Bread, bread and more bread…
When it comes to baking and cooking, flour is one of the most versatile ingredients out there. It’s not just for making dough or pasta; you can also use it to thicken soups, bread chicken, and it can even be used as a cleaner!
Of course, with all the many uses for flour, we tend to buy a lot of it at the store. But what if you didn’t have to? What if you had the option to make your own flour from the comfort of your own home?
Millet flours are most commonly used in desserts and sweet breads largely because of the grain’s naturally sweet flavor. It tends to lend itself well to cakes, cookies, and muffins, and pairs well with things like honey and chocolate, and some bakers find that they can actually reduce the sugar in recipes when they use ground millet. Many people use it to balance more savory flavors, too, though. It can be used to add bulk to things like meatloaf, or can form a unique batter for fried fish or chicken.
To create a shelf-stable product, conventionally produced flours typically have the most nutritious and flavorful parts of the wheatberry removed. The bran and germ, found in 100 percent extraction freshly milled whole grains, are rich in fiber, B vitamins and healthy fats. Store freshly milled flours in the freezer to prevent oils in the germ from turning rancid.
Breads made with freshly milled flours contain more residual sugars after fermentation due to the abundance of nutrients in the grain. When exposed to dry heat, the sugars on the surface of the loaf become deeply caramelized and release a toasty sweet aroma. For a well developed crust, bake the bread to a rich mahogany color.
Once you try bread made from milled flour you will never go back to store bought bread again!
