Wheat and Wheat Grinding 101: The Wheat {Types, Where to Buy, and What to Make}
I’ve alluded to this post/series for a while now but I’m more excited than should be deemed rational to finally be bringing you the first installment of the official Wheat and Wheat Grinding 101 series. Perhaps I’m the only one that gets giddy when talking about wheat (Huh? Weird? Me?) but alas, I do and I hope some of this information will be beneficial to those of you interested in wheat and wheat grinding.
I make no effort to hide my deep and abiding love for my wheat grinder and all the benefits it affords me and our family; namely assisting in making our own 100% whole wheat bread for the last three years. However, it took me a while to figure out the ins and outs of wheat and wheat grinding in general.
So over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting two or three more installments for Wheat 101 (including different types of wheat grinders and reviews of those, ways to use wheat and other whole grains, and a whole lot of resources).
Today, let’s talk about the main types of wheat to use in whole grain baking and cooking, the differences between them, where you can buy them and how you can use them in baking/cooking. Whether you make your own bread or not, whole wheat berries/flour can be used in many ways.
Disclaimer: I’m hitting on the wheat varieties that are common, easy to find, and that I’ve used for many years with great success. They are my preferred varieties of wheat but I have friends/family who use other types (like kamut, in particular) so feel free to do your own research on some of those wheat outliers.
Okie doke. Ready? First off, in case you didn’t know, wheat that has been hulled but unmilled (like you see below) is called wheat berries. I’ll refer to “berries” often throughout this post and didn’t want you to be looking for pictures of fresh fruit if you are new to wheat terminology.
You can tell immediately from these pictures that each type of wheat looks a bit different, both in color and shape. Notice also that for every 1/4 cup of wheat berries, hard red wheat has slightly more protein while hard white and soft white are the same.
First up, let’s take a closer look at soft white wheat. The berries themselves are rounder in shape and they are lighter and more yellow in color than the other two types of wheat.
Soft white wheat, finely ground, is perfect for tender, light baked goods. Bread, rolls, and even pie crusts, pastries and cookies.
Next, we have hard red wheat. It is noticeably darker than the other two white wheat varieties. Because of it’s slightly higher protein content, it is better used for heartier, heavier breads.
It isn’t going to yield the same light color and texture in a baked good that a variety of white wheat will. Many people who try whole wheat bread with red wheat first are sometimes disappointed because it tends to produce heavy, dark loaves.
I always recommend using hard white wheat to start; for some reason, it seems easier to develop the gluten and get a lighter, more tender bread. I’m not anti-red wheat (you’ll find out more below); but it is the type of wheat that sometimes gives wheat bread in general a bad rep.
Finally, hard white wheat. Light color, just like soft white wheat, but it has a slightly longer, thinner berry shape. This is the type of wheat I use the most.
It is a great all-purpose wheat flour to use as it works great in yeasted breads/rolls and also in cookies and other baked goods.
When ground, the wheat berries produce flour at any level of coarseness or fineness, depending on your grain mill or wheat grinder. My rule of thumb, unless I’m going for a cracked wheat cereal, is to grind as finely as my grain mill allows because I like to be able to sub the wheat flour in for all-purpose flour and the more finely ground it is, the more easily I can substitute one-for-one with all-purpose flour.
I’ll be talking more in-depth about wheat grinders in a week or so, but a good rule of thumb is that one cup of wheat berries produces about 2 cups flour. Keep in mind, though, that freshly ground wheat flour is full of air from shooting out of the grinder so measuring freshly ground wheat can be a bit tricky (and is also the reason I use approximate amounts of flour for whole wheat bread recipes instead of exact measurements). I either let the flour settle for 30 minutes or so, or if I’m going to use it right away, I forget my standard flour measuring rule, and pack it in the cup a bit more to account for the airiness of just being ground.
You can see from the picture below that the ground wheat flour varies slightly in color, too, depending on the variety of wheat.
It’s hard to see it in this picture below, but the hard red wheat flour (far right) has a bit more texture and a darker color than the soft white wheat flour to the right.
I mentioned above that I prefer using hard white wheat flour. It is definitely what I use 90% of the time; however, I have about 100 pounds of hard red wheat hanging out in storage that I bought 10 years ago that I’m trying to use up, so for the last year, I’ve mixed hard red wheat and hard white wheat (grinding it together) when making bread.
And after shooting pictures for this tutorial, I made bread with all three varieties and what do you know? I think it was the best bread I’ve ever made. So, basically, experiment with the type of wheat you prefer – it will vary widely among every person.
When I lived in Northern Minnesota, I bought it from a local, organic mill near my home (I know, can you believe I moved to the middle of nowhere with an organic grain mill within 40 minutes? Awesome). They do provide shipping if you are interested in checking out their site, but I have to imagine shipping costs are pretty steep since wheat isn’t exactly feather light.
I’ve also found hard white wheat berries at:
- my local Walmart (on the very bottom shelves under the flour)
- Winco (a grocery store in my area in Idaho – they carry it in 25 pound bags)
- a local farm in Ontario, Oregon (Corn Family Farms – check around for any local farms in your area)
There are many, many online sources for wheat, but be aware that shipping costs can run high, so it might be best to check your local resources first. Here are a few online resources (I am not affiliated with any of these but have bought various products from all of them in the past with great results):
Pleasant Hill Grain (probably one of the more reasonable places to buy online)
Emergency Essentials (again, as I looked at their sales/prices, pleasantly surprised)
Shelf Reliance (more expensive but has convenient scheduled shipments, if that floats your boat, and their wheat is non-GMO)
Another resource is the LDS (Mormon) Home Storage Centers. I’m pretty sure you do not need to be a member of the LDS church to can dry goods at the Home Storage Centers (and based on several comments; that’s correct!). Here is a list of Home Storage Center locations; call for details. Their prices are extremely low, in part because you have to/get to pack it and seal it yourself either in cans or mylar bags.
Alternately, if you don’t live near a Home Storage Center, you can order #10 cans of wheat online at store.lds.org. It runs about $33 for 30 pounds of wheat (they only offer hard white or hard red wheat) and shipping is free, although you do have to live in the continental United States to order online (thanks for your comments clarifying that!).
Feel free to share any other resources you’ve found for buying wheat in the comments!
A quick note on storing wheat berries: as with most dry goods, they should be stored in a dry, cool place. My sealed cans and buckets are kept in our basement storage (wheat, if stored properly, can be kept for up to 20 years or longer!) but I keep a large 50 pound bucket in my kitchen that I fill up with the #10 cans or bags of wheat that I buy or bring up from my personal storage.
This bucket is not sealed, meaning, it won’t keep out bugs or little hands that like to let the wheat run through their chubby fingers, but I use this wheat up quickly and regularly, so as long as I keep the lid closed, I’ve never had problems with bugs (although those pesky little hands still find their way in!).
The lid is a nifty two-piece plastic ring with a lid that screws on and off. It is brilliant and saves me from prying off the original lid that came with the bucket.
These two-piece lids (sometimes called Gamma Seal Lids), meant to be used with food-grade 50# buckets, can be found online at any of the wheat resource links above (here is a link from Pleasant Hill Grain).
Now on to the good stuff.
The obvious answer is clearly to use it in breads and rolls (but scroll down for some ideas that are a bit outside of the bread box). I have dozens of yeast recipes on my site and while I haven’t specified in each and every one, it’s a given that any time I make rolls or bread, I use whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour.
For bread, I always use my trusted 100% whole wheat recipes. For rolls and other breads, I generally use at least half whole wheat flour, sometimes more and sometimes less (with the exception of this ciabatta bread, this rustic crusty bread and a small handful of others which I always splurge and make 100% white flour).
However, you can think outside of the box and use wheat berries in many other ways besides bread. Here are some good ones:
- Homemade Cream of Wheat Cereal: Toast the wheat berries in the oven until lightly golden, let them cool, then grind them in a grain mill or wheat grinder to the texture of hot cereal, not fine like flour but not as coarse as cracked wheat. You could probably even do that in a blender. Cook or microwave 1 cup of the toasted ground wheat berries in 3 cups water for a delicious, hot cream of wheat breakfast (this is honestly one of my boys’ favorite breakfast choices with blueberries and a touch of brown sugar and milk).
