I receive lots and lots of emails asking about my whole wheat flour. What kind do I use? Where do I get it? Is it course? Do my recipes turn out heavy from using 100% whole wheat? Do I grind my own grain? What kind of grain do I use?
I decided to tell you about my whole wheat flour preferences. (Some people have a favorite flower…I have my favorite flour. I’d say my husband has it made.)
My favorite flour is freshly ground from organic white wheat berries. I saved up and bought a “Nutrimill” about three years ago. Definitely one of my favorite kitchen tools. If you’re planning to “go whole wheat” I highly recommend investing in a grain mill so that you can grind your own flour. You will never find whole wheat flour as good as the kind that you grind yourself. IT IS SO GOOD. It is also healthier because it is fresher.
I prefer hard white wheat berries over red wheat berries. There is no nutritional difference…I just find that the white wheat berries make a nicer flour and create nicer, lighter loaves of bread and such. My Nutrimill grinds the flour nice and fine so my flour isn’t course or rough, like some might picture whole wheat flour.
I order my wheat berries from Azure Standard…usually 25 pounds a month. We don’t always go through that many pounds each month…but sometimes we do depending on how much baking I do. (25 pounds may sound like a lot of wheat…but we are a family of six big eaters…and I make everything from scratch. We can easily go through more than one loaf of bread at a time. No wonder I always have flour in my hair.)
If you don’t have a grain mill…I recommend trying to find whole wheat flour made from white wheat berries. I’ve been happy to see the Montana brand of whole wheat flour at my Walmart ground from white wheat. Montana brand is also “chemical free”.
You need to store your flour in the fridge or freezer, especially your freshly ground flour. It has a tendency to go rancid quickly if you don’t.
Occasionally I use soft white wheat berries, instead of hard white wheat berries. (You know, occasionally, like when I accidentally order soft white instead of hard white?) I prefer hard white berries…but you can grind the soft white berries for making pancakes, waffles and muffins. For making bread, you need to use hard wheat berries.
What else?
Well, this doesn’t have to do with whole wheat flour…but I also use my Nutrimill to grind corn into cornmeal. Makes the best cornbread ever. And I’ve used it occasionally to grind rice when I want to experiment with rice flour just for fun.
What kind of flour do you prefer? Do you have a grain mill? What kind do you recommend? Do you also often have flour in your hair, or is it just me? I personally think it is a lovely accessory.
Darrold Glanville says
I just recieved my new grain mill.
I am arranging to buy wheat directly from farmers in North Dakota.
Do you know what I have to do to the wheat before milling, like cleaning, etc.
thank you
Darrold
liz says
I realize you wrote this 2 years ago, but I need white wheat in ND,a nd want to know wif you get white wheat and where?! If you do please email me! lizthorsrudatgmail.com
Sheri says
I live in rural NW Minnesota and buy my wheat berries from Natural Ways Mills. They’re organic, and I love shopping local. They do ship, so this might be an option for you. I do most of my grocery shopping here. http://www.naturalwaymills.com/index.htm
Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks&Me says
I use the same kind of wheat berries. We’ve used them for about ten years and I find the white winter wheat so flexible in use that I no longer buy the soft spring wheat (for w.w. pastry flour).
I tried to place an order through the co-op today and none were available. My daughter was able to buy some last summer but they had doubled in price already at that time.
I’ve decided to purchase as much as I can afford when they become available after this year’s crop.
Erinthebeekeeper says
I use both red and white wheat, but I much prefer white for flavor and texture. I also use soft white wheat for quick breads, cakes and a mixture of hard and soft for cookies, which is essentially what ap flour is.
I do grind fresh every other day and have a family grain mill. I couldn’t afford a nutrimill right no and also wanted to have fresh grain if the power was out. I have the hand mill as well as an attachment for the kitchen aid to motorize it.
You do have to run the wheat through twice to get it fine enough, and it isn’t quite as fine as a nutrimill, but it is close, and delightfully fresh!
The Things We Do says
I use whole wheat pastry flour for anything baked with baking powder or baking soda. I use whole wheat flour for things made with yeast. I didn’t know that the Montana brand is chemical free. I always try to buy organic and they don’t seem to carry it at our local Montana Wheat stores. Chemical free would still be a step up so that’s good to know. =0)
Barbara says
I’m dreaming of a wheat grinder . . . do you hear me singing that song?! Hubby knows I want one, but I’m not nagging. (I also want a juicer – do you have one of those?) I would love to have a Nutrimill, but he wants us to get one that can be used both with electricity and without. Any recommendations?
Also, when you soak – do you soak the berries or the already ground flour?
I use organic white with germ. It was definitely in my hair and everywhere else the day I dropped my glass canister inside the bucket of flour!!
BTW – I made your cinnamon rolls last week – WOW! those are delicious and that recipe makes a ton!!!
Laura says
Darrold – I’ve never had to clean mine before I use it. I just dump it into my mill.
Barbara – When you soak your grains, you soak them AFTER they are ground. I guess we should call it soaking the flour…not soaking the grain. It sounds confusing that way!
Sherry says
I’m hoping that one will magically appear in my stocking this CHRISTmas. :D
Lynn says
I just got a Nutramill and so far I love it. I do think soft white wheat (pastry flour) makes all the difference in non yeast items. They are so much better with the soft wheat than they are the hard wheat. But that is just my opinion. :) How much do you pay per lb from azure standard. I am just curious. They don’t come to my area but I was cuious what you pay.
