The Bread of Life
By - Ashley Thurman
How often do you think about where your food comes from? For many of us, the answer begins and ends at the grocery store. Do you find yourself quickly walking the aisles of the supermarket, drawn to eye-catching packages on the shelf? Perhaps you shop at a farmer's market, or even grow, harvest, and preserve some of your own food. What about your bread?
If you’ve been making an effort to choose healthier options, you may already be baking it yourself. But have you ever considered milling your own flour? Our relationship with flour - and how it’s made - hasn’t always looked like an aisle of perfectly sealed bags of snow-white flour.
In the late 1800s, the steel roller mill was rapidly gaining popularity. By 1900, commercially milled flour dominated the United States. This mass production of perhaps the most staple household ingredient created a problem: spoilage. If not used within a few days, milled wheat will begin to go rancid. It didn’t take long for millers to discover that removing the bran and germ after milling, leaving only the endosperm, created a shelf-stable product that would last months. Now, instead of visiting the local miller regularly, families could simply buy a bag of flour and keep it in the pantry until needed. The removed bran and germ were conveniently sold for animal feed. By the time society began to recognize that the most nutrient-dense part of the wheat was being removed, milling companies had already found a profitable alternative for the bran and germ. Rather than change course, the government mandated that millers add some basic vitamins and minerals back into the flour. Thus,
enriched flour was born. Four synthetic vitamins and minerals were added back into the flour. Meanwhile, 25-30 naturally occurring vitamins and minerals were removed with the bran and germ.
In its whole form, wheat contains as many as 40 of the 44 essential nutrients our bodies need. This simple little seed truly is life-sustaining. Freshly milled flour offers a host of benefits, including but not limited to: improved blood sugar response, slower digestion, extended feelings of satiety, and support for gut health. With a renewed cultural interest in eating whole, less processed foods, it’s no surprise that home grain milling is gaining popularity. While it might sound intimidating, it is more attainable than many people think. As Sue Becker puts it; You don’t need a mule in your backyard to mill your own flour.
Incorporating freshly milled flour into your daily routine can be accomplished with a countertop grain mill and a bucket (or two) of wheat berries. One pound of flour can be milled in your own kitchen in roughly three minutes. You also don’t have to mill every time you bake. Many people choose to mill in larger batches and store the extra in the freezer. This helps preserve freshness while making it just as convenient as reaching for a bag from the pantry. With a modest initial investment and a bit of research, many people find it a practical addition to their kitchen. Most countertop grain mills run $300 to $600. A fifty pound bag of hard white wheat costs about $70 and will yield nearly 50 loaves of bread. The possibilities go far beyond bread. Freshly milled flour can be used for rolls, tortillas, cream of wheat, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, crackers, pancakes, Pop-Tarts, pizza crust, and more. Not only is freshly milled flour nutritious, but many people also notice a significant difference in taste.
Incorporating different varieties of grain in our diets provide us with varying flavor profiles and purposes. Soft white, spelt, einkorn, and kamut are perfect for cookies, quick breads, pancakes, and cream of wheat. Hard red and hard white produce a beautiful sandwich loaf. Each grain has a slightly different flavor profile. Hard red and einkorn, for instance, are a bit stronger. While hard and soft whites are more mellow. Think about grinding your own coffee. It’s aromatic, flavorful, and fresh. This is an excellent comparison to the similar benefits of grinding your own wheat. Freshly milled wheat has a rich, nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Properties you certainly won’t find in a bag of all-purpose flour purchased from the store. But for many, the difference goes far beyond taste.
Some individuals who switch to freshly milled flour report chronic constipation disappearing, warts falling off after years of over-the-counter treatment, improved overall immunity, lowered cholesterol, reduced inflammation, lessened appearance of vitiligo, renewed energy, healed migraines, and even cured seizures. Many people who follow a gluten-free diet-free diet find that they can enjoy freshly milled baked goods with no adverse reactions. While individual experiences vary, the connection between freshly milled grain and health continues
to draw interest. There is something deeply meaningful about returning to food in its natural state. In John 6:35, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never go thirsty.” Jesus called Himself the bread of life; not something artificial or stripped down, but real, sustaining nourishment. Bread was meant to give life, and it still can.
For centuries, we utilized grains as God intended. They were harvested, ground, and consumed in ways that maximized their nutritional value. Over time and in the name of convenience, we traded the nourishment of whole grain for the efficiency and shelf stability of processed flour. Today, many are beginning to reconsider that trade. There’s something grounding about milling your own flour. It offers a return to a more intentional way of living, draws you into the process, and reconnects you with your food in a way modern convenience often replaces. Home milling is not about going backward. It’s about bringing something valuable forward.
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” Genesis 1:29
Resources: Bread Beckers Inc., Sue’s Healthy Minutes podcast, Grains in Small Places, Life Application Study Bible, Personal accounts from fresh-milled flour communities.