- Pancake Mix: I use 100% whole wheat flour for our favorite oatmeal pancake mix. It’s hearty, healthy and totally delish.
- Traditional Cracked Wheat: If your wheat grinder can hack it, grind the wheat berries for cracked wheat cereal.
- Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes/Waffles: This unique recipe doesn’t use flour at all; it starts with whole wheat berries that are blended with buttermilk and other ingredients. It’s another breakfast staple at our house. You can use any type of wheat berry for these.
- Wheat as a Meat Extender: You can get all wild and crazy and use wheat as a meat extender. It’s amazing! My friend Jenna told me about this years ago after she served me stroganoff that was so tasty, I asked for the recipe and she shyly admitted that the “meat” in the recipe was at least 1/2 wheat berries. WHAT? I couldn’t even tell. It’s been years since I’ve employed this method myself (I need to start again!) but I can vouch that it works. The wheat takes on the taste and texture of the meat plus it adds a whole lot of extra protein and fiber. Basically you use cooked wheat berrries (cracked wheat) and simmer it with your meat (for tacos, stroganoff and other ground beef/turkey meals that simmer or cook for a bit). Google “wheat meat extender” and you’ll get some good ideas.
Well, I think that does it for today! Next up will be a thorough look at wheat grinders. Yahoo! (Seriously, stay in your seats, people.)
Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments and I’ll get to them as soon as I can; alternatively, I’d love any suggestions about the discussion today. I have a feeling I can learn a lot from all of your experiences with wheat, too!
222 Comments on “Wheat and Wheat Grinding 101: The Wheat {Types, Where to Buy, and What to Make}”
Thank you for writing this article. I really like king aurther’s bread flour however I just purchased a nutrill harvet grain mill and would like to mill my own flour now. Are you able to make suggestions as to which berries I should try to get something similar to King Aurthers bread flour?
It’s really hard to “make” bread flour or other white flours at home with a wheat grinder. I think you have to get other attachments for sifting and separating. But a Nutrimill is great for grinding whole wheat flours!
How is best way to clean soft white wheat berries from the farmers field?
Your information was so helpful! All the links andcrevioes!!!
Someone gave us 5 of the #10 cans of hard red wheat. We bought a used grinder (magic mill III) from MARKETPLACE! So it’s been amazing.
So good to see a post on wheat berries, I really enjoyed it. I bought white wheat berries at my local Winco, (Meridian Idaho) and was unsure if they were soft or hard. Looking at your pictures I think they are the soft ones. I’ve lately renewed my obsession of baking bread and rolls and want to use the healthier berries. I have a Magic MIll III that I bought on EBay a year ago and am having fun grinding my own wheat. Looking forward to some other recipes.
Kathryn
Great info! Just starting out in homesteading and this seemed daunting until I read this post.
I’m just getting in to grinding my own flour so your info here was very helpful. I was most interested in what kind of wheat berries for which use and you covered that well.
I am wondering and can’t seem to find an answer. Is it cheaper to grind your own flour? I was lucky enough to be able to buy a 50# bag of king Arthur’s flour for $35 dollars. The prices I see for wheat berries are like $40 for a 5# bag ( just an example) so I am a bit confused
Thanks for any help
Becky
It all depends on where you buy/source the wheat berries and flour from to decide if it’s cheaper to grind your own flour. A lot will depend on that!
I like very “yeasty” tasting rolls. In the past the recipes I’ve found for bread are good but they don’t have a strong yeast taste. Do you have a recipe for those?
I’m guessing it might just depend on the definition of “yeasty” but one way to get that pronounced flavor is to increase the yeast and also let the dough slow rise/ferment in the refrigerator for a day or two.
Two things:
1. Question: Have you had experience with einkorn berries? If so, could you relate your experience with it.
2. Comment: If you use weight rather than volume for measuring out the berries, then there is no need to covert portions of unground vs ground berries. I just weigh out 500g of berries to get 500g of flour.
Great tip on weighing the amount of berries! And yes, I use einkhorn wheat almost exclusively now. It grinds wonderfully well and resembles the texture and results of soft white wheat.
What is your suggestion for grinding organic white flour for sourdough bread. I have been buying a 25# bag directly from mills. I need a strong bread flour for the sourdough. I would like to build an emergency storage of the wheat berries since they store longer than already ground wheat. What type of wheat berry and grinder do you suggest for my purposes?
I don’t have a lot of experience using white whole wheat (or any kind of whole wheat) for sourdough, but I think it could work quite well. I recommend using hard white wheat. Most wheat grinders will grind the hard white wheat really well.
Love to know about Wheat and Wheat Grinding 101 series, thanks for sharing about this with us .
Hello, I’m new to wheat berries, looking at making my own with a very basic recipe, flour, yeast, water, salt! baking will be on the Dutch oven! My ultimate goal is to make my break with my own sourdough started
Which kind of berries would be best for this?
Which kind of berries would be best for cakes, cookies?
what about the berries that say winter or spring?
any help will be appreciated
An
Hi Ana, I think the best wheat to use for almost all of those things is hard white or soft white wheat. Some of them may say winter or spring, but that won’t matter so much. I’d suggest using white wheat berries instead of red wheat berries.
i made a loaf of bread with hard red wheat flour i ground myself and it will not bind? i added a little more water and it still wouldnt bind?
Hello. I’ve heard from the “Bread Beckers” @breadbeckers.com – that using lecithin will help keep your bread together. There is a soy lecithin but they recommend lecithin from sunflower.
Any recommendations for a hand grinder that would work if you have no power source?
I’m still on the hunt for a good option for if/when the power goes out! I haven’t been super motivated since I figure if the power goes out, I’m likely not going to be baking bread or cooking much anyway.
This one:
WONDERMILL Hand Grain Mill Red Wonder Junior Deluxe- Manual Grain Mill and Grain Grinder for Dry and Oily Grains – Kitchen Flour Mill, Grain Mill Hand Crank and Spice, Corn, Wheat Stone Mill Grinder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PTZQ10/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_7B437G27N78B3Q6N6Z19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Excellent tips, btw! I’ve been looking for ways to improve my already quite tasty french bread loaves. Best thing I’ve used so far is a ½” deep cookie sheet under the loaf “W” about 6″ apart, with the bread in the center of the oven, and the water pan at the bottom. I usually use a quart of water in the pan, and bake the bread at 425° F (220° C) for 20~30 minutes, looking for that special “golden” crust color that I like. Comes out very chewy (in a nice way) and flavorful (I just ate some freshly baked up with some hearty beef’n’vegetable soup), but with a slightly firmer crust. Still working on developing that crunchy/crispy crust to go with that nice chewy center. Safe, and hoppy travels from the Boondocking Brewer and Baker™!
I forgot to mention that I use Great River Organic Milling, Lily White Bread Flour for all my baking, and also their Dark Rye flour, for my love of dark rye bread. Just remember to add 10-20 gms of gluten flour to the loaf for a perfect loaf of bread! Their Whole Wheat also comes in either white, or red, depending on your needs. They’re a great miller, and the flavor is awesome. Plus, by buying through Amazon, you don’t have to pay for shipping! https://www.amazon.com/Great-River-Organic-Milling-White/dp/B00CTLAIH8/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Great+River+Organic+Milling&qid=1628133049&sr=8-2
Thanks for this! I have a bunch of soft white and was told it wouldn’t be good as bread flour. Can I add vital wheat gluten to it to give it the protein boost to make yeast pizza crust or similar? If so how much would I trade out? Seems like I read somewhere you can swap a Tbsp all purpose with gluten to make it into bread flour but wasn’t sure if this would work with the soft wheat?
I’m not entirely sure, but you could try adding a tablespoon of gluten for every cup of flour (reducing the flour by one tablespoon). 100% whole wheat baked goods (for pizza crust and other things) will have a different texture than using all-purpose flour. So I don’t think using all soft white wheat will ever approximate the same texture as 100% bread flour, but it can still work quite well.
Hello, We ground our own hard red and when my husband makes a loaf of bread its sooo dense and heavy. Is he doing something wrong? Can we mix hard red and hard white to get something less dense?
HELP!!!!
Yes, I suggest mixing hard red and hard white wheat together for a lighter bread or using all white wheat
Is flour made from any of the wheat berries above considered “whole wheat”? What makes white flour different from whole wheat flour? Also, how do you seal buckets for food storage?
