How to Mill Your Own Flour and the Health Benefits

See how easy it is to mill your own flour and learn all about the health benefits. It’s pretty incredible (and incredibly easy to do)!

Hello, friend! Pull up a seat. Let’s chat about bread and baking with freshly milled whole grains.

Those freshly milled or ground whole grains are the reason your local artisan bakery bread tastes better than the stuff made at home. And store-bought bread? That’s not even in the same category!

There are many reasons to mill your grains at home. Flavor, texture, the ability to customize your flours, and health benefits are all part of it.

Personal satisfaction in knowing you’re providing your family the most nourishing loaf of bread doesn’t hurt. Neither do the bragging rights of having the best bread in town. And between you and me? It’s easy! Seriously!

It may sound like quite the feat, but milling your own fresh flour from grains takes only minutes and almost no effort. It is 10/10 worth it!

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How to Mill Flour

Believe it or not, milling your own grains is as simple as pouring them into a grain mill, selecting the coarseness level you prefer, and letting the machine do its magic! Really!

Ok, there might be few more things you might want to know about milling your own flour. Specifically, what types of grain mills you can purchase, and which might be best for your situation.

I recommend these grain mills:

• Harvest Grain Mill – This electric mill is beautiful and looks great on your counter! You do have to watch it and continually feed it and adjust the coarseness of your flour as it comes out. A great choice if you occasionally mill or grind flour.

• Classic Grain Mill – Perfect for someone who regularly mills their own flour. This machine can handle 12 cups of wheat effortlessly and without any babysitting. After having both this and the Harvest version, I much prefer this Classic Grain Mill for its ease of use.

• Wonder Jr. Hand Crank Mill – This manual option is the gold standard for off-grid living, emergency preparedness, or even just enjoying bread making the old-fashioned way. It’s a great, never-fail option for those who don’t mind a hand crank mill.

What are the Benefits of Freshly Milled Grains?

I’ll sum up some of the benefits, but if you want to deep dive into the life changing impacts whole grains can have, I recommend tuning into the Bread Beckers podcast called Sue’s Healthy Minutes.

Health Benefits

• Nutrient Dense – Freshly milled whole grains contain protein, fiber, vitamin E, complex carbohydrates, B vitamins, healthy fats, antioxidants and minerals like iron, magnesium and zinc. Many of these essential nutrients are stripped from white flour, and only some are added synthetically. “Real bread” is bread made with freshly milled flour, and is so incredibly healthy!
• Free from Preservatives – You can rest assured you’re not getting added preservative chemicals or oils when you mill or grind your own flour.
• Great for Digestion – Freshly milled flour contains all parts of the grain kernel, unlike processed flours that remove the fiber-rich bran, germ and endosperm. That means you get a flour that is packed with fiber to keep your gut healthy and happy.
• Heart Healthy – Antioxidants and fiber can help lower cholesterol for a healthy heart.
• Blood Sugar Control – With a lower glycemic index than refined flour, freshly milled whole grain flour is a great option for anyone trying to watch their sugar intake.

Other Benefits

• Customizable – When you mill your own grains you get to choose the texture (fine for baked goods – coarser for cooked cereals etc). You can make customizable grain blends (think 7 grain cereal), and experiment with wonderful heritage varieties like Khorasan, millet and emmer that you might not find on the average grocery store shelf.
• Longer Shelf Life – Flour begins to lose nutrients right after milling. Up to 40% of E and B vitamins are lost to oxidation in the first 24 hours after milling. By the time you’ve hit 2-6 weeks, it is a 60-80% loss. However, wheat berries and other unprocessed grains keep their nutritional profile intact for much longer, decades or more, making them a great way to store grains long term.
• Cost Savings – Buying grains in bulk can save lots of money, especially on less-common varieties of grains.
• Amazing Flavor – Freshly milled flours, like the one used in this whole grain sourdough bread, just tastes better. Slightly nutty and fresh as can be. Much better than the store-bought version!

Fresh is just best! What else can I say?

The Best Grains to Mill at Home

I’ve had a long-standing love for freshly milled grains. If you want to learn more about this world, hop over to my article The Top 5 Grains to Mill at Home. This is a blog post I wrote for those who are new to milling or grinding their own grains. It talks about why each of these 5 grains is a personal favorite.

Spoiler Alert: I still love all those grains and use them regularly, but my love for freshly milled grains isn’t limited to just a few. Rice, corn, oats, buckwheat, barley – there is a whole world of grains that can be made into delicious, healthy flours and cereals. Don’t limit yourself to just wheat!

Storing Freshly Milled Grains

You’ll find me storing grains and flours in food-grade 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids. These lids easily twist off and are one of the best inventions ever made.

Keep your grains in a cool, dark place for the best shelf life. You can even keep freshly ground flours in the refrigerator or freezer to stretch those nutritional benefits out a bit longer.

The Best Bread Making Supplies

I just recently published an article on The Best Bread Baking Supplies for Your Kitchen. It’s an awesome one-stop resource for home bakers. Whether you want to find a grinder or mixer for bread dough, I have gathered the best of the best for you, all found in my own kitchen!

Incredible Recipes Using Freshly Milled Flour

If you’ve considered becoming a home miller – do it! It’s easy and the nutrition that comes from grinding your own whole wheat flour and other grains cannot be beat. You’ll have amazing flavor that tastes just the way nature intended it.

Once you’ve got those freshly milled grains, try it in one of these fantastic recipes:

• Honey Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
• 100% Whole Grain Einkorn Sourdough Bread Simplified
• 100% Whole Grain Sourdough Bread Made Simple
• Homemade Bread Recipe
• Delicious Healthy Cake Like Brownies Recipe
• Healthy Pumpkin Muffins | Quick to Make and So Delicious!
• Healthy Whole Wheat Pumpkin Crepes
• Multigrain Pancake Mix
• Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe