When you use a grain mill to make your own flour at home you might have noticed that you are not getting the same results with your baking as you did with store bought flour. Your home milled flours have special baking requirements as they have a different texture than flours milled using modern means. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when baking with your home milled flours.
Pancakes
When using flours made in your grain mill for pancakes it is very important not to overwork the batter. When adding fruits they should be added to the wet ingredients then added to the flour for easier mixing. Home ground flours are excellent for savory pancakes as well as fruit or breakfast pancakes with fresh maple syrup.
Cookies
Any additional ingredients such as nuts, chocolate chips or dried fruits should be added to the wet ingredients. Over mixing is not quite as touchy with cookies however it is best to mix as little as possible using a spatula to fold in wet ingredients to dry ingredients if you want to have a nice crumb for your cookies. It’s a good idea to let the dough sit overnight in the fridge, but if time does not allow for this step than let it sit for at least 15 minutes before baking.
Muffins and Loaves
Cooking muffins and loaves requires attention to avoiding both over mixing as well as over baking. Over mixing will cause your muffins and loaves to fall flat and be unpleasantly heavy. Following the same procedure you would for cookies and pancakes by adding extra ingredients to your wet ingredients will help keep loaves and muffins light and moist. Although one of the joys of a good loaf is it’s height which keeps it moist, when using flours from a grain mill it is best to split the finished batter into two loaf pans as opposed to cooking them as you usually would in one. Another reason you might not get the rise you were hoping for with your muffins and loaves could be your oven is not warm enough.
Getting the most out of your grain mill means getting the most out of your baked goods. Following these tips will help you make the best possible baked goods with flour home milled in your grain mill.
When you are ready to purchase your grain mill call Harvest Essentials at or visit. They have everything you need for your healthy kitchen needs.