Any flour ground from wheat berries is considered whole wheat. White wheat flour is just lighter in color and texture but it is still considered whole wheat. I usually buy buckets already sealed for food storage so I’m not sure how to seal them yourself.
Can you explain the meat extractor process. Do you soak the wheat berries first. This is awesomeness. I like this idea. Thanks.
Is your post on grain grinders on Pinterest?
Is there anything you need to add to the wheat after you grind it in order to make bread?
Here’s a post on making whole wheat bread at home, Cyndi: http://melkitchencafe.com/whole-wheat-bread-step-by-step/
While reading comments I saw one from December 2018. It was asking about the weight of the finished flour when measuring it out for recipes. King Aurthur Flour website has every flour, every weight you could ever need. Click on the drop down menu, click on ingredient weight chart. They also offer on line chat and over the phone help with experienced bakers.
The pandemic has us wanting to try new things
I ‘popped’ some wheat berries but they still are too hard for my teeth. My plan was to maybe grind them up for flour. Do you think it would work for bread or do you think it lost it’s bread making power?
I use wheat berries all the time to make a loaf of cracked whole wheat bread. Just take 67.5 gms of whole wheat berries in 100 gms of water, and boil for 90 seconds (I use my 1500 watt microwave for this part), then let them rest until all the liquid have been absorbed. Then add the precooked berries to your regular whole wheat bread recipe. I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Wheat berries, and they are partially milled with a coarse “cracking” that makes them superb in a 100% whole wheat bread.
How do you make cracked wheat cereal? Thanks!
I live on the Island of Vancouver , and I just found Organic local wheat kernels. Seems only the hard red spring wheat is available here. I have a Magic Mill which has been resting for years, and a faithful Bosch machine with a dough hook . Do you ever add extra gluten leavening ? Started again making bread because of the pandemic and I am hooked for good! Can’t wait to use fresh flour again!
Yes, I will often add gluten flour!
Do you use all freshly ground wheat in your cookies, bars, pie crust and cakes too? I’ve never ground my own wheat, would love to try, but the price of a grain mill right now isn’t an option. I grew up with my mom mixing 1/2 all purpose flour with 1/2 whole wheat flour in a large container and just using that for everything she baked. And she didn’t make yeast products at all. I didn’t like wheat flour in everything! My biggest complaints growing up were chocolate chip cookies and banana bread as they were heavier than what my friend’s mom’s were! I learned later in college that mixing them is fine, but not always at half ratios, because some things taste better with less whole wheat, so it’s better to mix in individual recipes based on the need. I find the store bought whole wheat flour is much heavier, and I tend to not use it, because of the texture it seems to impart. So maybe another question is… when just were starting out with wheat flour, how did you do it/transition? And did your family complain? The hardest part of wheat and whole grain baking to me, is it is different, and my family doesn’t like it! Which I get as I didn’t like wheat flour in things as a kid either, and still don’t prefer the heaviness of baked goods when I use boughten whole wheat flour. Yet I think freshly ground flour could be good for us! Thanks for your tips and insight on this! I find it fascinating even if it might be awhile before I try to grind my own!
Hi Mary Ann – it definitely takes some getting used to if you aren’t used to the taste/texture of whole wheat. I’d suggest using 25% whole wheat to 75% all-purpose flour and gradually increasing the whole wheat as your family gets used to it!
Do you wash the berries before grinding?
No, I do not.
Can I make wheat flour in my Vitamix?
It’d probably be best to google that question or contact Vitamix directly as I haven’t tried it myself.
Hi Carolina..idk if you have gotten a response or not but vitamix makes a blender specifically for dry mixes. I have made brown rice flour and wheat flour in my vitamix dry mix container and pr works beautifully.
Tami
I got some hard red wheat in Montana and have it stored in a large plastic container. Went to grind some and there is as much flour like substance (but more creme color) as there as the wheat berries in the container. No bugs. Now is the grain still good to use and should I wash the berries and dry them before grinding??? Am a beginner as you can tell.
Hi Helen, honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve never had that happen – can you call the manufacturer or store where you purchased the wheat?
I want to make cracked wheat cereal. I have a small mill that I grind my flour for bread. I would like to know which setting I should use on my mill for cracked wheat cereal. The range is from one to five with #one producing the finest flour. Do I use #five for the most coarse for cracked wheat cereal or is this just a personal preference thing?
I think it’s totally a personal preference thing but I’m guessing it will be between 4-5
Thank you for this! I am so very confused about using the hard red wheat vs hard white wheat for making sourdough boules. I started looking into this because there are absolutely no bread flours available in the city I live in due to the virus. I wanted to ask, if I want to make a classic artisanal bread with soft and open crumb, and crispy crust, how do I use these flours? Am I supposed to use part hard white wheat flour (or red) and add conventional bread flour? Or do I use part hard white wheat and part hard red wheat? Or would that be super dense?
I think using all hard white and hard red would make a fairly dense artisan bread but using half hard white wheat (that’s my preference; I don’t like using hard red wheat) and half all-purpose or bread flour would be a good solution.
I think that this is because most hard red wheat is used in the brewing industry for its lower than usual protein component. White white (usually malted like hard red wheat) of the soft white variety is mostly used in brewing Belgian style Wit beers. The hard white is used more for bread, as it’s higher molecular weight protein structure lends itself to baking bread, rather than for brewing. You can get all four varieties at your local home beer and wine trade stores for relatively decent prices. Malted varieties will be sweeter, and darker, due to the non enzymatic browning that takes place (Maillard reactions), and will make for a darker and crispier crust, much like what milk gives you from the lactose.
Thank you, I haven’t ground wheat for probably 35 years now.. I guess that indicates how old I am. In lite of these times we are living in I have decided to start that up again. Glad you are out there and hope to be reading more articles..
This article was so informative and to the point. I loved it. Thank you for writing it.
I’ve been using hard white wheat berries for a long Time but with the flour shortages with COVID 19, I’m considering trying out soft white wheat berries in place of my missing all purpose flour for the cookies and dinner rolls and artisan bread and all the other things I prefer to do not 100% whole wheat. Thoughts on this? I would probably do 50/50 hard white and soft white in all my recipes calling for all purpose flour…
It’s definitely worth a try! It doesn’t matter whether it’s soft or hard wheat in the sense that using 100% whole wheat for recipes that you’ve used 100% white flour in the past will make a difference to overall taste and texture. But that’s not a bad thing. I recommend measuring with a very light hand when using all whole wheat flour and using part soft and part hard white wheat will make a lighter texture for sure!
Okay, this may seem like a dumb question, but it’s genuine. Why should I want to grind my own wheat berries? Is the taste superior to whole wheat you can buy in the grocery store? Is the cost more effective? Or is it just the fun challenge of doing it yourself? I’m all about any or all of those reasons, but I don’t personally know anyone who grinds their own wheat berries so this all seems a bit radical to me. Thanks Mel.
Great questions, if you buy wheat berries in bulk, it’s definitely more cost effective – and when grinding at home, you can often grind the flour more finely than the flour found in the stores.
Oh, there is a much better reason to grind your own wheat berries than just the cost! The health benefits of freshly ground wheat are tremendous! The flour in the stores have had something like 26 nutrients removed to make it shelf stable and then 4 added back in and called enriched. Wheat starts to degrade immediately when ground, so grinding it fresh is always best. My mother, who cannot eat any wheat products without getting sick, is able to eat anything I make with freshly ground wheat – I’m sure it’s because everything is in the flour that God intended to be there for our bodies to process it. 🙂 Check out The Bread Beckers for much more information on this.
Monica, thank you for such a great reply.
For decades I have been baking my own bread and other items with whole wheat flour I grind at home with an electric grinder (The Kitchen Mill by BlendTek now but started with one by Bosch). So my question is the flour I grind as bad for us—quick carb, sugar spike wise—as the white flour most people eat? I mean does it spike our blood sugar and therefore should be eliminated from our diets—as many experts now say?
Sue Becker of The Bread Beckers says this: “True whole grains, eaten in their whole form or freshly ground into flour, with nothing added and absolutely nothing removed, is very different nutritionally from the commercially produced “whole grain” products. True whole grains will reduce cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar and prevent obesity by satisfying one’s appetite.”
