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Why I Started Milling my Own Flour

Nov. 27, 2024

Machinery

Why I Started Milling my Own Flour

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Last Updated on November 13, by Michelle

Bill and I envisioned milling our own flour when we were newlyweds. However, after pricing grain and researching large, cumbersome mill options, we quickly realized it was too costly and impractical for our small kitchen and tight budget.

How times have changed!

Yes, we now have a bigger kitchen.

But what else has changed?

Home grain mills are now much more compact and aesthetically pleasing.
Wheat berries are readily available at great prices.
Today's mills can grind a wide variety of alternative grains! Check out all the options my Harvest Mill can handle below.

Why Do I Mill My Own Flour?

I mill my own flour for four main reasons:

Nutrition

The wheat berries used for home grinding retain all the grain's vitamins, minerals, and nutrients because they haven't been processed yet. This makes fresh flour significantly more nutritious for my family compared to commercially-ground flours, which lose their beneficial properties during processing and remain on store shelves for extended periods.

Variety

If your family enjoys alternative flours, having a grain mill at home allows you to grind rye, corn, rice, barley, oats, buckwheat, millet, lentils, and more. This can save a substantial amount of money compared to purchasing these non-wheat flours from stores.

Cost

Grinding your own flour can be cheaper than buying it at the store. The savings depend on the type of wheat purchased and local prices, but in our case, grinding our own flour at home proves to be more cost-effective than buying from our supermarket. (See my cost-benefit analysis breakdown below.)

Taste

Fresh flour simply tastes better. The flavor of freshly ground wheat varies based on the chosen berries. Fresh flour can have a sweeter or nuttier flavor, which enhances the taste of baked goods like chocolate chip cookies—it’s a richer experience when the flour is freshly milled.

What are Wheat Berries & Why are They Good for You?

Wheat berries are hard kernels of wheat, consisting of three parts:

The bran (rich in fiber and nutrients)
The germ (rich in oils, vitamins, proteins, and minerals)
The endosperm (rich in starch)

Commercial flour typically contains only the endosperm, which is mostly starch. This is why flour companies often need to add back nutrients and label their products as ‘enriched.’

The germ and bran are removed from commercial flours due to their oil content, which can cause rancidity and make the flour less shelf-stable.

In contrast, wheat berries can last for a long time. Because you grind both the germ and bran at home, the freshly ground flour is far more nutritious than even the best store-bought flours.

Bonus? Wheat berries have other culinary uses! For inspiration on how to cook and enjoy wheat berries, look here.

Bread Making Tips for Milling Your Own Flour

As I continue to experiment with incorporating freshly milled flour into our cooking, here are a few tips I've discovered:

Don’t hesitate to use a mix of 1/2 freshly milled and 1/2 commercial flour in your recipes to maintain the texture and familiarity.
Use about 3 tablespoons less per cup compared to commercial flour, as fresh flour absorbs more liquid.
Avoid adding extra flour when handling dough. Wet your hands well when working with slightly sticky dough to minimize sticking.
Avoid over-kneading; mix ingredients, then let the dough rest for 10-20 minutes. This can make the dough less sticky.
If you struggle with rising dough, consider adding vital wheat gluten at 1 tablespoon per cup of flour.

Is it Expensive to Mill Your Own Flour?

I was pleasantly surprised when I analyzed the cost-benefit of freshly milled flour versus store-bought. Typically, healthier options come with higher costs, but in this case, I found that I save money by choosing the healthier route.

The amount I save on flour will eventually cover the cost of my mill!

Here’s how the numbers stack up for me:

I recently ordered a bulk bag of wheat berries for $23.80 plus $2.02 shipping for 25 pounds. (See below for my favorite sources for wheat berries.) Since 50 pounds of wheat berries doesn’t equal 50 pounds of flour, I had to do some math.
Grinding 2 cups of wheat berries yields approximately 3 1/3 cups of flour (results may vary). Grinding incorporates air, increasing volume, so roughly 1 cup of wheat berries produces about 1.65 cups of flour.
There are about 2 1/2 cups of wheat berries per pound, meaning a pound yields just over 4 cups of flour.
An average 5-pound bag of flour from the grocery store contains about 18 cups of flour, requiring around 4.5 pounds of wheat berries to equal a bag of store-bought flour.
At $0.96 per pound of wheat berries, I'm effectively spending about $4.32 for 5 pounds of flour.
King Arthur Whole Wheat flour retails for $5.95 for 5 pounds on their website.

This means I'm saving $1.63 for every 5 pounds of flour!

If a large family uses approximately 240 bags of flour annually, that can equate to saving $391.20 a year!

My mill paid for itself in about 9 months, which translates into potential annual savings of up to $400 while providing my family with the most nutritious flour option available!

To be completely transparent, I do still utilize a blend of King Arthur flour and freshly milled flour. So, realistically, my annual savings might only be in the low hundreds, but I’m still thrilled!

How much fresh flour will 5 pounds of wheat berries yield?

Grinding 5 pounds of wheat berries should produce approximately the same weight in flour. However, due to the aeration during grinding, the volume increases significantly. Thus, to produce 5 pounds of flour, you should grind about 5 pounds of wheat berries.

Generally, grinding half the amount of wheat berries compared to the required flour works well. For instance, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, you would grind about 1 cup of wheat berries.

Where Can You Purchase Wheat Berries?

My best option is Azure Standard for sourcing wheat berries for bread making. You can check their delivery options to find out if there's a drop location near you (I was thrilled when they recently expanded their service to our area in New England).

I’ve also ordered a 35-pound bucket of wheat berries and have been very pleased with the purchase.

If possible, try to find a local farmer who grows and sells wheat berries as that’s a great option.

What Alternative Grains Can You Mill at Home?

My Nutrimill Harvest Mill can grind the following grains:

Hard wheat, soft wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, barley, einkorn, farro, quinoa, millet, amaranth, sorghum, brown rice, wild rice, oats, dried corn, buckwheat, soybeans, lima beans, black beans, pinto beans, lentils, chickpeas, and more.

However, each mill has specific grains it can effectively grind. Watch here for alternative grains I've successfully milled into flour using a Mockmill Lino 100.

Many options for grain mills exist. I recommend three: The Classic Nutrimill, which functions well at a low price; the Harvest Mill, which is visually appealing on the countertop; and the Mockmill, known for its superior engineering, handling alternative grains excellently, and producing fine flour, albeit at a higher price point. Use code SOULYRESTED on Nutrimill products for savings!

Listen to my podcast episode discussing my grain mill along with 11 other essential kitchen tools I can’t live without:

Talk to Me!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram (@souly.rested) to share your baking creations for inspiration!