Baking bread from the berries

[EatenByLimestone]

A while ago I learned how much nutrition was lost within 24 hours of milling the flour. It convinced me to try baking my own bread, from the wheat berries.

I’ve been grinding my own berries and putting the flour right into a loaf of bread.

I’ve used soft white, hard red spring, and tonight I tried rye for the first time.

It looks like my loaf decided to deflate tonight. It tastes great though!

Have any of you tried grinding your own wheat?

 

[EbS-P]

I grew up thinking that was the only way you could get whole wheat flower. The kitchen aid grain mill would run for a good 4 hours. We always had a 30 gallon can of wheat in the garage we would take from the seed truck in September.

Now you want to go down this path. The best corn meal much and corn bread I’ve ever had was ground on the kitchen aid grain mill

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I haven’t gotten into corn yet!

 

[stoveliker]

Can you point me to what nutrition would be lost?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

AI Overview



When flour is processed to be sold in stores, the primary nutrients lost are fiber, vitamins, and mineralsprimarily found in the bran and germ of the wheat kernel, which are typically removed during the refining process, leaving behind mainly the starchy endosperm, resulting in a significantly less nutritious product compared to freshly milled whole wheat flour.

Key points about nutrient loss in store-bought flour:

• Fiber:
  The bran, which is removed in refined flour, is the main source of dietary fiber in wheat.
  
  
• Vitamins:
  B vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin are concentrated in the bran and germ, so their levels are significantly reduced in white flour.
  
  
• 
  
• Minerals:
  Minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, and selenium are also primarily located in the bran and germ, leading to their loss in refined flour.
  
  
  

 

[EatenByLimestone]

And then on the flour aging after processing:

AI Overview


As flour ages, the primary nutrients that are lost are vitamins, particularly B vitamins, as well as essential oils and antioxidants, due to a process called oxidation where the nutrients degrade when exposed to oxygen over time; this is why freshly milled flour generally retains more nutritional value than older flour.

Key points about nutrient loss in aging flour:

• Oxidation:
  Once milled, the flour's exposed surface area increases, leading to rapid oxidation which breaks down vitamins and healthy fats.
  
  
• Storage conditions:
  Factors like light, heat, and moisture can accelerate the degradation of nutrients in flour.
  
  
• Fiber content:
  While fiber content may not significantly decrease with aging, the overall nutritional value is still impacted due to the loss of other nutrients.
  

How to minimize nutrient loss:

• Freshly mill flour: Grinding whole grains just before use helps preserve the most nutrients.
  
  
• Proper storage: Store flour in airtight containers in a cool, dark place.
  
  
• Choose whole wheat flour: Whole wheat flour contains more nutrients than refined white flour.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

As to the speed it goes away, which was a driving factor for me.

AI Overview



Nutrients begin to leave flour relatively quickly after milling, with some sources stating that 40-45% of nutrients can deplete within 24 hours, and a significant majority within a few days due to exposure to air and light, particularly impacting B vitamins; therefore, freshly milled flour is considered the most nutritious option.

Key points about nutrient loss in flour:

• Milling process: When a whole grain is ground into flour, the bran and germ (which contain most of the nutrients) are exposed to air, causing a rapid decline in nutrient levels.
  
  
• Storage conditions: Storing flour in a cool, dark, airtight container can help slow down nutrient loss.
  
  
• Home milling: Grinding your own flour just before using it maximizes nutrient retention.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

What I haven’t been able to find satisfactory info on is what cooking does to the nutrition of flour and how once cooked, the nutrition changes over time. The heat has to do something.

Internet people argue about how grain is ground due to heat affecting the nutrients. My thought on that is the 350 degree oven is going to do more than the 30 seconds of heat from the grinder, but internet folks are gonna argue, lol.

I’ve been making small loafs that get used either a day or 2 figuring the loss will be lower if it’s consumed quickly. I’ve been making the fun loaves like apple and chorizo bread by hand and playing with a 20+ year old bread maker for 1lb loaves of sandwich bread.

The bread maker really makes the utility loafs a pour the ingredients in and forget it type of thing. I’m not sure how much I’d enjoy kneading a 1lb loaf and then setting it aside to rise every day.

An old roommate gave me the bread maker when he moved out. It was used then to make pizza dough. I tried making bread then, but didn’t like the product. I read some of the manual this time and results are better, lol.

 

[stoveliker]

Ok, so vitamin b and some fats (of which there isn't much anyway in flour).
And the other things are mostly avoided if one uses whole wheat flour.

We bake our own bread as well, with whole wheat flour. Most flour sold is vitamin b enriched in the US, I believe.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It may be enriched. I never really paid much attention to it before. Most of the flour we had at home that the wife and kid baked with was all purpose.

 

[EbS-P]

The flavor difference is probably more important to than nutrition and the ability to adjust how fine the grind. Just a take a multivitamin.

But seriously if you have a kitchen aid mixer the all metal gain mill is very useful.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I have a kitchen aid, but ended up buying an impact grinder. It’s like a spice or little coffee grinder on steroids. The Kitchen Aid attachment was quite a bit more expensive than the impact and I wasn’t sure if I’d like the grinding/baking. I think I paid less than $40 for the grinder and it’ll grind 3 cups of berries at a time. I figured nothing really lost if I threw $60 at the process and didn’t like it.