I don’t have a grain mill. Can I use a blender or food processor to grind wheat berries into flour?
I’ve heard you can but haven’t tried it myself. I’m not sure how finely it could grind the berries into flour.
You need to have a dry grain attachment for a blender, otherwise, a grain mill or coffee grinder will work.
I’m just now looking into hard red wheat! I’m excited to start this process. Would a Cuisinart work efficiently in grinding up the wheat? I’m also wondering if using hard red wheat would require me changing all my bread recipes I already have?
Bread Beckers is a family run business in Georgia that sells wheat berries. They have coops to reduce shipping costs. They are also very helpful if you call.
Breadbeckers also sell grinders and have videos to show the differences between mixers and grinders. Their videos are very informative.
Thanks for info; will have my wife study this.
We purchased a large load of dehydrated foods about 6 years ago and have decided to delve into the hard wheat. We also have a grinder and a mixer for making breads. I look forward to reading more of your info and trying your recipes. Thank you.
Hello! Thank you for all your thoughtful suggestions and comments. I have been using whole wheat for awhile, and everything tastes better and better for you. But.. I am having a hard time making fluffy cakes. what berries do you use to make fluffy cakes? Do you alter the recipe when you are not using store bought all purpose flour?
Hi Mary – Have you tried whole wheat pastry flour (or if you are grinding your own, grinding the flour at the finest level and then sifting through a strainer)? That may help, but truthfully using whole wheat flour will probably never yield quite the same light and fluffy cake as cake or white flour. If I’m using whole wheat flour in a cake, I usually use half wheat/half white flour. It’s still a little more dense than normal, but pretty tasty.
do you know the weight of a cup of ground flour for the hard red, hard white, and soft white respectively?
It really depends – if it’s straight out of the grinder, it’s going to be super fluffy, probably right around 4 ounces. But if it’s had a chance to settle, it’s more like 5 ounces.
Greetings Mel,
I will be using already ground up Spelt flour. Have you tried it? It taste so good. One can get adducted to it. It’s an ancient grain.. Thank you for the tutorial you have done and now I shall go check out your small new small amount batch recipe. Thanks!
Do you wash and dry your wheat berries before grinding?
No I don’t.
So I am completely new to this and the only thing stopping me from starting is what type of wheat I should buy. I make bread nd rolls occasionally but mostly others things like cookies cakes pumpkin bars pies and cinnamon rolls and everyday cooking. What type of wheat should i get that will get me close to the all purpose type use?
I would suggest using hard or soft white wheat.
Do u how to and where I can find an old soaker? Spinner? To take the berries to make “wheat meat..like seitan. [email protected]
Apologies for the completely newbie question, but I’m wanting to make just regular white bread, not wheat. Do I still use the soft white wheat berries to grind just regular white flour? I think the word “wheat” in “wheat berries” is throwing me off and making me think the only thing it’ll grind down to is…well, wheat flour, not white. Help?
Hi Rose, if you want to make white bread, you’ll want to use all-purpose flour – you can’t achieve that type of flour by grinding your own wheat at home.
I agree with Mel in this regard. I use the Great River Organic Milling Lily White Bread Flour as my main white flour. S&H is free at Amazon, and it’s really quite affordable. All “berries” mean is the raw uncracked or unmilled wheat kernel from the wheat seed. They use mostly hard red wheat (most of what is sown in the USA, and Canada, eh?) and it looks slightly yellowish under neutral LED lighting due to their aging process after milling. Makes great white bread (I just baked a loaf of French bread today) with good tight crumb, moist body, and chewy crusts. IIRC, they use 14% protein wheat that have a high gluten content. I only use vital wheat gluten with their multigrain, wheat, and dark rye flours. The Lily White needs no extra gluten, so you’re good to go as is with this flour.
Hi, do you know if it’s normal for some wheat berries to have dark tips. Mine have been stored correctly for 6 years but several of them have dark ends (where it was connected to the plant). They don’t smell bad or rancid. Thanks.
I don’t know if that is normal or not, Sandy – have you tried doing a quick google search?
Thanks for your reply. I’ve search the web, but can’t find that issue. All I find is that if they’re bad you can tell by the smell. But mine smell normal. Thanks.
As a brewer, the tips come from harvesting the wheat a little earlier than what the plant is ready for by a few days or so. This helps with the threshing, and gives a slightly higher yield per acre sown. All depends on what the miller elects to buy from the farmer. Another good reason to support Great River Organic Milling! There may be some darkening in your bread, as compared to what you’d see with fully ripened berries, but it takes a spectrograph to really see the differences IMHO. Most brewer’s don’t care about that, just the protein levels, and the Kolbach numbers (malt conversion power) to convert those starches into fermentables, and dextrins.
Do you need to rinse the wheat berries before you put them in your milk to grind them into flour?
I never rinse the wheat berries before grinding.
Bless you for writing this article. Excellent work.
Thank you for the valuable info
Hi Mel,
what kind of mill do you have?? do you have both a hand mill and an electric mill? Thank you- Olga
Mel, are you milling and using hard white wheat in your buttermilk cinnamon roll recipe or are you using store bought all purpose flour in it? I love that recipe but have only used store all purpose white flour in it. Can you advise if milled white wheat would work? Thanks so much!!! Laura Gail
I almost always use unbleached all-purpose flour in that recipe, but I think you could definitely use half white whole wheat!
This is a great blogpost!
My husband and I grow the best organic wheat on the Colorado prairie and ship nationwide straight from our farm. We also deliver to some areas of the Colorado Front Range. Check out our website at GrainsFromThePlains.com.
In response to someone below- I cannot speak for other organic farmers, but here on our farm, we do not spray anything for pests (or anything at all). We also naturally do not have a big pest problem on the Colorado prairie because we are so dry that even bugs don’t like it.
Question:
After grinding wheat, how soon does it need to be used before it goes bad?
Does it prolong it’s shelf life by putting in the refrigerator or freezing?
Thx
Yes, storing it in the freezer is the best way to preserve most of the nutrition after it has been ground. I try to use freshly ground wheat within 12 hours (unless I’m going to put it in the freezer).
Hi Mel, I know your post says you grind your own wheat and you prefer hard white wheat. However, I don’t foresee grinding my own wheat in the future so I’m wondering if you have a brand of wheat flour you prefer? I have used the lehi roller mills unbleached bread flour from hard wheat found at Costco. I’m wondering since this is a bread flour if it’s affecting any of my cookies, muffins, etc? I’m also wanting to add more wheat into our diet but maybe the Costco hard wheat is already sufficient? I’d appreciate your thoughts. Thanks so much!
Hi Marcie, yes bread flour vs all-purpose flour will definitely affect the outcome of baked goods since it has a higher protein content. It behaves a little different than all-purpose flour. I’ve used the King Arthur brand of already ground whole wheat flour before, but since I mostly grind my own, I don’t know all the different brands (good or bad) available.
Thanks, Mel!
West Mountain Wheat sells organic, non-gmo grains at great prices.
I’m wondering if there are any recipes for pizza dough using fresh flour. Most of the recipes I’ve been finding use the store bought flour, but I like grinding my own at home.
Does anyone know if Augason wheat berries sold at walmart have Roundup on them or any other pesticides. not ready to spend the money on organic . just wondering
Buying organic will not get you away from pesticides. Organic crops are also sprayed with pesticides, many of which are more toxic than conventional pesticides.
Please list a source for this statement.
That’s a dumb comment.
I’m rather new to using wheat berries but am SO excited at the taste and texture of my first bread!!!
I want to make pasta. From what I’ve read durum is the wheat of choice. I am curious as to why and what pasta made from hard white wheat berries would be like.
Your information above is wonderful! Thanks
This is fantastic! Wish I had this 30 years ago when I started grinding my own wheat! Thanks so much.
You are amazing, thank you for this post!!!
I smiled at this: “Perhaps I’m the only one that gets giddy when talking about wheat (Huh? Weird? Me?) but alas….” I’m in that camp too, although it’s hard to find folks with equal (any?) enthusiasm. I’ve been making my own bread for about 12yrs, and grinding wheat for ~8 via a Nutrimill. They’re dusty machines with poor seals between base unit and hopper, but durable and L’Equip has a good warranty.
