Here Are 5 Easy Ways to Use Up That Huge Bag of Costco Flour You Bought During the Pandemic
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It seemed like a perfect idea. Costco had that 25-pound bag of all-purpose flour, and you thought you had won the pandemic lottery. But unlike some of your pals, you never really went down the baking rabbit hole, swamped with work or managing the homeschooling, and already up against just getting three meals a day on the table, and suddenly, you find yourself all these months later with about 20 pounds left, and are wondering if it is all going to go to waste.
Fear not! There are some great things to do with that flour that will set you up for all sorts of future success. All you need is some freezer and pantry space! Here are 5 steps for making the most of that big bag of flour.
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1. Pre-make some mixes!
For starters, make some containers of homemade pancake mix! Having the dry ingredients ready to go will make weekend pancakes as simple as adding the liquid ingredients and getting the pan hot! Not a pancake person, but love cakes or brownies? Take your favorite recipe and pre-batch the dry ingredients to save steps when you want sweets.
2. Make pie crusts to freeze
Now set yourself up for some future pies, quiches, and galettes by making a big batch of pie crusts. I will make quadruple batches of both flaky pastry crusts and sweet pate sucrée crusts and freeze in discs of dough for fast bakes whenever I want them. Just wrap well in plastic wrap and store in a zipper bag. Then thaw overnight in the fridge when you want to bake!
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3. Make a few batches of biscuits to freeze
Love biscuits and scones but never have time to bake them fresh for breakfast? You can make the dough, cut and shape and freeze, then bake fresh directly from frozen! Now fresh biscuits or scones can be a weekday treat! The same goes for homemade toaster waffles: Just make the waffles, freeze uncovered on a sheet pan, then store in a zip top bag for quick morning carbs.
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4. Make and freeze cookie dough!
Still got flour left in that big bag? Now it's time to make yourself some cookie dough. I will do a combination of slice and bake logs and pre-scooped balls, for future cookies any time I want them. Freeze logs wrapped in plastic. For balls, scoop out onto a parchment lined sheet pan and freeze uncovered until solid, then store in a zip top bag with the type of cookie and the temp and time for baking written on the bag in Sharpie. For sliced cookies, thaw in the fridge overnight; for balls bake straight from frozen.
5. You can even make and freeze dough for rolls, pizza, and crackers!
Finally, remember that doughs for breads like dinner rolls or other doughs like pizza dough or homemade cracker dough can be frozen as well. For leavened doughs, do the first rise, then punch down and freeze in airtight containers, for unleavened doughs just mix and store. Then thaw in the fridge overnight, form and do the second rise or roll and cut and bake.
Once you start using up your flour in anticipation of future baking or cooking, you'll find that the big bag was a great investment after all!
