From Long Wharf barrels to a Vermont employee-owned mill
King Arthur Baking Company began in 1790 as Henry Wood & Company, importing flour at Boston's Long Wharf. In 1896, Sands, Taylor & Wood named the flour King Arthur at the Boston Food Fair. After nearly two centuries in Boston, the firm moved to Norwich, Vermont, in the 1980s and later opened a bakery and baking school there. Frank and Brinna Sands started selling the company to employees in 1996; the sale finished in 2004. It is now 100 percent employee-owned. In 2020 it became King Arthur Baking Company and adopted a wheat-crown mark. The flagship is 135 US Route 5 South, Norwich, Vermont 05055. Offices are at 58 Billings Farm Road, White River Junction, Vermont 05001.
Ownership is an ESOP, not a slogan. King Arthur has been 100 percent employee-owned since 2004. Public notes on the plan have described eligibility for people who work more than 800 hours in a year after their first year. The company has been a Certified B Corporation since 2007 and is a Vermont Benefit Corporation. CEO Karen Colberg states that care for craft, bakers, and community still guides the firm. Wheat for the wheat flours is grown on American farms and milled in the United States. Signature white flours are unbleached, never bromated, and free of artificial preservatives, with third-party non-GMO certification. That record explains a higher bag price; it does not make every loaf succeed.
The protein number on the bag is the product
The product you are actually buying is the protein figure on the front of the bag. Unbleached All-Purpose Flour is milled to 11.7 percent gluten-forming protein. Bread Flour is milled to 12.7 percent, which the company calls a point higher than other national brands and useful for yeast breads, rolls, pizza, and bread-machine loaves. Unbleached Cake Flour is 10 percent protein, low enough for a finer crumb. Company bakers write that the printed percentage is meant to match the flour inside, because swings in protein change water uptake and loaf height. If a supermarket house brand never prints a target, recipes tested on King Arthur flour can misbehave when you swap bags.
White wheat flours, other than whole wheat, are aged about two to four weeks after milling so they lighten without bleach. Many grocery brands still use bleach or potassium bromate; King Arthur says it uses neither. All-Purpose bags list unbleached hard red wheat flour plus an enzyme for yeast performance, noted as not from animal products. Research bakers run mill checks and bake tests, including sandwich loaves judged on height, crumb, smell, and taste. Golden Wheat Flour and Climate Blend Flour use wheat grown with regenerative practices. Organic All-Purpose and Organic Bread Flour sit beside conventional bags. The point is a more predictable bag than a bleached blend that can shift from mill run to mill run.
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, SKU 301050, 11.7% protein, five-pound bag listed at $6.95 on 16 September 2026
- Bread Flour, SKU 304105, 12.7% protein, five-pound bag listed at $6.95 the same day
- Unbleached Cake Flour, SKU 300004, 10% protein, listed at $6.95
- Gluten-Free Measure for Measure (SKU 200725) $10.95; Gluten-Free All-Purpose $7.95; Gluten-Free Bread Flour $12.95
- Organic All-Purpose and Organic Bread Flour $10.95; '00' Pizza Flour $9.95 on the same shop date
- Mixes such as Confetti Cake, scone mixes, bagel kits, and gluten-free cookie and roll mixes, typically $6.95 to $9.95
Mixes, gluten-free blends, and tools grocery aisles rarely match
The Baker's Catalogue is larger than flour. In mid-September 2026 the mixes section listed 146 items, with copy stating mixes have no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives and are non-GMO. Prices that day typically ran from $6.95 to $9.95. Confetti Cake & Cupcake Mix and Confetti Sugar Cookie Mix listed at $6.95. Honey Cornbread Mix and Banana Bread Mix listed at $7.95. Coffee Cake, Cranberry-Orange Scone, All-American Fudge Brownie, and Cherry Almond Scone mixes listed at $8.95. Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix and Classic Chewy Bagel Mix Kit sat near $9.95. Categories include pancakes, bread kits, doughnuts, gluten-free, keto, and mix-and-pan sets. Mixes still need eggs, fat, or milk as the box lists.
Gluten-free bakers get a dedicated line. Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, SKU 200725, listed at $10.95, swaps one-to-one for wheat flour in non-yeasted cookies, cakes, muffins, brownies, and pancakes. It already contains xanthan gum. King Arthur does not recommend it as a straight swap in yeasted breads or pizza. Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour listed at $7.95 is for recipes that already call for a gluten-free blend and often extra gum. Gluten-Free Bread Flour listed at $12.95 uses gluten-free wheat starch for loaves, bagels, and buns. New mixes included Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix and Gluten-Free Roll & Bun Mix at $8.95. People with celiac disease should read certified marks on the pack they buy; this is not medical advice.