I’ve always used red hard wheat berries .. probably that is what was first recommended for breads. I’d like to try the the white hard wheat too. It’s unfortunate that the wheat prices have risen so severely. >5yrs ago it was $.35/lb but is now >$1 per pound.
How do you sprout soft white wheat? I heat only bad reviews of soft white does not last long and it is terrible to sprout. I am asking of this because I am new to this and I did buy soft white and I do not know if they sprouted but I knew the hard wheat berries had minimal sprouts. I had both in the same jar. So when I seen the sprouts i grind up my wheat in a food processor. I made my bread and the rising process it did rise but when I formed it into a loaf for a 2nd rise, it did nothing. Do the soft wheat need to be sprout a little longer. I did another batch before researching and this time I will sprout until i have sprouts about 1/8 inches long. I know I will not eat my first batch, Can you give me some suggestions on soft wheat. please. Thanks, and happy July 4
Unfortunately I’m not an expert on sprouting wheat. Sorry! You might try googling to get more info.
LDS.org online storehouse sells wheat in #10 cans and will ship free to U.S. addresses. The price is amazing! 6 #10 cans = 33 lbs of hard white wheat for $27.50! Emergency Essentials is 40 lbs for $49.99 on sale. So huge saving because LDS.org is non profit. It is nice to get it in the smaller cans too, easier for me to handle. Love you post BTW.
Thank you – I am looking to buy a wheat grinder and stock up on wheat for food storage in the next week or two. Thank you for sharing your knowledge – well done!
Can you grind this wheat to make all purpose flour at home? You know the kind of flour that you see at the supermarket
I grind my own wheat, oats, corn, etc. Love it. However, I must be doing something wrong. My corn bread is awful! I grind my corn into meal, add my flour, baking powder, egg, milk, etc and bake as usual, meaning I bake it just like I would “store bought” cornmeal, BUT, it is extremely doughy in the middle and it seems to take forever for it to get “done”, but it is still doughy in the middle no matter what. The edges are all we can eat. HELP please, someone.
Debie – I have been grinding wheat and corn for 20+ years. Are you grinding popcorn? That is what I do. It cleans the grinder out too. I make the Mollie Katzen corn bread recipe (Moosewood) with yogurt instead of all of the fat. I place a caste iron skillet in the oven while I mix the ingred. Then I add 1/2 the dough in the heated skillet, some preserves and then the other half of the dough. Bake 20 minutes. It is delicious. Baked through with a little browning on the bottom from the warmed skillet.
Heidi, hi. what kind of mill do you use? Do you use a separate mill for corn or one mill for both?
Here’s a link to the info on wheat grinding (what I use, etc): http://melkitchencafe.com/wheat-grinding-101-all-about-wheat-grinders-plus-over-60-reviews-of-popular-grinders/
Thanks for this post! It was so easy to understand. I’ve been buying those containers you mentioned at Winco and love them. I’m curious how long my grains will last in them though. It’s just my husband and I, so I don’t want them to go to long and get bugs in them. I just got a Wheat Grinder for Christmas, so I’m excited to try it!
I live on the east coast and buy my wheat from Walmart.com, Augason Farm brand. A 26 lb bucket is around $16 which is by far the cheapest online price I’ve found and shipping is free with a $50 order, although I can’t imagine that lasting too long, so I stock up whenever I can. Even the storehouse online has a minimal shipping charge now for food storage items (I think $3 or so).
I just started grinding a new brand of wheat. Both brands where hard white wheat. I use them to make my homemade bread. Ever since I have started using this brand my bread is different. Not as soft, is this possible that another brand would make this big of a difference????
Hi Bailey – I’m not sure if brand would make a difference, although I suppose it could. The only way to really know is to try and get the old brand and do a comparison test. I’ve used several brands over the years and haven’t noticed a huge difference but I don’t change the kind I’m using very often.
I’m not sure the LDS church has organic, pesticide-free berries. I will be looking into it before going to them.
If you live near any Amish they will have a store which will have wheat berries, as well as a lot of other bulk foods. These are often run by Mennonite or old order Germany baptist brethren. Check the new papers of small towns in your area or simply ask someone in plain dress in walmart they are usually very happy to share the information. Great healthy food source.
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Just thought that I would check back in here Mel. I have just purchased a manual grinder by Country Living. I ground wheat today and it took me 57 minutes to grind 10 cups of flour for my bread batch. I used hard red spring and hard white high protein wheat. I keep the setting on fine and this produces flour the same consistency as what you typically buy in stores. I am very pleased with this grinder. The flavor really is noticeably better than flour that has been previously ground. So in my humble opinion, it is definitely worth the investment to buy a grinder and have fresh ground wheat when you want it. As for buying wheat, I bought a 25 pound bag of hard red spring wheat at Winco for $.57 a pound. Winco does not have much of a selection of wheat, but it is the best price on hard red spring wheat that I have been able to find and they always carry that. I also bought 50 pound bags of hard red winter and hard white high protein wheat from Harvest House for $.69 per pound. I store them in plastic buckets as you suggested. They are well wrapped in plastic bags to keep moisture and any bugs that could possibly get past the plastic buckets, which I truly doubt will ever happen. So I have learned quite a bit from your site Mel and I hope the information that I just presented here helps any other folks that are doing their own baking. Thanks for your wonderful site and take care.
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Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post!
It’s the little changes that will make the biggest changes.
Thanks for sharing!
So I have a kitchen aid mixer professional series.
I’m looking to mill grain for up to 5 families. I’m wondering if anyone knows about how long it would take to mill oh I don’t know 10lbs of berries?
I just got a wheat grinder for Christmas. Do you ever grind other things? I was reading that it can grind lentils and all manner of other grains and beans and I’m slightly interested in getting a little crazy with the grinding, just don’t know what to do with other ground things besides wheat. Any thoughts or websites or recipes or anything on that?
Carissa – I mostly grind wheat but I’ve also ground rice, almonds, dried corn and a few other things. A lot depends on the type of mill you have (many don’t fare well with wetter ingredients like dried beans and flaxseed). Have fun!
Great site and I look forward to more information that you offer here Mel. I have been making my own wild yeast sourdough bread for only 7 months. I have cooked all of my adult life and by far, making my own bread is the most satisfying thing that I have ever attempted in the kitchen! As far as preference, the standout for my basic bread making is a flour called “OO”. It is a combination of hard red winter wheat and soft spring wheat that I get from Harvest House, a health food store close by. The flavor it produces is wonderful and nutty. The crust is heavy and the crumb is dense and soft. It is my favorite wheat combination thus far in my short bread making experience. I am currently looking at hand crank grinding machines and that is what brought me here to your site. I am happy to have stumbled across your place. I look forward to learning more about bread making and wheat properties on your site. Thanks and you have a fabulous site/blog!
I would like to start trying to grind my own hard red wheat ( a friend does and I love the taste) I just spent my money on a kitchen aid mixer and can’t afford a grinder at this time. Do you know anyone who uses their vitamix with the dry mix container to grind their wheat? I have one but wondered before I invest in wheat
Wendy – I don’t have any experience or know of anyone that uses their Vitamix but perhaps a quick google search might turn up a forum or other info that might help you. Good luck!
I use a Vitamix dry container (5200) and it works great. It can get warm though- freeze the berries first. Don’t do more than 2 cups (1.5 or less is best). Let the mixer cool between batches for a few minutes. The heat destroys some of the enzymes, but otherwise if you don’t mind that then not as big of a deal.
Hi Mel,
Do you have a reliable recipe for making a single loaf of whole wheat bread? I’m ready to start experimenting with grinding my own wheat. (What a treat to find out my mom has an unused wheat grinder in her garage!) I’d like to be able to experiment with the different whites and red wheats, but I don’t want to crank out 4-6 loaves per experiment. Thanks so much!
Michelle – that’s a great question and unfortunately, I haven’t adapted any of these recipes myself for just one loaf although I completely understand where you are coming from. I believe someone commented just above you about adapting it for 2 loaves so you might check out her comment and see what she did. Good luck!
If you like to use 100% whole wheat (with a wee bit o’ gluten flour thrown in for good rise, and spring), here’s my recipe for making a honey cracked wheat loaf:
240 gms 105° F (41° C) Tap water
Precooked cracked wheat berries (67.5 gms berries, 100 gms water)
336 gms whole wheat flour
24 gms Vital Wheat Gluten
85 gms Honey (I prefer clover, but you can use whatever you have)
35 gms EVOO (or you can sub Canola if you’re out of EVOO)
7 gms Pink Sea Salt (Dollar Tree has pounds for just a buck!)
