A couple years ago, my fiance bought me my first ever grain mill. He knew I wanted to start baking with freshly milled flour, but didn’t realize the amazing health benefits it would bring us.
To him, it was just another kitchen gadget I could experiment with. But to me, it was a game changer! It was a way to give some of our favorite recipes a much needed nutritional boost!
If you’re Interested in adding more vitamins and minerals to your favorite recipes read on and learn why you need to mill your own flour!
What is freshly milled flour?
Freshly milled flour is just as it sounds – flour ground from whole grains and used fresh from the mill. It comes from a countertop grain mill and is typically used immediately after milling.
What is the difference between commercially milled and freshly milled?
As a new baker, you may be familiar with the popular choice of flour known as all purpose flour. Just like the name suggests, it is highly versatile and the most commonly used commercial flour.
Once milled, flour rapidly begins to lose nutritional value. About 50% of the vitamins and minerals are lost within the first 24 hours, and 95% after the next few days. Commercial flours like all purpose flour were designed with the intent to extend shelf life, eliminating the fresh factor.
Now this doesn’t mean you need to scour the shelves for the most recently placed bag of flour. In fact, any bag of flour pulled from the shelf won’t contain nearly as much nutrients as the ones you mill yourself.
Take all purpose flour for instance. Not only has it surpassed the freshly milled period, it only contains 1 of the 3 wheat grain components. Whole wheat grains are composed of,
- Bran (The outermost layer containing a high fiber content and nutrients including B vitamins, iron, copper, magnesium and antioxidants. It also contains traces of bacteria and yeast which can promote fermentation in things like sourdough. Once milled, the oils in the bran are released and over time begin to oxidize causing the flour to go rancid.)
- Germ (The core or embryo of the grain that’s responsible for the development of a new plant – hence the term germination for my fellow gardeners out there. It contains vitamins E and B as well as magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, antioxidants, and polyunsaturated fats. Much like the oils in the bran, fats in the germ contribute to quicker rancidification as well.)
- Endosperm (The interior layer that makes up about 70-75% of the grains volume and contains mostly scratch. It provides energy for growing plants and contains minimal nutrients.)
When milling all purpose flour, the bran and germ are extracted from the endosperm to prevent spoilage and keep a fresh flour for longer. The product being a refined white flour lacking essential vitamins and minerals. I don’t know about you, but fresh seems a bit counterintuitive.
Can you store freshly milled flour?
Knowing the difference between commercial and freshly milled flour, brings the question of whether you can store flour without sacrificing health? The short answer is, no. Once flour’s milled the nutrients immediately begin to deplete and the rancidification process begins. The longer it’s stored, the more oxidized it becomes.
Luckily for us there are ways to slow this process down. By placing flour in the freezer you can not only extend shelf life, but slow down the degradation of vitamins and minerals. In the freezer, flour can last 3-6 months before spoiling if kept in air tight conditions.
The downside is, regardless of storage time and temperature, day-old flour will never provide the same level of nourishment as flour used straight from the mill.
To maximize both sustenance and longevity, wait to mill your grains until you need flour. Grains are essentially seeds, and bran acts as a protective barrier keeping moisture, pests, and oxygen out. If kept cool and dry your grains could last eons!
And the best part is, grains will retain their beneficial ailments for life. So you can mill what you need, when you need without sacrificing your health.
Why I chose to mill my own flour
For me, nutritional health is one of the main reasons why I choose to mill flour myself, but there are others including cost, taste, and the ability to choose what I want, when I want. Given that grains can last years, buying in bulk can save you tons of money.
A 50lb bag of whole wheat grains will make around 45 loaves of bread for the same cost of roughly 4-5 pre-made loaves. You can make 10 loaves for the cost of 1 loaf from the store! Better health for less money seems like a great bargain to me.
At this point, you may be thinking, “okay great, I can save money and improve my health, but how does it taste?”. One of the most common misconceptions about freshly milled flour is that it tastes like whole wheat flour. This could not be further from the truth!
Whole wheat flour is another commercially milled flour that reincorporates extracted bran at the end of the milling process. As we now know, if left for too long, bran will cause flour to go rancid. This gives the flour a stale, cardboard-like flavor that most people identify with whole wheat. Freshly milled flour delivers bolder flavors and a richness that far exceeds any store bought flour.
Different types of grains can also deliver unique flavor profiles. Hard wheats contain more protein and will produce a heartier flavor, whereas softer wheats contain less protein for a lighter pallet.
Flavor is not the only advantage of using freshly milled flour. Choosing the grains you like best can be just as advantageous. Maybe you’re gluten intolerant, have a wheat allergy, or simply want to try something new.
Other grains such as corn, buckwheat, or oats are gluten free alternatives that offer a wide range of flavors and textures. Some ancient wheat grains like einkorn, kamut, and spelt contain lower levels of gluten making it easier to digest.
If these reasons don’t sound convincing enough, try it for yourself! There are so many grains to explore, and the choice is yours!
Is the baking process different with freshly milled flour?
Although there are an array of grains to choose from, they are not all created equal when it comes to baking. Let’s say you’ve gone and made the nutritiously, cost effective choice to bake with freshly milled wheat flour. You realize it doesn’t quite feel or act the same as all purpose flour. That’s because of the bran and germ.
These parts of the grain contain a high protein content and absorb more water than the endosperm. You’ll notice that all purpose flour recipes require less water than those made with freshly milled flour.
But the bran doesn’t just dictate water content, it also impacts texture. Dough made from freshly milled flour doesn’t require as much kneading as those without bran.
Bran aids in the kneading process by cutting down gluten and accelerating its development. As gluten breaks down it relinks with itself to form long strands providing elasticity and structure. If it becomes overdeveloped the strands will tear giving a tough, chewy texture.
Time to Make The Switch!
Now that we’ve discussed all the amazing benefits that come with freshly milled flour, it’s time for you to put it into action. Start baking with flour that not only makes you feel better, but can save you money while tasting absolutely delicious!
Comment and let me know if you’ve made the switch to milling your own flour!
Have a friend or two that you can help? Don’t forget to share!
