Milling Wheat

We have recently begun a new kitchen quest, and that is milling our own flour.

For the entirety of our marriage so far, we have not had flour in the house. We chose to focus on anti-inflammatory whole foods and have slowly morphed over the years from a paleo diet to a whole food diet. I have experimented with many different ingredients including almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut sugar, etc. I made it a goal that before we had kids I would be able to make any food they desired from scratch. There has been much failure and some success. Bone broth, home made yogourt, gummies, granola, salad dressings, mayonnaise, dipping sauces, and lard have become staples in our home.

My biggest failure to date: sourdough. Back when it was a craze I thought I would learn how to make sourdough using organic flour and we would try it with the kids…that was 4 years ago and I have yet to succeed. As the family grew, and the kids grew, we started researching wheat and milling and just a few months ago took the plunge. Up until this week, I was trying to make sourdough using freshly milled flour and well, that did not make it any easier for me. So I have transitioned to bread with fresh milled flour and yeast. I am not a baker. At all. I don’t even know the proper terminology and I am frequently texting family for help. I have been baking with almond flour for a decade. When the kids ate their first roll they said in amazement, “it’s soooooo soft!”

The kids are loving the new ‘baked goods,’ as they call them. They have had tacos for the first time, and hamburger buns, and rolls - things I never attempted with almond flour, because they just aren’t the same as the real deal (and require a lot of almond flour).

The most difficult part of this process (other than learning how to bake) has been sourcing the wheat berries. At first, we purchased from a shop/bakery in Alberta, but most recently we placed a large order with 1847 Stone Milling in Ontario. They were great to work with and we plan to pick up more berries when we are back in Ontario.

In terms of health, the family has reacted well the wheat. The kids had never had it, so we started slowly to let their bodies acclimatize. I will keep a close eye on markers of inflammation such as rashes, behavior change, and excessive joint pain.

I bought two cookbooks when we got the mill, but they are too fancy for my current skill level - and one is entirely sourdough. I have since found Grains and Grits and it has been very helpful.

I have a love-hate relationship with bread. I love eating it and love making it from scratch, but I hate the unpredictability - the expectation of it working, and then it doesn’t. I have committed to making two ‘baked goods’ a week. We shall see how that goes. If you would like to learn more about milling flour this article is great. It is an investment, for sure, but Josh and I value preventative health measures rather than reactive.

Rebecca