The shop also sells pans, mix-and-pan sets, sourdough starters, specialty sugars, and on-demand classes. History copy cites more than 2,000 recipes and a Baker's Catalogue that began as a mailed booklet. The Baking Education Center in Norwich has taught since 2000. A second school is at 11768 Westar Lane, Burlington, Washington, at the Washington State University Breadlab. Both use (800) 652-3334 and bakingeducation@kingarthurbaking.com. On-demand classes do not earn Baker's Rewards points. If you only need all-purpose flour for pancakes this weekend, a grocery that already stocks the red bag will beat a shipped carton. If you need '00' Pizza Flour, Irish-Style Flour, High-Gluten Flour, or gluten-free bread flour, the web catalogue is the practical source.
Check live bag and mix prices on kingarthurbaking.com, then add specialty SKUs before a lone five-pound staple if you want shipping to make sense.
Shop King Arthur flour and mixes →Grocery red bags versus a shipped Baker's Catalogue carton
King Arthur is not internet-only. The same Unbleached All-Purpose and Bread Flour bags appear in many US supermarkets, clubs, and delivery apps. The five-pound All-Purpose and Bread Flour bags listed at $6.95 on the official shop on 16 September 2026 may be cheaper or dearer on a shelf the same week. What most aisles omit is the long tail: Organic Medium Rye, Semolina, Pasta Flour Blend, Artisan Bread Flour, Keto Wheat Flour, potato flour, and most of the 146 mixes. Shipping one staple bag can wipe out any quality argument. A mixed carton of specialty flour, a scone mix, and a pan is where the site earns its keep. Use the where-to-buy locator before you pay standard shipping on a lone bag.
Who should skip supermarket flour, and who should skip this website
Skip supermarket house flour when the bake depends on a known protein target: sourdough, bagels, pizza that should stretch, or sandwich bread you want tall. Skip bleached cake flour when you want King Arthur's unbleached 10 percent cake flour, or when a company recipe was tested on that bag. Skip anonymous gluten-free blends when you need Measure for Measure with gum already in, or a dedicated gluten-free bread flour. Skip grocery mixes that list artificial colors if that list is a hard stop. Skip mystery mill runs if you bake from King Arthur recipes, which assume their flour. Use the website for SKUs the aisle never stocks.
Stay with supermarket flour, including a cheaper house brand, when you bake rarely, when flour is for gravy or breading, or when price per pound is the only test. Stay local if you live outside US states and territories; the shipping page allows only those destinations. Stay local if you need flour tonight; contiguous-US standard service is five to eight calendar days after a one-to-two-business-day ship window. Stay local if family recipes expect bleached cake flour. Commercial bakery flour is a separate phone line, (877) 523-5687 on weekdays, not a home five-pound checkout. Paying catalogue shipping on ordinary all-purpose flour is the usual way to overspend.
King Arthur is worth the premium when you are buying a protein specification, an unbleached mill, or a mix the supermarket never carries. It is a weak buy when you ship one five-pound bag and a grocery sack would have done the same job for less.
— Maya Torres
- Buy King Arthur when you need a printed protein target, unbleached flour, or a gluten-free blend the aisle does not stock
- Skip shipping a lone staple bag; use a supermarket when All-Purpose or Bread Flour is already local
- Do not order if your address is outside US states and territories; international checkout is not offered
- Standard contiguous-US delivery is listed at five to eight calendar days, so it will not save a same-night bake
- Use grocery house flour for breading, rare baking, or lowest-price bulk cooking
- Call (877) 523-5687 for bakery wholesale; that is not the home five-pound channel
Shipping brackets, Myerstown returns, and baker support
Checkout is at shop.kingarthurbaking.com. As listed, standard shipping is $9.95 up to $39.99, $12.95 from $40 to $59.99, $14.95 from $60 to $89.99, $15.95 from $90 to $109.99, $16.95 from $110 to $149.99, and $17.95 at $150 and up. Faster Standard Plus, two-day, overnight, and USPS Priority Mail cost more in the same brackets. Contiguous-US standard orders typically ship in one to two business days and take five to eight calendar days. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands use slower USPS service. APO and FPO orders get a Priority Mail upgrade at no extra upgrade fee, with standard rates still charged. Weekend and listed holiday orders ship the next business day. There is no international checkout.
