I started milling my own flour at home and it completely changed how I bake and even look at food.
For those curious about starting their own journies into home milling, it might seem daunting at first. What mill to buy? What grains to use? How does it all work? Does milling your own flour at home actually save money? Does freshly milled flour behave like regular flour? Can I make sourdough bread with it?
I&#;m here to guide you through these questions and give you practical advice and answers so you can make up your mind. This article is for you or anyone else in your life who needs convincing.
After you&#;ve taken the first baby step into this exciting new world, start by making my delicious but incredibly simple Easy Fresh Milled Flour Cookies recipe. They&#;re dipped in chocolate!
100% freshly milled sourdough unsifted hard red wheat.We'll you a link to this post, so you can come back to it later!
The pleasure of milling my flour starts with the understanding of what I&#;m eating. Store-bought flour can sit on shelves for months, losing its vitality and, more importantly, becoming rancid over time if it&#;s whole grain or whole wheat.
Making flour at home means I&#;m always working with something at its peak, full of life and nutrients. It gives me control over my ingredients.
Then there&#;s the sheer variety of grains, the heritage and ancient varieties of wheat, and more that bring with them history, nutrition, and different tastes and properties. The difference in taste between freshly milled flour and what you find on store shelves is very different.
And yes, milling your own flour really does you money. I&#;ve done the math and am prepared to prove it.
If you&#;re feeling overwhelmed by this, I can promise you two things:
Now, you might be thinking &#;I&#;m not a 16th-century peasant serf living under a cruel lord in the midst of a famine, I don&#;t need whole grains to stay alive.&#; &#; and I would tend to agree with you.
But there is no harm in enhancing your diet in additional ways either. If you&#;re eating bread every day, why not make it the best bread possible?
Milling flour at home means the nutrients and vitamins in the grains are retained.
Every grain kernel is composed of three parts: the endosperm, which is primarily starch; the bran, serving as the outer layer; and the germ, the core that has the potential to sprout into a new plant.
When you mill at home, you&#;re transforming whole wheat kernels&#;also called berries&#;directly into flour for your baking needs.
On the flip side, the process of creating white flour involves stripping away both the bran and germ, leaving behind just the starchy endosperm.
This starchy portion is then milled into the white flour we&#;re familiar with. It is void of any nutrition but it can be stored for a long time without spoiling and is much easier to bake light, mild, airy breads with this flour.
While white flour often undergoes enrichment to replace some nutrients, it never regains the original fiber and certain other nutrients removed during processing.
This &#;enrichment&#; is another issue I have. It is against the law to buy white flour not enriched with specific vitamins and minerals. This ridiculous notion goes back to the time following WW2 when malnourishment was rampant.
I take issue with the fact that unwanted vitamins and minerals of unknown sources and origins are making their way into my ingredients. Although I&#;m sure whoever has that government contract is very happy with the status quo.
Then there is the issue with bromated and bleached flours that are still available.
Bromated flour is treated with potassium bromate, a chemical that strengthens dough and improves its rise and texture. However, due to health concerns linked to its potential carcinogenic effects, its use is controversial and banned in many countries &#; including Canada, apparently, although I&#;ve seen it sold in Costco.
The baking process is expected to eliminate potassium bromate from the final product, but the risk has led to a preference for unbromated flour among health-conscious consumers.
Bleached flour undergoes chemical treatment to whiten and soften it more quickly than natural aging would. Agents like benzoyl peroxide and chlorine gas are used for bleaching flour, which improves baking properties but can also reduce flavor and nutritional value.
The difference fresh flour makes in baking is undeniable. Freshly milled flour smells and tastes different. There is a well-rounded, much more complex, and unique taste to breads made this way.
I will never forget the first time I milled my own flour, it was a revelation. It&#;s difficult to explain or describe without using the overused terms &#;earthy&#; and &#;nutty&#; and &#;complex&#; but freshliy milled flours and breads are those things.
My whole family &#; toddlers included &#; love my bread.
