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Grinding Wheat into Flour: Getting Ahead

January 19, 2022 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Using my time and energy for grinding wheat into flour has felt a little bit difficult lately. Here’s an idea I decided to try!

I love using freshly ground wheat in our baked goods. In fact, I haven’t bought flour at the store in a good long while. Years and years. Instead, I’ve bought hard wheat and soft wheat from Azure Standard. Then I grind the wheat into flour to use in baking.

There’s no comparison! Freshly ground flour is incredible and delicious! Here’s how I do it —>

How to Grind Flour in a Grain Mill! #grainmill #grindflour #wholewheatflour

Meanwhile, God has added a wagonful of littles to our home.

These sweethearts keep me from baking much at all, much less grinding my wheat into flour for baking. Often, I would think about baking something if I had a spare 10-15 minutes, only to nix the idea simply because I didn’t want to have to first grind flour for the task.

Maybe this is a season for me to buy flour instead of wheat? Maybe. But I already had several pounds of wheat in storage. I didn’t want it taking up space or going to waste. So here’s what I did one morning when I had a friend over to help with all the kids!

Grinding Flour Into Wheat: Getting Ahead

I had a marathon wheat grinding morning.

I don’t keep my Nutrimill on the countertop, so digging it out and cleaning up after myself never sounds fun during this crazy season of life. But getting my Nutrimill out to grind a bunch of flour all at once? Making ONE BIG MESS instead of many small messes? Let’s do this.

I labeled freezer bags with “Soft Wheat” and “Hard Wheat” (read more about this below), then I kept running batch after batch of wheat through the mill to grind into flour. I transferred the fresh flour to gallon-sized freezer bags, then put the bags into the freezer.

All said and done, I ended up with about 10 gallons of flour in my freezer! (And a big mess, but whatever. Better one mess than ten, right?)

So, now the flour isn’t fresh anymore?

Well, true. But since I’m keeping it in the freezer, it’ll stay good for a long time, and it will still taste great! Considering the fact I was going to buy flour from the store to get me by until I am able to grind flour again, I feel like this is still a better option: to grind my wheat into flour ahead of time and freeze it until I need it!

After this runs out, I’ll see how I’m doing. I may still feel the need to buy my flour already ground for a while. But as for now, I sure do love that I don’t have to pull out my mill for a while. When I need to bake something or make pancakes, I can just pull out the already-ground flour from my freezer!

Hard Wheat vs. Soft Wheat

Both grains grind into whole wheat flour. I like having both on hand and here’s why:

  1. Use hard wheat to make yeast bread recipes.
  2. Use soft wheat to make non-yeast recipes like muffins and pancakes.

It is possible to use hard wheat for ALL recipes. But I like soft wheat because it makes such a nice pastry flour for fluffy muffins and such. Here are some of our favorite wheat recipes:

Favorite Hard Wheat Recipes

  • Stir-n-Pour Bread
  • Whole Wheat Butterhorns
  • Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
  • One Hour Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls
  • Homemade Soft Pretzels
  • Homemade Pizza Crust
  • Overnight Waffle Batter

Favorite Soft Wheat Recipes

  • Any of these 40+ Muffin Recipes
  • Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
  • Giant Breakfast Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Pancakes
  • Poptarts
  • Quick Baking Mix
  • Whole Wheat Waffles
  • Simple Whole Wheat Pancakes
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The Secret to Fluffy and Delicious Whole Wheat Baked Goods

March 13, 2016 by Laura 32 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Dear Gluten Free Friends: This post is very whole wheaty and not at all helpful to your gluten free life. I’ve got your back though because as you know, many of the recipes here on my site are naturally gluten free. After all, while I do love freshly ground whole wheat flour, I also love variety and breadless recipes. So just for you: 100+ Gluten Free Recipes. Click on over and have at it. Love ya much!

wheat_fields_2

See the difference in grains?
We took this picture while traveling through Kansas a few years ago. 

As a newly-wed I remember visiting someone’s house where they served homemade rolls made exclusively with whole wheat flour. I tried to like the rolls, but I was used to white rolls made with all-purpose flour, and these rolls just weren’t the same. I decided that I simply didn’t like whole wheat flour, and really, I didn’t like anything considered to be a “health food.” (I thought eating healthy meant I had to eat rice cakes and bean sprouts for every meal.) I continued on my merry way where I ate very few fruits and veggies, drank about a liter of Pepsi every day, and made oodles of delicious cookies and cakes with white flour.

