Try

We've all made the mistake of investing in tools that sit unused in the cupboard. To help you determine whether baking with freshly milled flour is right for your family we started a borrow program. We'll provide you with the essentials for one month at no cost to you.

Your trial kit includes:

  • WonderMill Grain Mill
  • 10 lbs of Organic Hard Red Wheat
  • 10 lbs of Organic Hard White Wheat
  • The "Essential Home-Ground Flour" Book

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    What else you'll need

    Delicious bread can be made from flour, water, yeast, and salt. And the equippment requiremenst are pretty minimal too.

  • Oven or cooktop
  • Baking surface (baking sheet, loaf pan, etc.)
  • Mixing bowl (4 qt or larger)
  • Kitchen scale or measuring cups
  • Bench scraper

    • Milling Grain

    The starter kit includes 10 lbs. of hard red wheat and 10 lbs. of hard white wheat. Hard red wheat has lower cost, higher gluten content, and a stronger wheat flavor. Many people prefer a 50/50 mix of red and white providing good gluten development and a milder flavor. Feel free to experiment with 100% red and 100% white to see what your family likes.

  • Use only the grain provided, don’t use other grains or foods, if you need more just ask.
  • Place grain in freezer for one hour (optional, keeps grain cooler during milling preserving nutrients and controlling temperature).
  • Make sure the filter cup is attached to the lid and lid is securely attached to flour bucket.
  • Insert flour bucket pipe into mill.
  • Hold base of mill while switching on and pour grain into hopper.
  • Let mill run for ~2 seconds after milling is complete.
  • Do not wash the mill with water, you may wash the flour bucket if you like but it’s not necessary. We will thoroughly clean the mill and bucket when they are returned.
  • Store mill in a cool dry place.

    • Adjusting Recipes

    Freshly milled flour can substitute store bought flour in any recipe. If the bran and germ are screened out, your milled flour will behave nearly identical to store bought flour. Most of the nutrition and all the fiber is in the bran and germ, so we recommend leaving it in. However, if you choose to screen out the bran and germ your freshly milled flour will still be superior to anything you can buy. If you keep all the bran and germ, you’ll need to make the following adjustments to your traditional recipes.

  • Increase recipe water content by 10% because bran is more absorbent.
  • Use a 1-hour autolyze (soaker) to fully hydrate flour, soften bran, and begin gluten development (recommended).
  • Kneading time may increase because bran impedes gluten development. (Kneading time will vary greatly based on equipment, technique, and recipe used. Some recipes require only a few minutes of stretch-and-fold by hand. Others may require 45 minutes using a machine mixer.)
  • Dough extensibility (stretch) will be impacted, bran is sharp so it will reduce the amount your dough can stretch without ripping. Autolyzing and/or long fermentation times will help to soften and break down the bran, improving extensibility.
  • Sourdough cultures may be more active as bran and germ are great food sources for sourdough bacteria.

    • Adjusting your Gut

    American diets are deficient in fiber. Many Americans go three days between bowel movements when they should have three healthy movements per day! You will probably experience a noticeable change in your bowels, be patient, it will regulate over time. It can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to normalize. Long fermentation times and sourdough starter can be used to help break down fiber reducing the impact. Fiber acts as a gut-toothbrush and bacteria feed on it, so while it may be a short-term inconvenience, in the long-term fiber is a critical part of a healthy diet.

    Additional Resources

    Bread baking is equal parts art and science. Baking using freshly milled flour is growing in popularity but is still niche. Here are some resources to help you in your exploration of baking with fresh milled flour.

    The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book (borrowed)

    I have included this book in the kit. Part 1 of this book covers history, nutrition, and baking techniques. It’s a good place to start for new bakers or anyone that wants to understand the value and nuances of fresh milled wheat. Part 2 contains recipes using freshly milled flour.

    Chain Baker

    This is a YouTube channel that covers a lot of baking techniques. He kneads by hand so it’s a great option if you don’t have a mixer. He has a handful of whole wheat recipes, but his traditional recipes can be easily converted. His videos are high quality, precise, and to the point.

    https://www.youtube.com/@ChainBaker Principles of Baking Make Your First Freshly Milled Flour Bread

    Grains in Small Places

    This channel is exclusively freshly milled flour baking. She has a ton of great videos.

    https://www.youtube.com/@GrainsInSmallPlaces

    Bake with Jack

    Great home baking videos. Good production quality and entertaining teacher. Jack kneads by hand.

    https://www.youtube.com/@Bakewithjack