7 gms Dry Bread Yeast (I use mostly gold label, or red label depending on the season)
I use a bread machine (to save my arthritic hands all the pain) set to loaf, then roll the loaf out onto a floured pastry skin, then form and place into the pan for last rising. 45 minutes later, I bake at 350° F (177° C) for 40 minutes in a Pullman Loaf Pan (covered) then remove to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before packaging, or slicing. Share, and enjoy!
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I made a loaf of bread, and the bread tastes fine, so I guess the wheat is still good. Thanks.
Mel, I have a question about my hard red wheat berries. When I open the container, there is a very strong smell. It doesn’t really smell rancid – it’s more of a sweet smell. Is that normal for hard red, or is that the first sign it’s going bad? I don’t notice it with my hard white or soft white berries. Thanks.
Terry A. – as long as it doesn’t smell bad (rancid), I think it should be ok. My red wheat berries have a strong smell, too. I don’t know that I would describe it as sweet but there is definitely a smell there. I’d say go ahead and use it up (try out a small quantity and if the taste seems off then you’ll know!).
If it’s good, it will smell sweet, cereal-y and nice.
Rancid wheat will smell really bad, nasty, not like you want to eat it.
I’m using wheat berries I’ve had stored for almost 25 years, and they still smell sweet and wholesome.
Once you grind them the clock starts ticking for rancidity. I keep my few cups of pre-ground flour in the freezer to slow the breakdown of the released fat, which causes it to go rancid. Only grind as much as you’re going to use within a week or two, and enjoy the sweet smell of your berries!
Hi Mel. I just came across your blog and I really enjoyed reading it! I found this post about wheat and I really liked what you said. I just thought I would let you know that my dad cleans and sells his own wheat and his prices are a lot lower then what you have mentioned here. He just started his web page and it is http://www.davesfarms.com. He sells his wheat for $13.00 for a 50 lb bag. He does charge a dollar per item to deliver it. He does buckets as well for $20 for a 45 lb bucket.
I’ve recently acquired some red spring wheat berries from a friend whose family grows wheat. It is basically fresh from the field. I spent several days finishing the drying process at home (in my oven) because he told me the moisture content was a bit high. I used a box fan to blow out the chaff and picked out the big trash (unhulled wheat heads, bug parts, pebbles, etc.).
I really, really want to use this stuff, but I can’t find anything that indicates if I need to wash the berries and redry them before grinding or if I can just grind them straight from the buckets. Can you offer any insights, please?
Nancy – I’m afraid I’m not much help. I’m not familiar with all the phases wheat goes through to get from the field to the wheat berries I buy so I’m not sure if you need to wash them or dry them again. I know there are a few people who have commented previously who grew up in families that farmed wheat so hopefully they’ll see your comment and chime in!
Just as an FYI for buying wheat…
We live in Northern Utah, and bought 300 pounds of hard white wheat when it went on sale at Honeyville (they have a few retail stores, and I believe you can also order online). If you sign up for their email list, they’ll inform you when they have promotions. My cousin told me about it, and we bought 50 pound bags of hard white wheat for $14.99/each!!!! Pretty awesome deal. If you’re serious about grinding your own wheat, and/or looking for it for food storage (as we were), I’d highly recommend looking for a good deal and then buying in bulk. I’ve been checking prices all over the place, and I can’t find ANYONE that has a better price than when we bought it at. Thanks for a great post!
Grandpasgrains.com is another great source for wheat! My dad farms the wheat in Idaho and delivers it all throughout the west. It is non-GMO ( contrary to another poster’s comment, there was recently GMO wheat found in a source from Montana) and our hard white wheat has at least 14% protein which makes it premium and equal in nutrition to the hard red. Check us out!
It’s great your supplying this info to people! Thanks!
I have learned over the years that if you buy untreated wheat (not fumigated, oxygen packets, or sealed) then you can sprout the wheat and gain more nutrition from that in case you have to live off of it. That wheat is considered ‘still living’. The wheat that has been treated is ‘dead’ and unable to be sprouted. I store mine in 5 gallon buckets and every 3 years you are supposed to open the wheat buckets that are in storage and pour them into another bucket so the wheat can get air to breath so it won’t die (and can still be sprouted). A note about rice, you can freeze rice for 3 days and that’s as good as an oxygen packet to keep weavel from hatching. Do you have a post on sprouting wheat? I have tried it but find ways to use it a little harder. Thanks for all the wonderful info!
you only show 3 types of wheat , there is also a hard red spring wheat with a protein of about 12-14 , and durum that they use for pasta .
A handy tip for storing grains, flour, rice and etc. that we learned from one of our coop members several years ago. – To put bay leaves In the containers, sealed bags or otherwise. It has worked great for us.
You can also buy hard white and hard red at Walmart.com. It is $25 for 26 lbs, and the shipping is free if you spend $45. Saving up to buy a mill. Can’t wait to try this!
Another place to look into online for purchasing wheat berries and other grains is http://www.rainydayfoods.com (some might know them as Walton feed). They are located in southeast Idaho, but I do know they ship, just not sure about the cost. My parents live in the area so they are my shipping truck when they come to visit. Just another idea for those looking for a place to purchase wheat berries and other grains.
This was a fantastic entry! I’m really looking forward to your next entry on wheat grinders. I’ve got a Whisper Mill that I really like, but we’re trying to make our minds up on a manual one. Hoping you’ll have some thoughts on this. Thanks!
Mel –
I LOVE your blog, and I just want to say I am SO excited about this series, especially the different types of wheat grinders! But I have a very urgent question. WHAT IS THAT WHEAT ON?! that gorgeous wood … I assume table? Can we see a bigger picture of that bc it is GORGEOUS.
Also, I do want to say that as recently as four years ago there were some LDS Food Storage Centers (mostly out east that I know of) that you did have to be at least WITH a member of the LDS church to purchase it because it is all volunteer hours that kept them open, etc. This policy definitely might have changed in more recent years. But it sounds like online would be a perfect option anyways!
Hi Mel! I love this post and I’m really interested in how to make the homemade cream of wheat and would love more details. How do you roast it, oven or stove top? What kind of pan? What quantity of berries do you roast at a time? Thanks! I love your recipes 🙂
Hi Jamie – I roast them in the oven on a large, rimmed baking sheet. I just watch it carefully and haven’t actually timed it – I’d say 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, stirring often. You’ll be able to kind of smell it roasting and tell that it is browning. I let it cool completely and then grind it up. I usually do anywhere from 2-4 cups at a time. Sorry for the vagueness; I’ll try to take better notes next time I make it!
Thanks very much Mel. I appreciate you response – very helpful and honest.
I know that this may be completely obvious to those of you who are already doing this… But, Mel, please explain to me why I want to grind my own wheat? Is it that much better than flour I buy?
Hi Carrie – that is definitely a fair question. I can only speak from my own point of view but I grind my own flour for several reasons: 1) by grinding the wheat and then using immediately (which is what I generally do), it preserves the nutrients of the wheat; ground wheat starts losing nutritional content once it is ground so the whole wheat flour off the shelf in the store will be slightly less nutritious than home ground flour that is used immediately, 2) because I can buy wheat berries fairly inexpensively, it’s cheaper for me to grind it myself rather than buy storebought whole wheat flour, 3) I can control what type of wheat I’m using in my recipes; most storebought wheat flour (unless you buy online from a company that has a lot of variety) is hard red wheat or hard white wheat but you may only have access to one or the other, 4) we keep a lot of wheat on hand (nearly 100 pounds) for food storage in the case of emergencies so grinding my own wheat is a way to rotate through that food storage.
Having said all of that, if you don’t have a wheat grinder or don’t want one, I think it’s perfectly fine to buy wheat flour from the store, just make sure it is as fresh as possible and the right variety that you are looking for. I’m sure there are other reasons for other people but that about sums it up for me. Hope that helps a bit!