Home milling opens up a world of grains and flours you might not find in your local supermarket. From ancient grains like einkorn, spelt and kamut to various heritage types of wheat, rye, and barley, exploring these can introduce new, distinct flavors and nutritional profiles to your baking.
Buying grains in bulk is often more cost-effective than purchasing pre-milled flour. And properly stored grains can be stored for 25 years or longer &#; take that inflation and food shortages!
Grain berries also take a lot longer to start breaking down and going bad, unlike milled flour, so storage options and techniques are just more accessible and more convenient
Does Milling Flour At Home Really Save Money?In short &#; yes. Even with the expensive up-front costs of a mill. Buying flour/berries in bulk and baking your own bread saves a ton of money and doesn&#;t take much time at all once it&#;s a part of your routine.
Let&#;s do some math based on my own costs; yours will vary, of course, but you can do the same calculations to see for yourself.
Organic Hard White Wheat Berries (25 kg/55 lbs): $50.
The above represents 25,000 grams of flour.
The average loaf of sourdough bread that I bake is 500 grams per loaf.
That means that each 25 kg bag of wheat grains contains enough flour to bake 50 leaves of organic sourdough bread at $1 per loaf.
Where I live, a loaf similar in size and quality in bakeries costs anywhere from $8 to $10 or more, meaning that 50 loaves of store-bought organic sourdough bread would cost my family $400 to $500.
That is a HUGE difference and tremendous savings.
And I do not have access to sourdough bread made with heritage an ancient grains here either, it doesn&#;t exist. I can&#;t buy a loaf of organic einkorn sourdough bread anyhere, but I can make it. And don&#;t get me started on the fake sourdough breads out there that are not actually properly fermented!
Okay, but what about in comparison to store-bought flour that is already milled?
The cost of a 25 Kg bag of flour already milled is $60, so it&#;s just slightly more expensive.
Though the savings might be small between making and buying your own flour, I do not have to worry about lost nutrition, unasked-for enrichment, freshness, or rancidity in the flour I mill myself.
This makes milling my flour well worth my time as it offers additional benefits beyond saving money.
While many people love to point to the high upfront costs of a flour mill as not worth it, you need to remember that this mill is an appliance &#; just like your stove, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, or any other part of your kitchen.
But unlike most of these things, a well-built grain mill needs little to no maintenance and is a lifetime investment.
My Komo Fidibus Medium grain mill cost me $700, but it isn&#;t going to break down and be impossible to repair the way my old refrigerator was after only 8 years. I&#;ll be passing it down to my children with maybe a few changes of the grinding stones in that time.
A loaf made from 100% freshly milled red fife heritage wheat, unsifted.How Fast Does Flour Go Bad?The bran and germ still present in whole wheat and whole grain flours are rich in oils, making them much more vulnerable to spoilage and rancidity. The oils begin to deteriorate rapidly upon exposure to light, moisture, and air.
Whole grain flour will go bad by three-months when stored at room temperature.
(This is true of gluten-free flours like almond flour and coconut too btw.)
How old is the flour you&#;re buying already at the point of purchase? Unless you are buying high-quality flour from a great mill that places this information on the label, you don&#;t even know.
Do you or someone you know hate the taste of whole wheat bread?
It may be because the flour is rancid, and you&#;re responding to the off-flavors in the bread.
Almost like your body is telling you something.
Source: Cong W, Tello E, Simons CT, Peterson DG. Identification of Non-Volatile Compounds That Impact Flavor Disliking of Whole Wheat Bread Made with Aged Flours. Molecules. Feb 16;27(4):. doi: 10./molecules. PMID: ; PMCID: PMC.
When flour goes rancid, its molecular structure changes &#; which may produce harmful compounds.
Source: Johnson DR, Decker EA. The role of oxygen in lipid oxidation reactions: a review. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. ;6:171-90. doi: 10./annurev-food--. Epub Feb 2. PMID: .
Contact us to discuss your requirements of flour roller mill. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
However, according to this article in Healthline, no recent studies have revealed any detrimental effects of eating rancid flour. Although cooked foods made with it may taste unpleasant, they&#;re unlikely to harm your health if eaten in small amounts.
