The Benefits of Having a Flour Mill at Home
During this time, the rise of home flour mill usage is extremely high. And while a lot of people think that buying a ready-made flour from the store is easier, the thing is that nothing can be compared to the homemade one. What’s more, milling flour is literally the same as grinding some seeds for your smoothie or cake. It’s the same process, only that the machine is larger and faster. And the reasons why so many people are turning to the use of flour home mill are many.
Flavour and Nutrition
Without a doubt, this is the first and most important reason why so many people have switched to homemade flour. The taste and flavour of homemade flour cannot be compared to any commercial white flour, as it is heavenly tasty. By using flour made in a home flour mill, you will discover a spectrum of different flavours. For instance, by milling rye at home you can feel its spicy and earthy characteristics while wheat can be grassy or nutty (depending on the used variety). The reason why home flours have an extremely pleasant and appealing flavour is that they contain the grain’s germ which is a nutrient-rich part of the wheat kernel. Usually, commercial producers remove this part in order to make the flour to last longer. This germ contains a certain amount of healthful fat that can turn flour rancid.
Available Equipment
When it comes to making a home flour, you will need to choose the right flour mill. Although manual mills are still available on the market, it is better to invest in an electric mill as it is more convenient and easy to use. Now, keep in mind that in order to make different flours, you will need to have all the machine parts. For instance, all-purpose flour needs a sieve for sifting out the bran and a bottom pan which is used for catching the fine flour.
A Range of Ingredients
Another benefit of investing in such a mill is that it allows you to mix different ingredients and types of flours. Rye, wheat berries, oats, barley and corn are some of the types that you can mix in order to create your very own unique flour. For instance, hard red wheat is great for making bread, soft wheat berries are lower in protein and gluten making it ideal for pancakes, biscuits, cookies, pies and crackers. In case you want to make pasta, you can opt for milling durum or emmer which are types of hard wheat. Another mixing and matching combo is mixing buckwheat, rye and spelt flour in pastries and bread. All-purpose flour, on the other hand, can be mixed with whole-grain flour in order to be used for baked goods.
Tips & Tricks When Milling
Although milling flour is extremely easy and simple, there are some tricks that you can keep in mind. First, you will need to carefully read the mills instructions and see how many minutes can work and how many are needed for it to rest. Overheating the mill can mute flavour and burn off nutrients which is not needed since this is the first reason why so many people love the homemade flour and bread. During the process, you can check the flour. If the flour starts feeling hot, it is time for you to open up the mill and let the flour and machine to cool off. Once done, when the flour is ready if you don’t want to use it immediately, put it in the freezer as that way it can last for several months.
One thing is certain, homemade flour can provide you with a lot of nutritional benefits because grains are essentially seeds. On the other hand, seeds are rich in different nutrients like fibre, vitamins, starch and fat. Additionally, milling your very own flour is convenient as you can make your very fresh flour whenever you need it and for whatever you need it. All you need to do is to stock on with your favourite grains and enjoy in your very own and unique flower mixture.
An important thing to have in mind is choosing a mill that will meet all of your needs. There are different types and sizes available on the market and not all can meet your particular needs. As already mentioned, you can opt from a smaller or larger home mill depending on your storage capacity and flour needs. But you should also take into account your needs. Different parts are required for the production of a specific flour. And since usually home mills come with only one part for milling, make sure that you stock yourself with the additional parts Then and only then you will be able to have the needed flours for the creation of all that tastiness.