Many years (and way too many gallons of Pepsi) later, one of my friends started selling her homemade bread at our local Farmer’s Market. She had some leftover one night, so she sent a loaf home with me. We ate it for breakfast the next day, and we loved it down to the last crumb. I complimented her up and down next time I saw her, asking what kind it was. “It’s just my regular whole wheat bread recipe.” What?! That bread was whole wheat? Like, whole wheat and white flour mixed, right?! “Nope. 100% whole grain. I grind it myself.”

That is the moment I learned about the different varieties of wheat and the deliciousness of grinding grain into flour. (I never actually knew people did that. Grind your own flour? Seriously?!) I was intrigued. I researched. I asked questions. I saved up for a Nutrimill, stocked up on hard white wheat, and the rest is history.

white_wheat_flour

Red Wheat, White Wheat, Hard Wheat, Soft Wheat

Oh how many wheat you meet. Look at me. I’m Dr. Seuss. 

There is a big difference between red wheat and white wheat. Both produce whole wheat flour -but they bake up differently, creating different textures and flavors. I’ve covered this in detail in several other posts, which I’ll point you to now:

  • The Difference Between Red and White Wheats
  • How to Grind Flour in a Nutrimill
  • What Kind of Flour is Best if You Don’t Grind Your Own?
  • What is Pastry Flour, Where Do I Get it, How Do I Use It?

hard wheat soft wheat

It’s hard to see the difference in the picture.
Hard is more pointy. Soft is more round. There. Does that help?

The Secret to Fluffy and Delicious Whole Grain Baked Goods

Let’s talk about how you can make the most amazing whole grain cookies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, waffles, and pastries.

When I first started grinding flour to make all of our baked goods healthier and tastier, I used hard white wheat for everything. It did this because:

  • Hard white wheat flour works for any recipe, whether it is a yeast bread or a non-yeast product. (Soft wheat only works for non-yeast products.)
  • Grinding just one kind of flour made life easier.

Finally, after the recommendation from many of you, I gave soft white wheat a try. This is the variety of wheat that, when ground, produces whole grain pastry flour. I used it first for pancakes, then I used it for muffins, then I decided that I had waited way too long to try this. Pastry flour makes a huge difference in the density of baked goods!

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (ground from soft white grain) is almost like using white all-purpose flour. It is light and fluffy and baked goods I make with it turn out really delicious.

muffins

Simple as that, freshly ground Soft White Wheat is the secret to turning out amazing baked goods.

Remember though, if you’re making a yeast bread, you still have to use Hard White (or red) Wheat. I now love both hard and soft white varieties and keep them both on hand at all times for all our baking needs.

no-knead bread 3

If you’re afraid of baking yeast bread, or simply want to make life much easier –
you have to try this easy Stir-and-Pour Bread. Because of this recipe, I will never knead bread again.
(This bread requires hard wheat, not soft, because it is a yeast bread.)

So let’s review:

  1. Use hard wheat for yeast breads.
  2. Use soft wheat for everything else.
  3. Or use hard wheat for everything – but I’m telling you, soft wheat (which produces whole wheat pastry flour) is wonderful to work with!

The SECRET to Fluffy and Delicious Whole Wheat Baked Goods! You have to read this! #bakedgoods #wholewheat

Some of our favorite recipes which use Whole Grain Pastry Flour:

Most don’t even realize they are eating whole grains when they eat any of these goodies! For that matter, the recipes that are low in sugar don’t seem to phase people either. Who knew eating healthier could taste so good?!

  • Homemade Donuts
  • Easy Pancake Muffins
  • Low-Sugar Sunshine Cake
  • Low-Sugar Super Moist Chocolate Cake
  • Low-Sugar Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting
  • Low-Sugar Carrot Cake With Maple Cream Frosting
  • Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
  • Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Blueberry Streusel Muffins
  • Breakfast Cake
  • Flaky Cream Cheese Pastry
  • Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Peanut Butter Pancakes
  • Zucchini Carrot Bread
  • Banana Bread and Muffins
  • Bacon Cheese Muffins

Let me hear from you!