Gee, no recent studies exist, therefore it must be fine! Thanks, but no thanks, I&#;ll pass.
Beyond the harmful compounds that rancidity produces is the further risk of something much more serious &#; mold.
Mold has been present in wheat and grains since forever ago, but modern processing has generally eliminated this. However, when flour begins to go rancid, mold can begin to grow, and you may not notice it either.
Refining flour extends its shelf life, makes it easier to store and ship and more profitable. With white flour the above risks are vastly reduced or eliminated, but along with that you are also removing the nutrition and you&#;re really also eliminating an incredible world of complex flavors too.
Choosing a Grain MillOne of the most important considerations is the type of grain mill you will choose. A grain mill is an expensive investment, although the prices will vary.
I recommend you get an electric mill because it takes considerable effort to use a hand-cranked model.
I also recommend stone grinding over a steel impact mill. There is a whole host of reasons for this, but one of the most important is that steel will not grind as fine of flour as stone can.
I have and highly recommend the KoMo line of grain mills. I have the Komo Fidibus Medium, and it is a beautiful, sturdy, and durable mill I expect to own forever.
Why?
I recommend you do your own research and keep the following essential points and features in mind when shopping and considering opinions and reviews:
Stone vs. Steel
The choice between stone and steel burrs is more than just a matter of preference; it affects the texture, temperature, and nutritional integrity of the flour.
Stone burrs tend to grind at a slower speed, producing less heat which might help preserve more nutrients in the flour. They are ideal for producing very fine flours suitable for pastry and bread. Stone burrs will wear down with extensive use, especially when milling very hard grains.
Steel burrs are incredibly durable and capable of milling a wider variety of grains, including oily seeds. They can operate at higher speeds, which might lead to a slight increase in the flour&#;s temperature, potentially affecting some delicate nutrients. And the flour will never be as fine.
Adjustability and Versatility
The best grain mills offer a wide range of settings, from cracked grains to coarse flour and ultra-fine flour, with easy-to-adjust controls. This feature is critical for versatility and for experimenting with texture in recipes, which can dramatically affect the end product&#;s taste and appearance.
Speed vs. Quality
While a faster milling speed might seem advantageous, it&#;s essential to consider the impact on flour quality. High-speed milling can cause significant heat, which might compromise the nutritional content of the flour.
Noise Level and Practicality
The operational volume of a grain mill can vary widely between models. Some are engineered to minimize noise, using quieter motors and sound-dampening materials.
Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
Mills that are easy to disassemble and keep clean will ensure that you can maintain hygiene and functionality without too much hassle.
Bread failures can easily become winners &#; turn your less-than-stellar loaves into German bread dumplings or breadcrumbs! No waste!How to Grind Wheat Into Flour With a Stone Mill GrinderFirst of all &#; read your instruction manual for important information regarding your new mill. My KoMo was a out-of-the-box plug and go thing but your mill might not be.
Important: before using your mill for the first time to grind anything for baking, clean the stones by milling a couple cups of white rice through them. This will get any gritty stone particles out of the mill and out of your food. Compost the resulting rice.
Weigh out the amount of flour you need for your baking project. Pick through it to remove any weed seeds, small stones, sticks, or debris &#; this isn&#;t typical by the way, at least not in any large quantity, but it does happen and it&#;s normal.
Set your mill to the coarsest grind first, turn your machine on, and run your berries through the hopper into a waiting bowl.
Turn your machine off, wait for the stones to come to a halt (a couple seconds) and then set your mill to the finest grind setting.
Turn the machine back on and then mill the coarse flour a second time into fine flour that is ready for baking. Milling twice like this is recommended for best results.
And that&#;s really it. The above assumes you&#;re looking to make regular flour for baking bread. You may want a coarser grind for your recipe or to make a soaker or add texture etc.
Sifting Your FlourA controversial topic in the home-milled flour world is the practice of sifting the bran out to create an even finer flour that makes bread baking easier.
This is also called bolted flour.