Returns are a satisfaction guarantee, not a 14-day clock. Defective merchandise can be sent back at any time. Damaged shipments should be reported first at (800) 827-6836, or by email or chat. The return address is King Arthur Baking – The Baker's Catalogue, 53 Central Blvd, Suite 100, Myerstown, PA 17067. Customer care is customercare@kingarthurbaking.com, weekdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern. Recipe trouble goes to the Baker's Hotline at (855) 371-2253 or bakershotline@kingarthurbaking.com. Baker's Rewards is free: one point per dollar, 50 welcome points, and $5 off per 100 points. Gold at 200 qualifying points a year raises earn rates and adds a yearly free standard-shipping coupon on contiguous-US orders over $75.
Confirm a US state or territory address, compare the shipping bracket with a local shelf price, then check out only if the carton is worth the wait.
Review shipping and place a King Arthur order →Frequently asked questions
Does King Arthur Baking ship outside the United States?
No. The shipping page states that King Arthur Baking ships only to US states and territories. There is no published international rate and no checkout for Canada, Mexico, or overseas addresses. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands are served, usually through USPS, with longer transit than the lower 48. APO and FPO addresses are accepted, with a Priority Mail upgrade at no extra upgrade fee while standard rates still apply. If you live abroad, do not assume the Vermont shop will make an exception. Commercial bakeries should call (877) 523-5687 on weekdays about food-service distribution, which is separate from a consumer carton.
What protein percentages are printed on the signature bags?
On current signature bags, Unbleached All-Purpose Flour is 11.7 percent gluten-forming protein, Bread Flour is 12.7 percent, and Unbleached Cake Flour is 10 percent. Those figures are printed on packaging and repeated in company education posts. Whole-wheat and specialty flours use different wheat; read the bag you hold. Protein is gluten-forming potential, not a nutrition slogan. Higher protein generally means a stronger dough and a chewier crumb; lower protein generally means a more tender cake. Grocery house brands often omit a guaranteed percentage, which is why a King Arthur recipe can fail with a bleached bargain bag. For baker's math, use the figure on the pack, not a generic internet chart.
How do Baker's Rewards and Gold free-shipping coupons work?
Joining Baker's Rewards is free on kingarthurbaking.com. Base members earn one point per dollar, 50 welcome points, 100 birthday points, and small Instagram or review bonuses. One hundred points exchange for a $5 coupon, 200 for $10, and 300 for $15. Gold requires 200 or more qualifying purchase points in a calendar year. Gold members earn 1.25 points per dollar, or 1.5 on orders over $150, plus 200 birthday points and a yearly free standard-shipping coupon for contiguous-US orders over $75. Alaska, Hawaii, and territories still pay extra on that coupon. Gift cards, baking school classes, shipping, and tax do not earn points. Bonus points from multipliers do not count toward Gold.
Should I buy flour on kingarthurbaking.com or at the supermarket?
Buy the five-pound All-Purpose or Bread Flour bag at a supermarket when it is already on the shelf and you only need that staple. Buy from kingarthurbaking.com when you need organic rye, gluten-free bread flour, a bagel mix kit, a pan, or a bundle stores do not carry. Compare shop price plus shipping with the shelf price. On 16 September 2026, five-pound All-Purpose, Bread, Cake, Golden Wheat, and 100 percent Whole Wheat bags listed at $6.95; organic all-purpose and organic bread listed at $10.95; '00' Pizza Flour listed at $9.95. A $6.95 bag with $9.95 shipping is a poor deal. A $60 mixed order at $14.95 shipping can be rational if those SKUs are otherwise unavailable.
What is the return policy if a shipment is damaged or a product disappoints?
King Arthur publishes a satisfaction guarantee: return defective merchandise at any time, and contact the company if service is less than fully satisfactory. Damaged goods should not go straight into a return box. Call (800) 827-6836 or use email or chat first so staff can say whether to ship the item to Myerstown, Pennsylvania. The return address is King Arthur Baking – The Baker's Catalogue, 53 Central Blvd, Suite 100, Myerstown, PA 17067. Ask customer care what opened food they will accept rather than mailing every half-used mix. Recipe failure is usually a Hotline question, not an automatic refund. Keep your order number. Grocery purchases follow that retailer's desk, not the Myerstown catalogue address.