Amy says
Would you mind sharing how much your 25 pound bag costs through the coop?
Laura says
25 pounds of hard white wheat is $19.80 through Azure Standard.
I’m curious where some of you find your wheat and what you have to pay.
Mrs. S says
I have a Nutrimill and love it! I order my wheat berries from Bob’s Red Mill. They are the closest to us geographically so therefore cheaper shipping. I use both soft and hard white wheat. I like the soft for everything but bread, then I use the hard. Sometimes I combine them too. We really love the taste. So much better than white processed flour which has NO TASTE!
Donna says
Oh how I love my wheat!
Yes, I do wear it! I have an old Magic Mill (bought new 12 years ago or so) and it has a leaky seal so if I don’t get a towel over it…it snows wheat flour! :-)
It also has a cracked side where it fell off of a shelf once…but it’s like the energizer bunny!
I’ve used all kinds of wheat. Red is very ‘wheaty/grainy’ and makes for real dense and heavy baked goods. (Picky folks (kids and men) will not go for it as well.;)
I usually use a mix of hard white Montana with soft white. Soft white makes for better cakes and things like that.
I buy my wheat from a Mennonite lady who runs a store in a Menn. Community. The last time was about $44 to 50 for 50lbs. It had went up considerably from the previous order. (Years ago, I bought from Walton Feed.) I will be ordering more in the next week or two–can’t wait! I’m considering A.S., depends on shipping. It would have to go UPS out here and that might smart! ;-)
WAP has a neat article about Quality Wheat that your readers might like to see : http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/wheatyindiscretions.html
Here’s a nice, short link about the nutrition of wheat: http://articles.urbanhomemaker.com/index.php?article=846
Here’s another about the various wheats and their uses: http://ohioline.osu.edu/agf-fact/0146.html
Lynn says
I ordered mine from Bob’s Red Mill and with shipping is was a bit expensive. I think that I have found a good local source though.
Therese says
I’ve just started using whole wheat. I think I must be picky because I really don’t like the red wheat. I find it dense and dry with a slight bitter flavor – I store it in the freezer. I’ve even tried half and half with bread flour, and I don’t like it. This is what’s available in my area. I live in a rural area. I have used whole wheat pastry flour in cookies last week. They were very good. I just found white whole wheat at a Wal Mart that is 1 1/2 hours away in a bigger town. I’ll try it, and if I like it I’ll stock up every few months and store it in my freezer.
I have a question about using coconut oil when I bake. Do you melt the oil first for bread or just use it solid?
I’m trying to cook healthier, but to be honest I won’t continue if I don’t like the taste. I really appreciate your help and suggestions.
Therese
Marianne says
Laura,
I just need to say this again: You are amazing. REALLY! AMAZING.
Cara says
Have you ever considered buying your grain from a baker of some sort? I asked one of the bakers at a local farmer’s market if he would be willing to sell me a sack of white wheat and he agreed to sell it to me at his cost…$20 for a 50lb. bag. They are buying so much more that they get a discounted price.
Tracy says
I love my wheat! I currently have hard red and soft white wheat. I think I will switch back to hard white wheat once the soft white is gone. I like using the hard red wheat for my bread b/c I enjoy the taste, but I do a mixture of red and white. I also enjoy grinding millet and using in combination w/ wheat for muffins. I live in GA and currently get my wheat (and honey) from Bread Beckers. 45 lbs. of wheat runs about $40. We are looking into joining a co-op this winter. I bought my grain mill off ebay for about $90 (that includes shipping). It is a refurbished Wonder Mill and it works wonderfully!! I love your blog, thanks!
Here is the website for Bread Beckers, if you live in GA they give a FREE class demonstrating how to grind your wheat and other grains. http://www.breadbeckers.com
Sue says
I love baking bread, but my choice of wheat berry is the soft white wheat berry. I make up for the lack of gluten in it by adding in 1T of vital wheat gluten per 4.5oz of flour (~1 c.), and I also add in 1T of Dough Enhancer (I found it on Marilyn Moll’s website). I never have a problem and my bread is soft, rises beautifully, and our son now says he’d rather not eat store-purchased wheat bread. :) Makes me pretty happy! ;)
So if you do end up with soft white wheat berries (much prefer them over hard red berries), you can still end up with fantastic bread. Oh, and the milk in my recipe? I substitute the equivalent amount of plain, whole-fat yogurt and it is AMAZING! :D
Kim Taylor says
Laura,
I am saving up for a grain mill and have my eye on the Nutrimill, but some reviews that I have read about the product say it is very noisy and messy. So I’m wondering what you have to say about it? With all that baking you do you must use it all the time.
Thanks
Laura says
It does make noise, but my understanding is that it’s no louder than any other mill. It doesn’t make my kids run screaming from the room or anything like that! :)
Christina says
Hi Laura! When you pull the flour out of the freezer, do you let it come to room temp before you bake? I have read that when using yeast the flour is best when ‘warmed’ and I wondered what you do. As of right now I do not have a grain mill so I buy Wheat Montana ground flour and am trying to store it in our freezer. Obviously, this usually requires some planning on my part, however, sometimes I get the urge to whip up some chocolate graham crackers (thx for the recipe) and really don’t want to wait for the flour to ‘warm up’ before I use it.
Thanks so much!
Laura says
The flour is best warmed, but often I’m lazy and use it right out of the freezer. I mix it with hot water right away, so it doesn’t matter too much!
Laura says
That is, I mix it with hot water when making BREAD. For the graham crackers, use it cold…no problem!