Mel, you are helping a lot of people know more about wheat. Three years ago my husband started growing wheat on our farm. He was going to just grow soft white wheat because that is common here in Washington state. I convinced him to also grow some of the hard white wheat to use and to sell to those who would like to know where it came from and how fresh it is. We have sold a lot and of both the hard white and the soft white. Soft white ground flour can be used almost in place of unbleached flour. YOu can use it in muffins, cakes, cookies, waffles — things that do not use yeast. (note: you may need to add more flour than required in your recipe as the soft white flour is much lighter and fluffier.) Our wheat magazine did an test about using soft white in making bread. They concluded that you could substitute soft white wheat for one-third of the total amount of flour used. It does make a lighter (not as dense) bread. That is what I do now. It is very good.
I have my own recipe for waffles using soft white flour and one of the professional belgian waffle machines. I can send it to you if you would like to try it.
Also another great place to look for bread and wheat recipes is the King Arthur website. They have a lot of great pictures and recipes.
I have a K Tech wheat grinder. It does a great job. I set it at the finest setting and it does a great job. It is cheaper than other grinders — at $179 at a lot of places on line and FREE SHIPPING. It is easily cleaned and fits together nicely for storage — light weight.
Chef Brad who does a lot of shows for BYU TV has a website chef brad.com and has a lot of good recipes. He says that you don’t lose all the nutrients immediately. I grind and use flour a week. If I do more I put it in the freezer and warm it before using it.
If all your ingredients are warm, your bread will rise quicker.
Also important is to use SAF instant yeast. Instant yeast can be mixed in with the flour and mixed. After the mixing ( I use a Bosch mixer) you can form the loaves and just let it rise once and bake it. Also important to know is that you can use an instant read thermometer and check the temperature of your bread to know when it is done. Bosch recommends 200 degrees and Chef Brad recommends 180 degrees. It is nice to be
able to know that you can check the temp and know when your bread is done.
We sell a lot of wheat and I make a lot of bread. I teach a lot of people breadmaking at their home using what they have to work with.
Mel and Holly W, thanks so much for the info on the stored wheat. The wheat has been stored in a cool, dark basement so I am thrilled to know that it is probably still good! Thanks for the passing along the expert info. You don’t know how much I appreciate it!
Hey, I just wanted to add something about the LDS Home Storage Centers- I am not sure if they still do it, but you used to be able to sign up to borrow one of the portable canning machines. I bought a large amount of rice in bulk, signed up to borrow the machine, waited a few months, purchased my own cans and oxygen packets from the Home Storage Center, and went home and canned my own rice in the cans I purchased from the Center. It was super easy and very convenient. I was able to buy my own rice at a great price and still preserve it in a way that it will last for years. Just an idea. 🙂
Can’t wait to hear your recommendations on wheat grinders! Thanks for the help Mel, you are awesome!!!
I’m so excited about this series and have been eagerly waiting in it since you first mentioned it. 🙂 I’ve been making our bread for about a year now and we love it. I’ve wanted to venture out into grinding our flour, but wasn’t sure about it. I hope you’ll cover the VitaMix when you do the part on grinding the berries. My husband recently bought me one and he got the dry canister for that very reason. LOL. I have some wheat berries in the fridge (thank you bulk bins at Whole Foods) and I can’t wait too use them!
Hi everyone – Holly W. emailed me with the following info that might be helpful:
“I noticed in your comments on yesterday’s post about wheat that someone asked about storing wheat in aluminum trash cans and burlap sacks. I just wanted to pass along what my dad (a very successful wheat farmer) said when I asked him about storing wheat. Hard wheat can store very well, for a long, long time (as in 30 years). If the wheat has been kept in a cool, dry place and there are no bugs in it, it’s probably fine for consumption (even if it was stored in burlap bags and trash cans). Moisture is death on wheat and invites all kinds of problems. If there is any sign of moisture in the wheat (mold, sprouting, even just some dampness) – then the wheat must be discarded. Soft wheat doesn’t store as well or for as long so if your commenter has soft wheat, it may not be in as good of condition as hard wheat.”
Excited about this series and learning more about incorporating wheat into recipes:) thanks for sharing all of your info and experience!
Thank you. This is awesome. About 3 months ago I switched to your home made bread only but I am still buying flour from the store. I’m ready to grind my own but will wait for the completion of your posts 🙂
Just … wow.
It is so GREAT to know there are real people out there, making real food and providing real, healthy meals for their families, back to natural foods and basics. I wish my grandma was still alive to help guide me, but this website is a tremendous resource. This site and the comments from posters … are an inspiration. Thank you.
If wheat does not have bugs in it, it can be used for many years. I have read that wheat they found in King Tut’s tomb, was still edible!
If you happen to be traveling through MT, it can be worth it to buy a bag or two of wheat to bring home with you, just cost wise. Right now, I can get fairly locally wheat for 50 lbs. hard white wheat berries for $14.
AWESOME post. I love the info and want to go out and buy a wheat mill right now but must wait for your next post first. I’ve been wanting to make my own sliced bread since I saw your post months and months ago. It’s definitely on my list of DIY kitchen habits to get into. And now this post has re-inspired me. Thank you so much for the effort you put into sharing your knowledge with us readers. Love it. Appreciate it. Grateful for it.
You rock! The wheat series is just what I needed right now!! I got a grinder for my bday a few months back and have been experiementing with your recipes on your website. Love the texture and taste of bread so much better this way. My super picky son requests we make bread because he loves it. I have tried several of your other recipes and I think we could be long lost sisters in how we cook. We like lots of the same foods and tastes. Keep up the wonderful recipes. I know it can be hard with kids but what great memories you are making with them in the kitchen!!
I have hard red wheat that my parents bought who knows when. I remember it being in the garage in Phoenix then southeastern Texas for years. I know it’s at least 45 years old. It was in square 59 gal. metal cans that my dad cleaned out that honey came in. Still the wheat smells, looks, and tastes great. Not sure of the nutritional value.
Looking forward to your post on milling wheat. I enjoyed this post as well-I had no idea there were LDS stores around as a resource.
You may already have your next post written, but I have a problem with my Nutrimill every time I mill wheat. Unless I stop halfway through and change out the little filter thingy, half of my kitchen ends up covered in flour. Help or suggestions? Is it just me?
thank you!! love this post!
I’m so in love with the post! I’m a wheat breeder, have I ever told you? I support all of your wheat endeavors! 🙂
From what I have been reading lately, there is no GMO wheat in the US. So even if it isn’t labeled as such, you wouldn’t need to worry about that. Thanks for the info, Mel. I’ve just started grinding my own wheat, so this will be really helpful.
What a great post. I’m excited for the other topics coming up. I spend way too much on store-bought wheat because I don’t have a grinder, but it works for us for now.
I was wondering if you could discuss how effective a Blendtec is as a wheat grinder in your next post (if you’ve tried it).
Oh this is fabulous!!!!
Mel, as the daughter of a very successful wheat farmer, I applaud your information and tips. My dad grows a very high quality soft white wheat (purchased by other farmers to use as seed wheat and sold to mills to be used in boxed cold cereals and pastas) but because the gluten and protein content isn’t as high as it is in hard white, I buy my wheat (ironic huh!). I think hard white makes a better bread. I always keep some whole wheat flour in my freezer for cookies, muffins, etc. but supplement that with white flour. And I don’t use hard red for anything as I don’t like the heavier texture – I love your idea to mix hard white and hard red though!
Wow! Thank you for this, great info, I just ordered 100 lbs of hard white wheat through Delta farms in Utah, but had yet to hear of soft white wheat. Stoked to know its out there! Thanks!
Excellent Information here! And so well presented. I haven’t tried soft white wheat, but you’ve inspired me to! Thanks.
I second what Vicky said. We just buy 25 lb . bags of wheat (and beans and oats) at the LDS Home Storage Center and dump it into a bucket. Much easier!
I’ve always wanted to try milling my own wheat, but haven’t really had the time. Definitely going to look more into it after reading all of this info, though!
Another tip about getting wheat (or other items) from LDS home storage centers is that you don’t have to can/pack it. You can also buy it in the 25# packages, which is great if you go through a lot of it and don’t want to bother with the cans. At my local center that’s the only way to get most home storage items now since the canning part was shut down.
So interesting! Thanks for sharing, Mel.
This is so great! Thanks for all the info, I’m looking forward to the rest!
I have used Emergency Essentials wheat and find it to be good but it is not organic or nonGMO. For that I use Tropical Traditions when a free shipping deal is happening. Wheat Montana is another brand that is frequently recommended.
