Flour grinding is hands down the best way that you can ensure that the bread you are baking at home is as nutritious as it can be, and let’s be honest, it’s classic, self-sufficient, Americana at its prime. Seriously. How much more pre-big agra can you get? Imagine purchasing your grain whole from an online source (or even better), a farmer’s market, or a local farmer. The smell of the fresh cut wheat or the burlap bag of grain. Heaven.
It sure seems like a lot of work though, especially when you could just buy a 50 lb sack of flour at Costco, right? If the flour you are buying is labeled as “refined” or “bleached” then the most nutritious parts of the wheat have been eliminated. Contrary to what some sites would have you believe this is not the result of a conspiracy of big-agra to force you to purchase and consume unhealthy processed foods or food products. The Industrial Revolution, which moved humankind from hand powered machinery to steam, and later fossil fuel, powered machines resulted in the ability to produce things that were in high demand in society in greater amounts than ever imagined before. The problem with mass production is that to sell your product to an ever increasing consumer base you must transport it further and in larger quantities. In the case of flour this meant that they had to find a way to keep the flour from becoming rancid due to the germ. Removing the germ seemed like such a simple solution so in the late 19th century degermed flour became standard. As time marched on the flour production process became more and more refined until you have what is sold in stores today. Sadly, most of the nutrition of wheat is in the germ and bran which is removed and washed away as standard practice in the industry.
By purchasing grain and grinding it yourself you can have flour with germ and bran included. The taste of bread made with fresh ground flour will make you swear off any previous version of flour. Grinding your own flour at home is as simple as using an electric grinder, hand operated mill, or an attachment for your Kitchen Aid stand mixer (affiliate links). If you can not find a local source for your grain then I would use Pleasant Hill Grain or Handy Pantry to purchase grain (these are not affiliates, I just think they have great products). When you grind your own wheat at home remember that you are keeping that germ and bran in there so the flour will turn rancid after a week or two (although it will keep longer in the freezer) so it’s best to wait until you’ll need it to actually grind it into that oh so delicious flour. Grind away and eat more nutritiously! Have a great day and God bless!
