Grain Mills Overview

Whole wheat bread from freshly ground grain!

Whole grain baked goods! If you turn on the TV  you will hear how the medical establishment has awakened to the fact that whole (intact nutrients) grains are better for you than the “white” flour offerings that are no more nutritious than school paste. If you open a newspaper or read news online and you’ll see study after study proving that grains in their whole state (either intact or ground completely and fresh, nothing removed) are extremely beneficial for most people.*

When you scan the shelves of your grocery store, your local co-op store, your local whole-grain bakery or Farmer’s Market  you’ll see rows of rich, brown baked goods, bursting with whole-grain goodness! Not only will you see regular whole wheat bread (be sure to check the ingredients for 100% whole wheat and not a mixture), but look for rye, pumpernickel, wheat berry, oatmeal, multi-grain and many others.

Since whole grain bread is so readily available, why would someone take the time and make the effort to bake whole-grain bread at home? As with many things, food prepared closer to the way G-d created it is the most nutritious option and it follows that freshly homemade whole-grain food is much more tasty. The home baker can determine the amount the salt, sweetener (and the type) as well as choose the texture, crust and crumb that best suits their family’s taste and health needs.

You can bake yeast breads, sourdough breads, quick breads, sweet breads, savory breads, pizzas, tortillas and much more. You can mix and knead by hand, or with a stand mixer (such as Kitchen Aid) or with a larger mixer such as (Bosch).

The most important aspect of baking homemade bread at home, and the way to ensure the BEST bread is made at home,  is the FLOUR that is used. It is impossible to make a great loaf of bread with superior nutrition and taste if you use flour that is not freshly-ground, or has been sitting on a shelf in some store becoming rancid. Even worse would be the flours that have aspects of the whole grain removed. Baking with be tantamount to eating items made with white glue. No nutritional value, no taste and no texture.

To get freshly-ground whole grain flour, you can contact your local health food store or co-op. Sometimes a group of people will buy shares in a mill and everyone gets to use it.

Another alternative is to invest in a home grain mill for your family. With the popularity of home mills and the upgrades to them in the past few years, home grain mills have become affordable for most families and can mill enough flour to handle most family’s entire whole grain baking needs.

In the coming weeks we will examine and review several types and models of home grain mills and hopefully you will find one that fits your family. Please visit Real Food Living’s FAQ of home grain mills.

*Some people with certain disorders or allergies cannot digest grains, whole or otherwise.