  • Do you grind your own flour?
  • What is your flour preference?
  • Have you tried soft wheat (pastry flour) or do you stick with hard wheat for every recipe?

Looking for a great Grain Mill?

I have and highly recommend a Nutrimill!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Whole Wheat Zucchini Carrot Bread & Natural Value Foods 25% off Plus 20% off at Amazon

October 23, 2014 by Laura 5 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

The more nutrients you can stuff into one recipe, the better, right? My friend Emily tried this idea of adding shredded carrots into zucchini bread, then let me know that I should try it. Great idea. Mmmmm, so good!

Zucchini Carrot BreadYum

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, sea salt, nutmeg and baking powder. Stir in honey, zucchini, carrots, eggs, and melted butter. Mix ingredients until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into two well buttered loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

zucchini carrot bread

Slices of this Zucchini Carrot Bread would be perfect in your Make-Ahead Lunch Box! Simply allow the bread to cool, slice, wrap individually, then freeze. Pull a wrapped slice of bread out of the freezer, then toss it into your lunch box for a dessert or snack!

What other veggie combinations have you thrown together in quick breads?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

My Favorite Whole Wheat Recipes – and A Nutrimill Giveway From Paula’s Bread

September 10, 2014 by Laura 901 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I’m often asked how I get my 100% whole wheat baked goods to actually taste yummy. It is true that sometimes store-bought whole wheat flour can turn out a dry and dense muffin or bread. We know whole grains have more nutrition, but really, who cares how healthy it is if it doesn’t even taste good?

No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

Ahhh, that’s why I love my Nutrimill. Freshly ground flour is so amazingly good. It makes a world of difference in the way my baked goods taste. Even better is the fact that all the nutrients are alive and intact when you grind your own flour. Tastes better and is much healthier? Yes, please!

What are my favorite Whole Wheat Recipes? Well, all of them, of course. But if I really had to choose my top ten, I guess they would be…

  • Honey Whole Wheat Bread
  • Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
  • Whole Wheat Waffles
  • Whole Wheat Butterhorns
  • Honey Whole Wheat Bagels
  • One Hour Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls
  • No Knead Whole Wheat Bread
  • Pita Bread
  • Banana Bread and Muffins
  • Quick Baking Mix

How has your whole wheat baking experience been so far?  Ever since I started grinding my own grain, it’s made a world of difference in how the product turns out. Who knew baking with whole wheat (or other freshly ground grains) could be so easy?

Buying a Nutrimill is a bit of an investment. It’s worth it, but it can take a while to save up the money for one. That’s why I thought you might like the chance to win a free one. :)

Paula’s Bread is the sweetest!! We’re hitting the restart button with a Nutrimill giveaway, thanks to Paula. :)

Who Wants to Win a Nutrimill

I love my Nutrimill, which can be used to grind hard and soft wheat, kamut, spelt, hulled buckwheat, oat groats, hully barley, triticalae, rye, brown rice, wild rice, popcorn, sorghum, soybeans, split peas, and dried beans. It grinds these into a lovely, fine flour which can be used in all of your baked goods.

I use my Nutrimill alllllll the time. I mostly use my mill to grind hard and soft white wheat. Most people don’t even know they are eating whole grains at my house. They just know they are eating delicious bread, cookies, muffins, or pizza crust.

Paula’s Bread is the place to go when you’re ready to buy a Nutrimill. Her prices are always the best, and her customer support is fantastic. I have worked with Paula for years. She’s a lovely, godly woman. (Like Paula’s Bread on Facebook!)

This week, she is giving one of you a FREE Nutrimill. Who wants to win?! Here’s how to enter:

  1. Leave a comment on this post.
  2. Sign up for Paula’s Newsletter, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  3. Follow Paula’s Bread on Twitter, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  4. Tweet about this giveaway, linking to this post, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  5. Share about this giveaway on Facebook, linking to this post, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  6. Email your family and friends about this giveaway, linking to this post, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  7. Share this post on Pinterest, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).

Look at all the chances to win! I’ll draw a random winner on Wednesday, September 17. Be watching for a post stating the winner, as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

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