I love the soft white wheat for biscuits and other pastries and the hard white wheat for everything else: rolls, pizza crust, loaves of bread… One 50 gallon bucket of wheat lasts one year for my family of 5.
I Love this series! I have always wondered what is the role of Vital Wheat Gluten and Dough Enhancer in making bread. Is it a necessity? Is it worth it? If so what the secret behind it? What are the ratios’ you use and where do you find it in bulk? Not sure if I you will be posting about this…but just thought I’d ask.
Just to clarify, you don’t have to be a member of the LDS Church to order from store.lds.org. You do, however, have to live in the United States to order the food storage items (wheat, flour, rice, etc.). They can only be shipped to U.S. addresses. And yes, standard shipping is free.
Thanks for the clarification, JanaBanananaGirl!
Do you have any idea about whether or not hard red wheat would be good for human consumption after 20+ years? My parents bought 1000 pounds but did not use it. It was stored in burlap bags and aluminum trash cans.
Margie – I know wheat stored well and properly can keep for 20+ years; however, even though I’m not an expert, I don’t think burlap bags and aluminum trash cans are the preferred method of storing it for that long. You’d have to really check it out to make sure it’s still fit for consumption.
A little over two years ago I was just in the learning curve of using my grinder and figuring out the best ways to use whole wheat in my baking (hadn’t even tackled bread yet). Then my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Wow, what a game changer! Now if I use my grinder, I need to do it in the garage (as a fellow Minnesotan, you know how fun that is in the winter!) to prevent the flour from going airborne all over the kitchen. Anyway, not to complain, because Celiac is fully treatable with diet and she needs no medication so I’m extremely grateful! Still, I sometimes miss my wheat-grinding/experimenting/not worrying about cross-contamination days!
Azure Standard is a WONDERFUL place to buy wheat berries too. They are often the cheapest and are great quality. You can either have them shipped (which will cost more for s&h) or check to see if they deliver in your area. I also get wheat berries from my local seed store and only pay $13 for a 50lb bag. For the storage buckets–check your local bakery or walmart. I have gotten them free or Walmart sells frosting buckets for $1. Just my little tid bit 🙂 I love to grind wheat and use it any recipe I possibly can 🙂
If you are a Utah local, you can buy Lehi Mills hard white wheat at Costco. It is a steal of a deal. Thanks Mel for the info. Cute story by the way…..I asked my son last night what he wanted for his birthday dinner. He said he wanted me to make the Califlower soup we eat at the restaurant Zuppas. I told him that I didn’t have a recipe for that and didn’t know how to make it. He said, “Well can’t you check Mel’s”. That is how we roll around the Maughan house. Thanks for all of your amazing recipes! We live by them!
Very informative post! I think I’ll print this one off for future reference. Thanks. 🙂
I haven’t had much luck with soft white wheat, as the measuring is off. I’ll have to try your method.
Question: Do you always keep all-purpose flour on hand, too, or do you find you rarely use it?
PS. I am able to find the wheat at Walmart, and have ordered wheat from Bread Beckers.
Terry – yes, I still keep all-purpose flour on hand (unbleached; I buy it in the large bags at Sam’s Club and keep it in a huge tupperware-type container in my kitchen). I use it in a fair amount of things; I still think it has its purpose in the baking world but it is nice to be able to throw in some whole wheat flour whenever I want. There’s a perfect balance in some baked goods (like cakes and cookies) with part all-purpose flour and part wheat flour and I like to play around with that.
I’m very interested to read the rest of your series. I have been intrigued by this topic, but I think long and hard before buying another kitchen appliance because I kind of have an obsession with keeping my kitchen counters clutter-free. Plus, I would like to experiment with grinding my own flour, but I am too nervous about it to spend hundred of dollars on a grinder. Hopefully your enthusiasm will push past my reservations and I will jump in!
So, I absolutely love your site for all of the amazing recipes I find on here. But things like this put it over the top! Thank you so much for sharing this information and laying it all out for us – SO helpful!
I have been waiting for this post! I got a Wondermill for Christmas and I have really liked the results. I use your recipes because I know that you use fresh flour 🙂 I don’t know if my grinder “cracks” though. Maybe the Blendtec?
Totally helpful! I’ve been making our own bread for a few months now and I don’t think my husband will ever let me quit. I’m hoping to acquire a wheat grinder (and wheat) in the near future, so I am eagerly awaiting the next post!
Thanks for taking the time to share this. I find food science fascinating and like to understand why things work like they do in cooking. I really admire you for making all your family’s bread. I think it’s a worthy goal, and try to do what I can, when I can. I imagine you must have some sort of schedule/system to keep yourself stocked. I would be really interested in hearing about that in future posts. Somehow I think z basic routine is the key, but I’m sure you experiment some along the way too.
I understand that Hard red wheat can be a little dense. But why do you choose the hard white over the soft white? Price?
Hi Alison – good question; I use hard white wheat mostly because it is slightly easier to find in bulk than soft white wheat.
Lillie – great idea! I’ll be sure to gather my thoughts and include that information in an upcoming post.
Mel, this is so awesome. Wheat grinding has always seemed so intimidating, so I really love having everything explained. Thanks!
Awesome series, Mel! I love that you are putting in all the effort to create such a fantastic resource. Thanks!!
P.S. Can’t wait to see your new site next week!
I love this Mel!! One question I recently had after grinding wheat is how long it can be stored. I heard it looses its nutritional value after a time. I also heard storing it in the refrigerator can preserve it longer. Any knowledge you’re willing to impart is always helpful. Thank you !
Hi Michelle! I’m going to be talking all about grinding wheat and how to store it once it’s ground (and a whole bunch of other things) in next week’s post – it will be all about grinders and ground flour. Until then, the general idea is that wheat berries, once they are ground shouldn’t stay at room temperature for days and days because as soon as grain is ground, the process of oxidation begins to occur which reduces the nutritional content. So I use all my whole wheat flour immediately after grinding or else put it in the freezer.
Just yesterday, I looked at the wheat berries on the bottom shelf at Walmart. I was thinking “Man, I wish I knew someone who could walk me through this! I have no idea how to grind wheat!” Mel to the rescue!! Thank you!!
Thanks so much for posting this! We live in Portugal, and I finally found some wheat berries the other day. I think they are hard white wheat according to your photos (so helpful!). Now to try to grind them and see how it goes. Looking forward to more info on this!
Thank you so much for this series!! I have been grinding my own wheat for a little over a year now and have to say I love it! I am really interested in using the wheat for a meat extender as well as the cream of wheat cereal – thanks again for the ideas! Just this morning I made your buttermilk waffles with wheat flour I ground yesterday (I buy my berries at walmart). My oldest has MCAs this week (state testing) and this was his request for breakfast 🙂 Thanks again and I can’t wait to see your new blog design!
You are right about: “I’m pretty darn sure you do not need to be a member of the LDS church to can dry goods at the Home Storage Centers.” Last time I was at the Home Storage Center near Ann Arbor, Michigan a few months ago, I was told that the majority of the people who come to do dry-pack canning are not members of the LDS church.
I liked learning about wheat. I have been using hard red wheat for about 25 years, and hard white wheat for about 10 years, and have never used soft white wheat. I thought there wasn’t as much protein in the soft wheat, thus making the hard wheats superior. But now I’d like to try more varieties. I like that you tried bread with all three and were surprised with the results. That sounds like a fun experiment.
My standard bread is a pinwheel bread. I make a 2-loaf batch of white bread, a 2-loaf batch of whole wheat, divide them each evenly into four pieces, and then each loaf is a rolled up combination of one rolled out piece of white dough and one rolled-out piece of wheat dough. When they’re baked and sliced, it’s swirled. The texture and lightness is wonderful. The kids love it for their sandwiches. And it has sort of become my trademark bread, which is fun for me. Recently I made a change in my technique, which I learned from one of your posts (I can’t remember which recipe). After I roll out the white dough, I spray or rub a little bit of water onto it before I put the wheat dough on top to roll it out. Then I spray or rub a little water onto the rolled out layer of wheat dough before rolling the loaf up. This has all but eliminated the separation of layers that I would often get, creating holes in my sliced up loaf. So, thank you for unwittingly helping me solve that little dilemma!