I recently became intrigued by the notion of milling whole grains at home to bake my own bread and baked goods. What? You can do that? Yes, you can!
A Basic Food Group
From the beginning of time, humans have lived on bread. It has been the sustainer of life. As a basic food, bread has everything necessary to sustain life. Bread has only received a bad name within the last 100 years. This is all due to the fact that the flour and baked goods available at every grocery store are processed to be shelf-stable. Commercial flour has had the bran and germ of the wheat berry removed because the oils in them cause the flour to turn rancid quickly. But, the bran and germ are what hold most of the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The good stuff. So, basically, for the last 100 years, we’ve been eating bread and baked goods made from flour that is empty of fiber and nourishment.
Milling your own flour ensures that you are baking with the most nutritious product possible. Whole grains, and bread made from freshly milled whole grains, supply nearly all of the nutrients and fiber needed to support overall health. It is the most nutrient-dense food we can consume.
Where to Find Whole Grains
Whole grains can be found at your local health food store, or online. I’ve found that my local health food store only carries a select few grains in their bulk bins, but they also have a few more in the prepackaged area. If you want to get bulk quantities or try a variety of ancient grains, I suggest ordering online.
There are a lot of different whole grains to choose from. From your basic wheat to lesser-known ancient grains, like Teff and Amaranth, they all have their own unique characteristics. Some are better suited for bread, while others are best suited for pastries. And, there are quite a few that are gluten-free. I can’t wait to experiment with a variety of grains.
Grain Mill
In order to mill grains at home, you will need a grain mill. There are quite a few to choose from, but I chose the Mockmill Attachment for Stand Mixers. I chose this one because of its small size and its ability to be used along with my stand mixer. It is simple to use and its corundum-ceramic grinding stones are self-sharpening and maintenance-free.
Milling and Baking with Whole Grains
Grinding the wheat berries into flour was super easy. All that I had to do was measure out the desired amount and pour it in. The Mockmill has a number of coarseness settings. For making wheat flour, I kept it at its lowest, or finest, setting.
I kept it simple for the first recipe to try. A simple honey wheat bread made with flour, water, yeast, honey, oil, and salt. (Don’t forget the salt!) That’s it! Easy enough. It did take some time to make, as there are 2 required resting periods for the dough to rise. But, the end result was well worth the wait. It was delicious!
I don’t know about you, but I love bread! My desire is to eat bread and baked goods that are nutritious and life-sustaining. I can’t wait to try more recipes and different grains. Happy milling!
More Recipes
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I was not compensated for this post.
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