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Debbie Pribele
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Does freshly ground wheat make bread taste different?
Does bread taste different if you use freshly ground wheat?
Let’s find out!
The other day, I ran out of all-purpose flour but, then, I remembered that I had bought some wheat berries and a grain mill attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer.
With no bread in the house and leftover chicken in the fridge, today was the day to try it out!
Milling the Grain
Remember that this was the first time that I had used the mill.
I forgot to measure how much grain that I started with, so I’m guessing that it was about 5 cups of grain.
What I discovered, I think, was that when you pour the grain into the mill, that you can only dial down the mill to a certain level of coarseness.
Therefore, the process was to:
I forgot to measure how much grain that I started with, so I’m guessing that it was about 5 cups of grain.
What I discovered, I think, was that when you pour the grain into the mill, that you can only dial down the mill to a certain level of coarseness.
Therefore, the process was to:
- mill the grain at a coarse grind and then
- run it through again at a finer grind, until I had the finest consistency available, which was like a very fine grit texture.
After grinding the first two cups, I started the bread and let it rest until the rest of the flour was ready.
What was most fascinating to me was that 1 cup of grain equals about 1.25 cups of flour. That’s what the research says. As I said, I forgot to measure.
The Bread
This is my favourite bread recipe because after the first mixing of flour, you can let it sit from ten minutes to 5 hours before doing the rest of the flour. This gives a lot of flexibility to your day.
Mix
Mix
- 3 tbsp lard in 2 cups of hot water (1 pint) and let it sit, letting the water soften the lard
Mix in a bowl
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dry yeast or 1 packet
- 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk (I use my freeze-dried milk powder)
- and the hot water/ lard mixture above
Rest:
- let the dough sit for 10 minutes, an hour, 3 hours, 5 hours.. whatever you want/need. this gives you time to do other things besides bread-sit and it lets you proceed in a timely manner to have the fresh bread ready for the next meal
- (it’s rather cool in my house today so I put the dough in the oven with the oven light on for heat)
Add
- 3-4 cups more flour
- knead for 10 minutes (I used the dough hook on the KitchenAid stand mixer)
Rise/Proof
- let rise for an hour til doubled.
- Note: That’s what I usually do with my all purpose flour mixture. With this heavy whole-wheat grain, it rested for two hours before it looked ready.
Divide into loaves
- divide and shape the dough into two loaves
- put into greased (cast iron) loaf pans
- let rise for one hour (white flour) or 1.5 hours for the whole grain
Bake
- bake in 400F oven for 10 minutes on middle rack
- then lower temperature to 350F for 25-30 minutes
Cool
- flip bread onto cooling rack to cool
- let sit for 20 minutes to an hour before eating
- (or just go for it, cut it, butter it, savour it)
Result
This was SO good.. so rich and flavourful.
My new fave bread recipe!
- Debbie
- - - -
My new fave bread recipe!
- Debbie
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Whole Grain
There’s whole grain and then there is unprocessed “whole grain”.
The unprocessed whole grains has everything still intact and is much more shelf-stable (storable) than processed whole grain flour. Packaged flour has to have the wheat germ removed so that it will stay fresh longer.
By milling your own flour, you get all the goodness of the grain, as nature created it.
The unprocessed whole grains has everything still intact and is much more shelf-stable (storable) than processed whole grain flour. Packaged flour has to have the wheat germ removed so that it will stay fresh longer.
By milling your own flour, you get all the goodness of the grain, as nature created it.
Shopping
These products are what I use and all opinions expressed here are my own. This list may contain affiliate links (Canadian) from which, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you choose to use my link … and if you do, know that I appreciate you!
- Harvest Right Freeze-Dryer: the company has a referral program. I’d gladly share all that I’ve learned with you and be your referral person (and get you some free Mylar bags!). Message me.
- KitchenAid stand mixer
- KitchenAid Grain Mill attachment
- Wheat Berries
a simpler life
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