Growing up, my mom always made fresh bread once a week. Being the rock star she is, she would time it to come out of the oven around the time we got home from school. Eating that freshly baked honey wheat bread is a core memory that I hope to create for my own children.
Many years later there has been a resurgence in the popularity of milling your own flour from home. I have slowly collected my mom’s favorite tools that she has used for milling grains for over a decade. Getting into milling grains is an investment, but one that my mom as well as my sisters and I have found to be well worth it. Today I am excited to share with you our favorite tools for milling your flour from home, and we even have a discount for you!!
Use code “FLOURBARN” for $20 off your Nutrimill purchase at checkout on select items including Nutrimill Classic Mill, Nutrimill Harvest mill and Bosch Mixers!
1. At Home Grain Mill
If you are planning to make Milling your flour from home part of your life, I recommend investing in an electric grain mill. Years ago, when my mom first learned to mill her own grains, she bought a Nutrimill, and she still uses the same one. There are two options that we personally own and love.
Nutrimill classic grain mill
This mill is fast and great for bakers who specifically want to make lots of bread. My mom chose this mill because we were a family of seven and she needed to make a lot of bread at one time. This milling system has its own bowl and mills all the grain into its included bowl fast and efficiently. This Grain mill is a great affordable option. This is the mill that my mom has used through the years, and she loves it!
NUTRImILL hARVEST SERIES
This is the mill that I personally have invested in, and I love it! It’s best feature–it’s GORGEOUS! I can’t help that I want an aesthetic kitchen, and I leave this mill out all the time. Easy access to fresh flour as well as a decoration for my kitchen is a win-win. It is also a stone mill, where the classic grain mill is a stainless-steel mill.
I would say this mill is more versatile and more convenient making Pancakes with Fresh milled flour, Waffles or muffins. It mills directly into the bowl you are using and just makes milling grains more accessible for smaller recipes. It is slightly more difficult when you are milling large amounts of grains at one time. It just takes more time. That is why if you are primarily milling large amounts of grain, I would recommend the Classic Mill.
2. Bosch Mixer
If you are planning to start making weekly bread for your family, a large mixer is a must. The Bosch mixer is among the most affordable and durable options out there for a mixer of this size. My mom has used this alongside her Nutrmill for years. Its motor makes it a work horse, and it can hold large amounts of dough, including our 6 loaf Honey Wheat Bread Recipe.
3. Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
If you feel like you are not ready to invest in a larger mixer, a Kitchen Aid mixer is a great option for smaller batches of bread, bagels and cookies. Whole Grains can often require more kneading for adequate development of gluten. This can be very difficult when you are trying to knead your doughs by hand, making an electric mixer a crucial tool for a fresh milled flour baker.
Remember that this mixer, in its home kitchen model, does have a smaller motor than a Bosch mixer or a Professional Kitchen Aid, which means it can struggle to do back-to-back batches of dough. If you are someone who normally is only making a single batch, this shouldn’t worry you. However, if you like to make lots of different doughs all in the same day–a batch of sandwich dough, cinnamon roll dough and then a batch of bagels–then you will want to look for a mixer with a stronger motor.
4. Thermapen
Fun Fact: All baked items have optimal internal temperatures! So instead of using guess work to know if your bread, biscuits or scones are done, just use a Thermapen internal thermometer to check to see if they have reached their optimal internal temperatures. This helps in preventing under baking and over baking. If you’re bread is underbaked, it doesn’t taste as good, and it will spoil more quickly. If you’re bread is overcooked, it will be too dry. The Thermapen insures it comes out perfect every time!
5. Kitchen Scale
Using a Kitchen Scale is the most efficient way to weigh! It also makes for a much easier clean up. Instead of using several different measuring cups, just weigh each ingredient directly into the bowl. Scaling your ingredients is very useful when you are milling your flour from home.
6. Grains!
Bulk bags of grains
There are so many options for wheat wheat berries when for milling your flour at your home. I have found that I often stick to two main varieties of wheat berries. Soft white wheat is what I use as my “pastry flour”. It has a milder taste and less protein, so it’s the perfect grain for baked goods whose gluten development we’re trying to minimize. Think pastries like pie crust, muffins and pancakes. Hard White, on the other hand, is the perfect grain for breads, bagels, pizza crust–baked goods where we need lots of gluten development for a great rise in the bread, or chewiness in bagels. It is higher in protein and has a mild nutty flavor.
If you want to pick one grain to start, I would start with the hard white wheat berries. They are versatile and work for all your baking projects.
variety pack of grains
If you are just starting out, give these popular varieties a try and learn what suits your baking needs best!
What Grains do I want?
For a full run down of the basics, I recommend reading our post on the Basics of Milling Your Own Grains. It includes on overview of all the different kinds of grains you can mill and what they are best for.
7. Grain Bulk Storage
Sealed 5 gallon buckets with easy open lid
Easy access sealed bulk storage on wheels
8. Grain Counter Top Storage
sealed containers for grain storage
I use this container, and it sits right next to my grain mill. I fill it up from my 5-gallon bucket and then just scoop from it during the day when I use my grains. I either use soft white wheat berries or hard white so i just keep them both beside my mill. Then I can just refill them when they’re empty.
Glass jars for easy access grain storage
My sister, Ellen, loves to experiment with different grains. She keeps her hutch filled with these jars full of different grains so she can easily mix, match and experiment.
9. Scoop for Grains
If your grain storage container does not come with its own scoop, here is the perfect option for easier measuring! Having a scoop is useful in pouring grain into your mixer, especially if you have the Harvest Series Nutrimill. It also can make weighing ingredients easier.
Tools for Bakers
Milling with grains has been a really fun way for me to grow as a baker. If you love to bake, check out my post on my Favorite Tools Every Baker Needs. And if you are specifically looking for items for Sourdough baking, check out Tools Every Sourdough Baker Needs!
Recipes to Get You Started Milling From Home
Leave a Reply