Fresh Milled Baking 101
How to Mill Wheat Berries Into Fresh Flour
A simple step-by-step guide to weighing, milling, and using fresh flour at home.
by Eleen Beisner · Published · Updated
One of the nicest things about fresh milled baking is that milling the flour itself is incredibly simple.
You do not need to soak the wheat berries, cook them, or prepare them in any special way.
You simply measure the grain, pour it into your mill, and let the mill turn it into flour.
If you have never used a grain mill before, this guide will walk you through the whole process.
What You Need
You only need a few things:
- Wheat berries
- A grain mill
- A kitchen scale
- A bowl or container to catch the flour
That is really all it takes.
If you are baking from one of my fresh milled flour recipes, the recipe will tell you how much flour you need. I recommend weighing your grain with a kitchen scale rather than measuring it by cups.
It is easier, more accurate, and keeps the whole process simple.
Step 1: Weigh Your Wheat Berries
Start by weighing the amount of grain you need for your recipe.
If the recipe calls for 500 grams of fresh milled flour, you can start by weighing about 500 grams of wheat berries.
You do not need to worry about complicated conversions.
For everyday home baking, the weight of the grain going into the mill will be very close to the amount of flour you get back out.
If your recipe uses more than one grain, you can weigh them together.
For example:
400 grams hard white wheat
100 grams Kamut
You can combine them in the same bowl and mill them together.
Step 2: Set Up Your Grain Mill
Every grain mill works a little differently, so follow the directions that came with yours.
In most cases, you will place a bowl or container under the mill, turn the mill on, and then add your wheat berries.
If your mill has a setting for how fine or coarse you want the flour, choose a fine flour setting for most bread recipes.
You are looking for flour, not cracked grain.
Once you have used your mill a few times, this step becomes second nature.
Step 3: Pour In the Wheat Berries
Slowly add the wheat berries to the mill.
The mill will pull them through and grind them into flour.
Depending on how much grain you are milling, this usually only takes a few minutes.
You will hear the sound of the mill change as the last of the wheat berries pass through.
Once all of the grain has been milled, turn the mill off according to the instructions for your machine.
And that is it.
You now have fresh flour.
Step 4: Give the Flour a Quick Stir
Freshly milled flour can come out of the mill warm.
That is normal.
Give the flour a quick stir with a spoon or whisk before measuring it into your recipe.
This helps mix everything evenly and lets some of the warmth escape.
You may also notice that fresh milled flour looks a little different from store-bought flour.
You might see tiny flecks of bran throughout the flour.
That is exactly what you should expect when the whole grain is being milled.
Step 5: Use the Flour in Your Recipe
Once your flour is milled, you are ready to bake.
I usually mill my grain when I am ready to start the recipe rather than milling large amounts ahead of time.
That is one of the biggest conveniences of owning a grain mill.
You keep the grain whole in your pantry, mill exactly what you need, and use it for that bake.
No bags of half-used flour needed.
Do I Need to Sift Fresh Milled Flour?
Not necessarily.
For most of my fresh milled bread recipes, I use the whole flour exactly as it comes out of the mill.
That means the bran and the rest of the grain stay in the flour.
Some bakers choose to sift part of the bran out for certain recipes, but you do not need to do that when you are just getting started.
If a recipe calls for sifting, it should tell you.
Otherwise, use the flour as it is.
Can I Mill Different Grains Together?
Yes.
If a recipe uses a blend of grains, you can usually weigh them together and mill them at the same time.
This is one of the easiest ways to make your own flour blend.
For example, a bread recipe might call for:
350 grams hard white wheat
100 grams hard red wheat
50 grams spelt
You can place all three grains in the same bowl, mix them together, and run them through your mill.
You do not need to mill each grain separately.
How Fine Should I Mill the Flour?
For most breads, rolls, muffins, pancakes, cookies, and other everyday baking, I prefer a fine flour.
If your mill has several settings, start with one of the finer settings recommended for flour.
The exact setting will depend on your machine.
You do not need to worry about finding the perfect setting on your first try.
As long as the grain is being turned into fine flour rather than coarse pieces, you are on the right track.
Why Is My Fresh Milled Flour Warm?
This surprises a lot of people the first time they use a grain mill.
The flour may feel warm when it comes out.
That is simply from the milling process.
Give it a stir and let it sit for a few minutes if it feels especially warm before adding it to your recipe.
There is no need to panic or throw it away.
Why Does Fresh Milled Flour Look Different?
Fresh milled flour does not look exactly like white all-purpose flour.
It can be a little darker and you will usually see small pieces of the outer part of the wheat berry throughout the flour.
Different grains also produce different colors.
Hard white wheat will look different from hard red wheat.
Kamut tends to have a more golden color.
Rye will look different again.
As you start milling different grains, you will quickly get used to seeing those differences.
Should I Mill Extra Flour for Later?
You can, but you do not have to.
One of the reasons I enjoy milling my own grain is that I can keep the wheat berries whole and mill only what I need for each recipe.
If I am making bread that needs 500 grams of flour, I mill about 500 grams of grain.
If I am making muffins the next morning, I can mill soft white wheat for those instead.
Keeping the grain whole gives you the freedom to choose the flour you want each time you bake.
What If I Mill Too Much?
It happens.
If you end up with a little extra flour, simply put it into a well-sealed container and store in the fridge, and use it soon.
You can add it to pancakes, muffins, cookies, bread, or another recipe that uses that type of grain.
There is no reason to waste it.
How Do I Store Wheat Berries?
Keep wheat berries somewhere cool and dry.
For smaller amounts, a tightly sealed pantry container works well.
If you buy wheat berries in larger bags, many home bakers move them into food-safe buckets or other sturdy containers with tight-fitting lids.
The main goal is to keep the grain dry and protected from moisture and pests.
I prefer storing the grain whole and milling it as I need it.
Do I Need to Clean My Grain Mill After Every Use?
Usually, you do not need to take the mill apart and fully clean it every time you mill wheat.
Follow the cleaning instructions that came with your particular grain mill.
Most mills are designed to be simple to use from one batch to the next.
The most important thing is to keep water away from any parts of the mill that should remain dry.
A Simple Milling Routine
Once you have done this a few times, your routine may look something like this:
- Read the recipe and see how much flour you need.
- Weigh that amount in wheat berries.
- Combine the grains if the recipe uses more than one.
- Turn on your grain mill.
- Mill the wheat into fine flour.
- Give the flour a quick stir.
- Add it to your recipe.
That is the entire process.
Milling your own flour can sound like one more complicated step when you are first learning about fresh milled baking.
In reality, it is one of the easiest parts.
The grain mill does the work for you.
What Should I Bake First?
If you are brand new to fresh milled flour, I recommend starting with a simple bread recipe that was written specifically for fresh milled flour.
That gives you a chance to learn what the flour feels like, how the dough comes together, and how fresh milled bread rises without trying to change a recipe at the same time.
Once you have a few successful loaves behind you, everything starts to feel much more familiar.
You will weigh your grain, turn on the mill, and make your flour without thinking twice about it.
And that is when fresh milled baking really starts to feel like part of your normal kitchen routine.