Fresh-Milled Flour: The Health Benefits & How to Get Started
Fresh-Milled Flour: The Health Benefits &
How to Get Started
In my last blog post, I shared my personal journey from 20 years of gluten-free living to discovering the power of fresh-milled flour.
Today, I want to dive deeper into the specific health benefits and give you practical guidance on how to incorporate fresh-milled grains into your own life.
Sue Becker, food scientist, explains it perfectly:
“I learned that grains are the most nutrient dense food that God has given to us. I learned, however, that only when the flour is freshly milled does it contain all of the nutrients of the whole grain. That was important to me…. I learned that whole grain flour actually spoils, it’s not able to sit on the shelf, and that’s why they began to process it the way they did… This was the biggy: I learned that the term “Enrichment” that, as a food scientist, I was reading on those product labels of flour or baked goods…, I learned that it was not a favor that the food industry was doing for us… coming from a food scientist standpoint, that’s what I thought. I thought we were making it better than it would have been in nature.” -Sue Becker, www.Breadbeckers.com
The Science of Freshness
Fresh flour begins oxidizing as soon as it is cut or milled. Several precious nutrients begin to oxidize as soon as they are exposed to air. Fresh flour can lose up to 90% of its nutritional value after just three days. After 15 days, it has been shown to be detrimental to life in animal studies and bugs don't even like it.
We recommend milling flour on an as-needed basis to maximize the nutritional benefit, rather than milling ahead. The baking process locks in the nutrients (vitamins, amino acids, enzymes), with minimal nutritional loss thereafter.
Why Milling Matters
Whole grains are made to survive—they are even designed to survive your digestive track (think of corn). The tough exterior (the bran) is like a shield for the precious seed. Milling breaks down that protective bran and maximizes the surface area of the grain, therefore maximizing the nutrients your body has access to. The starches and enzymes in the fresh-milled flour protect the vitamins from heat while the bread is baking.
The Health Benefits We've Known About
We've known for years the health benefits of a high-fiber diet from whole grains:
- The fiber resolves constipation issues, feeds good bacteria in the gut, and plays a key role in preventing obesity because it creates feelings of satiety and fullness
- The many nutrients in wheat have a positive impact on risk factors associated with heart disease and strokes
- Whole grains have a range of cancer-fighting nutrients such as lignan and phytosterols; the fiber binds certain toxins and removes them from the body
- Fiber in whole grains can slow blood sugar spikes, thereby preventing and often reversing type 2 diabetes
- Unrefined whole grains are one of the richest food sources of vitamin E, which is an anti-oxidant vital for heart health, reversing some types of heart disease and treating angina
- Vitamin E is anti-viral and there are many stories of how eating freshly-milled red wheat makes warts disappear
And the Good News… Milling is So Easy!
So I jumped into the process of milling my own flour. Since I love to bake, I figured out which wheat berries to purchase and where. I unearthed my old recipes and started grinding my own soft white wheat berries (from AzureStandard.com) with a grain mill attachment to my KitchenAid mixer, grinding just enough for each recipe.
With the proper grain mill, it only takes less than a minute to mill enough flour for a couple loaves of bread and even less time to mill flour for pancakes or quick breads. So it's a simple step to add if you already love baking.
Resources to Get Started
Learn More:
- One of my favorite places to purchase wheat berry blends: https://unsifted.com
- Sue Becker's teaching on fresh flour: https://breadbeckers.com
Don't Want to Mill Your Own?
If you don't want to mill your own flour, check out bakeries in your area. To find a fresh-milled bakery in your area, search online for "fresh milled flour bakery in my area."
Local Bakeries (San Diego Area):
- Prager Brother's Bakery (https://www.pragerbrothers.com/) in north county San Diego, Carlsbad, Encinitas and Farmer's Markets in Vista and Carlsbad
- Companion Bakery in San Diego
Find Bakeries Nationwide:
https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/find-a-local-fresh-milled-flour-bakery/
Spotlight Bakeries:
Temecula, CA - Great Harvest Fresh bread, flavored bread, sourdough bread, cookies, sandwiches, and seasonal items. Milling flour daily keeps it whole and maintains all the protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals the wheat kernel naturally provides. When you make at least half of your grains whole grains, you start seeing benefits including a decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and colorectal cancer.
Winchester, CA - Berean Bakery I offer long-fermented, 100% organic sourdough with freshly milled grains. I offer many flavors. One of my most popular products are my organic, sourdough brown butter chocolate chip cookies made with 100% freshly milled flour. I am a licensed C.F.O through Riverside County Department of Environmental Health. My business' motto is "blessed & fermented". Every loaf is prayed over in Jesus name!
I would love to hear your stories, whether you already bake your own bread, have stepped into grinding your own flour, or if you are ready to dive in but need a little encouragement.
As you can tell, I'm excited to share!
