How to Mill Your Own Flour & Make Wheat Bread at Home

Mill your own flour in minutes, and create delicious, fluffy, nutritious loaves of bread from your freshly milled flour, right in your home!

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How to Make Whole Wheat Flour & Homemade Bread at Home Video

Over a year ago, I bought a grain mill, and I have yet to regret my purchase. Although is an upfront cost, adding a grain mill to your home can bring abundant value. The nutritional benefits, not to mention the satisfaction of milling your own flour, really does outweigh the initial expense.

How to Mill Your Own Flour

Depending on the type of mill you have, will depend on how it is to be operated. Majority of home grain mills are set up the same way, with a knob for coarseness, and a knob for speed. The NutriMill I own, is set up with the two knob system, the top being coarseness, shown by a thick bar turning into a small bar. I set my mill knob to the finest setting (all the way to the right).

Because the grain mill is able to suck in the wheat on its own, I set my knobs speed in the middle, and work on other things in the kitchen while it’s grinding. Towards the end of the milling, I will use my fingers to push the last bits of grain toward the opening. If you are wanting more coarsely ground grain, such as cornmeal for cornbread, you may want your speed to be quicker.

1. Make sure your mill is set up according to the company’s instructions. For the NutriMill, make sure the container which holds the flour has a filter, the lid is sealed, and the container is pushed back to the “yes” line.
2. Remove the lid on the top of the mill. Pour the desired amount of grain into the mill.
3. Adjust your settings (coarseness and speed).
4. Get to grinding!

Storing Whole Grains

There are many storage options that will keep both whole grains and freshly ground flour dry, safe, and fresh. For whole grains, I storage my wheat berries in three galvanized metal canisters. You can store wheat berries in gallon buckets or glass jars with a lid. It all depends on how many wheat berries you have on hand. 5 gallon buckets with a lid are a great way to store grains. They help to keep grains fresh, while protecting the grains from mice, dirt, and other pests. Make sure whatever container you use to store your grains in has a lid.

Storing Freshly Milled Flour

I currently store all of my flour, brown sugar, powdered sugar, extra white sugar, cereal, rice, and snacks in plastic storage containers from Walmart. With that being said, I would really love to switch to an all glass option. I love the look and safety of glass storage. I store all of my daughters gluten-free ingredients in these glass containers, and I hope to get more, and make the switch. Again, store the freshly ground flour with a lid. This will prevent excess dust, dirt, bugs, or pests from getting in. I mill and use up all of my flour weekly, so I don’t find it necessary to have an airtight lid. If you don’t use flour on a regular basis, it may be a good idea to help with longevity and freshness.

Types of Whole Grains to Mill Your Own Flour

• Hard Red Wheat (this is what I use: great for bread and baking)
• Hard White Wheat (both are also available in soft wheat: great for cookies and pastries)
• Einkorn Wheat
• Millet
• Oats
• Rice
• Barley
• Quinoa
• Corn
• Spelt
• Rye

If you are wondering what the right grain for you and your family is, I highly recommend this article by Healthline.

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Freshly Milled Whole Wheat Bread

Tools You May Need To Mill Your Own Flour

• Stand mixer with whisk attachment (if not hand kneading)
• Medium – large sized bowl for dough
• Danish Whisk (if not using stand mixer)
• Cast iron bread pan (2)
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Stainless-steel mesh sieve (80) (I like to sift my freshly milled flour to make it more of a homemade “white” flour)

Ingredients (2 loaves)

• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cup warm water (feels almost hot – but not boiling)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4-5 cups flour (I mix in 4 and use 1 cup during kneading)

How to Make Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

1. In a large bowl, whisk dry yeast with warm water. Mix until majority of the yeast has dissolved. (Allow the yeast water mixture to sit for 5 minutes until foamy. You will know your yeast has been activated.)

2. Add vegetable oil, egg, salt, and sugar. Mix thoroughly. Slow add in freshly milled flour. Continue kneading until dough becomes smooth.

3. Shape the dough into a bowl, and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled. (I place my dough back into the mixing bowl, and place in the oven under “bread proof” or 95 degrees F.)

4. Once dough has doubled in size, remove the dough and cut in half. You can use a scale to get more precise halves.

5. Place each half into an oiled loaf pan, or parchment paper lined loaf pans.

6. Let bread rise for an additional hour, or until risen to desired height.

7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place aluminum foil over top of bread loaf to prevent the top from burning.

8. Bake bread for 40-45 minutes. Remove aluminum foil. Allow time to cool, do not cut bread too early.

9. Freeze second loaf if it won’t be used.

Try It (Einkorn Sandwich Bread)

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