Breads baked with sifted flour might rise higher and have a finer, softer, whiter crumb.
Those opposed to this practice say it defeats the purpose of home milling since you&#;re removing most of the nutritious parts of the grains. It also makes each loaf more expensive as you&#;re discarding a large portion of the grain.
Sifting fans say that they mill flour for a myriad of reasons and aren&#;t relying on bread for their nutrition.
I think that you should do whatever you want with your own bread. I also think that you should be open-minded and experiment to see what&#;s possible.
You may opt to sift for pastries, cakes, and desserts, but keep the bran intact for bread.
Another road is sifting the bran out but experimenting with methods to soften it before adding it back into the flour. Regardless, this is a topic for another post and one I have a lot to say about.
The higher the number on the sifting screen, the finer the resulting flour and the more bran and germ it will remove. 40 mesh and 60 mesh are common and some people will use both.
There are also expensive electric sifters you can buy.
As I&#;ve already said, the learning curve of freshly milled bread is steep &#; especially if you&#;re making sourdough, not sifting, and if you don&#;t rely on bread conditioners and additives like vital wheat gluten and soy lecithins to achieve a more commercial-bread-like and soft consistency.
This sourdough loaf was made with unsifted einkorn flour.Storing Wheat Berries & Freshly Milled FlourShort-Term Storage: Store wheat berries in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight for daily or frequent use. Airtight containers like glass jars or food-grade plastic buckets work well to protect them from moisture and pests. This method will keep your wheat berries fresh for several months.
Long-Term Storage: Consider using food-grade buckets paired with mylar bags and oxygen absorbers for extended storage.
Fill the mylar bags with wheat berries, then add an appropriate-sized oxygen absorber before sealing the bag. This removes oxygen, preventing oxidation and extending the shelf life. Once sealed, place the bags in food-grade buckets with tight-fitting lids. Stored in a cool, dark place, wheat berries can last for years, maintaining their quality and nutritional value.
Freshly milled flour is very susceptible to spoilage. For short-term storage, keep the flour in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, using it within a few weeks to ensure maximum freshness and nutritional content.
For longer-term storage, freshly milled flour can be kept in the freezer in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. Freezing preserves the flour&#;s nutritional value and prevents rancidity. Label the container with the milling date, and try to use it within a few months for best results.
Remember, whether storing wheat berries or flour, the key is to minimize exposure to air, moisture, and light to preserve their quality and extend their shelf life.
Freezing wheat berries and grains is an effective method to kill off any bug larvae that might be present. This step can be particularly useful if you plan to store the grains for an extended period.
Freezing the grains for at least 48 hours before transferring them to your chosen storage containers can help ensure they remain free from pests. This method doesn&#;t harm the grains or affect their milling quality, making it a practical precautionary step in grain storage.
I have never done this and have only ever found one tiny little flour beetle in my grain &#; it was honestly not a big deal. This can happen with store bought flour too by the way.
Common Grains to Buy & Mill and How They&#;re Used In BakingBeyond wheat, grains like buckwheat groats, oat groats, rice, dry legumes, barley, millet, quinoa, amaranth, triticale, and food-grade corn (field or dent) can all be milled at home into flour. These options expand the possibilities for home bakers, allowing for a wide range of flavors, textures, and nutritional profiles in your baking projects.
Want tips on baking with freshly milled flours? Check out my article (this one was getting to long) on the topic: 13 Tips For Baking With Freshly Milled Flour (Including Sourdough).
Final Thoughts & RecommendationsMilling your own flour might seem like a daunting task, but once you get started and get your hands dirty you will find that it&#;s not as complicated as it seemed at first. The learning curve might be steep but if I can do it &#; so can you. And hopefully you can benefit from my years of trial and error.
I really want this blog to become a resource for all things freshly milled flour baking and especially when it comes to heritage and ancient grains and sourdough breads made with fresh milled flour. As I start to develop and share this content, if you want to be informed about it, you should sign up for my newsletter below. Check out my tips for baking with fresh milled flour and my sourdough calculator in the meantime.