, but when it comes to flour, you truly get what you pay for.

At this point, I am probably sounding like a leader of some crazy baking cult, but I am okay with that. Once you make the switch, you can never go back.