I'm hoping someone can answer my query:

The texture of the loaf I made today just wasn't right. The lower section was somewhat denser than the top half, while the top had some holes in it. As well, the center was a bit doughy and it gives the appearance of not being cooked long enough. The outside was good as was the crust. The dough was allowed to rise as normal and baked at 200 degrees C for 35 min and seemed ok when I took it out of the tin.

I'll welcome any suggestions

Hi

I am new to home baking and trying to bake gluten free (not yet made a great loaf, but still trying).

I have a simple coffee grinder with a rotating blade at home, but it grinds grains very finely.  I have whole Sorghum, Quinoa, Hemp and Flax seeds that I would like to use as flours in my bread.  I have heard that this is a very good way of ensuring that the flour is fresh and of a good quality and nutricious.  

I have a couple of questions about this:

1 - Will the flour that comes out of my coffee grinder be the same as bought flour (of the same type) for the purposes of baking?

2 - Can the flour be damaged by the heat generated from the blades?  If so, how long would this take to happen?  The grinder works pretty fast, and can reduce grains to powder within about 5-10 seconds.  Is this fast enough to avoid damage.  If not, would it be helpful to do 2-3 second bursts instead with a pause in between?

3 - Would "sponging" the flour produced before baking help?  (I have read a little about this technique, but never tried it)

4 - Can Teff seeds be ground for flour in a coffee grinder?  If so, where can I find them (UK)?  I have seen the flour in health shops, but never the seeds.

I would anticipate that these home-ground flours would make up about half to three quarters of the total flour blend - the rest being made up of bought potato and tapioca starch (though now I have found tapioce seeds in a local asian shop, and am considering grinding these also...)

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you.

I had a great time today at our local antique flywheelers show and was captivated by a demonstration of an antique thresher doing its job.  Powered by an antique tractor, it was a sight to behold.   The antique saw and veneer mills were equally wondrous - and by golly, not a single label was  affixed to anything warning about the dangers involved.  Those who run the show and the machines are local people of good common sense.

I couldn't help but marvel at those who invented these wonderful machines, as well as being grateful for their creativity.

But back to the threshing.  Fresh local wheat was used for the threshing.  The straw wound up in one pile and the wheat berries were deposited in a 55-gallon drum.  The folks are friendly and after talking about bread baking and wheat, I was told I could take as much of the threshed wheat as I wanted - the entire 55 gallon drum, if I had room in my vehicle!

I would up with about 25 pounds of wheat berries (about all I could carry since my car was parked a distance away).  They are very moist because of the rains we've had and contain lots of "foreign matter" in them.

Any suggestions on how to (easily) separate the strange stuff (weed seeds, crown vetch, etc) from the wheat?  I forgot to ask the farmers at the show.

I'm just getting started in milling my own grains and I wanted to be certain I know what I'm doing.  I've read some conflicting reports from all over the web and I have a few basic questions that I'm still unclear about. 

Any help is of course appreciated.

1. Is it recommended that I freeze my whole grains before using or storing?  How long should I do this?  I've read that a 48 hour freeze will kill the eggs of any critters that may be in there but I've also read that it's not much of an issue. 

2. What is the best grain storage solution?  Is it best to simply leave the grains in the freezer or in glass canisters or in food-safe buckets with gamma lids?  I've also read not to store my grains on a concrete floor and that I should put a few bay leafs in with the grain.  Obviously, I'm a bit confused here.

3. Should I sift my grains before milling?  Are stones and other seeds common enough to be a concern?  If so, what is the appropriate sized sifter and where can I find one?

4. Once I mill my grains is it recommended that I use the flour immediately as instinct suggests or, as I've read here and there, that I should wait for some period, aging the flour to some degree?  I've also read that some grains should be soaked before milling.  Another confusing issue.

5. Are there any other hints that the home miller should be made aware of?

I have loved the taste of Prairie Gold Wheat for our bread.  I buy the wheat berries and grind my own flour.  Makes great tasting whole wheat bread.

I recently purchased the steel cone grinder attachment for my Bosch Compact Kitchen Machine.  So far, I'm fairly satisfied with the results (not that I have much by way of comparison). Since I've stopped buying packaged rye flour (and now whole wheat), I find it a bit of an inconvenience to grind every time I need even small amounts for things like feeding starters.  I have read that fresh ground flour needs to be used within 24 hours or the oils start to go rancid.  I guess packaged flours, even organic, has been processed somewhat to slow down the degradation process.  Is this accurate about fresh ground flour?  I would like to at least have a few hundred grams available to use when I need it, since I don't bake more than once or twice a week.  Would refrigerating or freezing be a good option?  And how long would either of those options prolong freshness?

Thanks,

Mike

I grind my own rye berries with a Nutrimill and have noticed that the mill appears to have a much rougher time (takes at least twice as long to grind and seems to almost clog up at times) when grinding them than when grinding, e.g., hard spring wheat. Grinding rye also creates a lot more powder in my kitchen, so much so that I always grind rye outside.

The performance of my mill on rye has often puzzled me since rye is softer than wheat. I've tried both Bob's Red Mill rye berries as well as a number of brands purchased from the bulk food bins of local markets, all with the same result.

Perhaps my mill has a more difficult time with rye because rye is softer and the mill is geared towards harder grains.

I usually grind on low and fine, but often find that the mill almost appears to clog up at times (only when grinding rye) such that I have to move the dials up from fine and low from time to time to keep things moving while grinding a batch. I usually grind between 1 1/2 to 3 pounds per grind.

Anybody got any ideas on what's happening here?

--Pamela

Retsel Electric Grain Mill on Sale Now on eBay

CAVEAT: I don't know if it is permissible to link to an eBay auction on this forum. However, for those in the market for a high-end grain mill for home use, this may be of interest. I have no connection with the seller and no intention of buying this mill. (webmaster - please feel free to delete this post if you wish).

The grain mill being offered on eBay is the USA made electric Retsel Mil-Rite. The basic design of this mill is a fixed grooved grinding plate and a rotating grooved grinding plate. This design allows the miller to adjust the fineness of the flour and produce anything from cracked grain to very fine flour. It also allows the truly dedicated home miller to create speciality flours by sifting out the bran and remilling the flour (something that the more popular micronizer mills cannot do).

The Retsel mill has a good reputation for quality workmanship and durability. This mill is great for the dedicated home miller (as long as you have the space) but it would be equally appropriate for a small, speciality bakery or a co-op that wishes to mill whole grain for it's members.

The eBay mill is advertised as  "buy it now" (not an auction), which means the purchaser pays the advertised price. It is being sold for $400 USD plus shipping costs.  It looks as though the seller can only ship within the USA.

This is a photo of a Retsel mill from the Retsel's site www.retsel.com

Two independent reviews of the Retsel are here and here

... the Messerschmidt Grain Mill attachment for KitchenAid mixers?

pleasanthillgrain.com has a Family Grain Mill (FMG) which allows for direct attachment to KitchenAid mixers. The advert offers "better" than KA's own grain mill attachment. And they're touting infinite gradations and finer results.

I was wondering if anyone has used one of these?

TIA

David

I am a scratch baker, I purchase grains and use them in my bread recipes.  I have to make conversions from traditional flours to my fresh flour, has anyone else ran into this?  I have came up with several tricks, but always looking for more suggestions, along with other peoples creations with their fresh flour.