Dominique Ansel’s T55 Pastry Flour Is Now Available Stateside

A baked good is only as enjoyable as the flour it’s baked with. And if anyone can confirm that, it’s James Beard Foundation Award Winner Dominique Ansel, named the World’s Best Pastry Chef by World’s 50 Best. 

“Flour is one of the important things when it comes to baking,” Ansel tells Food & Wine. His preferred flour, sourced from century-old French milling company Grands Moulins de Paris (GMP) has been a staple in his kitchen since he was a young cook in France. Ansel imports it Stateside specifically to use at his eponymous bakeries. And as he approaches the publication of his third cookbook this October, Life’s Sweetest Moments: Simple, Stunning Recipes and Their Heartwarming Stories, he wanted to actually help his fans recreate his recipes in the way they’re meant to be baked and eaten.

“Everyone asks what type of flour I use, but it can’t compare to what’s on the market,” Ansel says. “Getting recipes is one thing, using quality ingredients is another. If you have a great recipe but not great flour, you won’t get the same result.” He likens heirloom wheat flour to using heirloom tomatoes — a salad with sad mass-produced tomatoes is nowhere near as luscious and tasty as the heirloom equivalent. Same with pastry. Mass-produced, over-processed flour can’t create the same high-end, delicate pastries Ansel is known for. 

Thus, the celebrated inventor of the Cronut is launching his own flour for home cooks and professionals alike this summer. Dominique Ansel’s Pastry Flour created in partnership with GMP will be the first time this beloved French flour is available to consumers stateside. 

The Pastry Flour is a T55 flour, a soft wheat flour that is milled to a finer texture than traditional all-purpose flour. Beyond traditional French pastry and viennoiserie, Ansel recommends using it for pancakes, pound cakes, or really any baked goods you want to be fluffy and light. While the taste is similar to all-purpose flours, the difference is palpable via the consistency. “It’s all about the texture,” Ansel says. “If you want to make something really delicate, you’ll get a great result.” 

Equally as exciting as its contents is the packaging. Dominique Ansel’s Pastry Flour comes in a cardboard carton, not dissimilar to milk packaging. It’s shelf-stable, and a resealable cap helps keep the product fresh and prevent spills when pouring. 

While only professionals previously had access to this type of flour, it can be used just as easily as any other flour, and substituted in any recipe that calls for all-purpose flour or pastry flour. Ansel notes that thanks to the quality of wheat, special harvesting and agriculture practices and importing costs, the price of this specialty flour is higher, but worth it, especially for creating a special treat. “I’m excited that people can use my flour and enjoy its high quality,” he says. 

The new flour will be available nationwide via Amazon, DominiqueAnselOnline.com, and Dominique Ansel Bakery and Workshop locations in New York City on July 17.