In my poking around to find healthier ways to provide meals for my family, I came across the idea of milling or grinding wheat into flour. A comment from Gingerbread reminded me that I wanted to ask for advice and information on that here.

Has anyone ever done this and do you think it is a good alternative to buying commercially prepared flour?

 What is the difference between milling and grinding?

Milling is grinding - same thing.

There's a vast difference in home milled flour and flour you buy already milled because vitamins are lost quickly when a milled flour is stored at room temperature, which stores do. When you mill flour at home, you use it immediately or freeze it (at the least, refrigerate it). The flavor is a lot better because it's fresh, too.

 Let me add that it can be less expensive than buying it already milled and if you have a grain mill, you can make flour out of things like rye, oat and barley, which are more expensive flours than wheat.

 How long does it take to grind flour? I am working out my schedule where I have a day I give time to cooking ahead on meals and other things I do like make soap and candles. I want to be sure I don't take on more than I can really handle though.

 How long depends on the mill you get. Some mills will take what seems like forever to get a half cup of flour. I used to keep the mill read all the time, then when I had a few minutes, or one of the kids looked like they needed something to do, it went into action. That way there was usually flour when I needed it. I have some information I'll email you that may help you decide.

Brandy:

 How long does it take to grind flour? I am working out my schedule where I have a day I give time to cooking ahead on meals and other things I do like make soap and candles. I want to be sure I don't take on more than I can really handle though.

 

It takes about 3 minutes to mill flour with an impact mill (Nutri Mill or a Wonder Mill (formerly called the Whisper Mill), f-o-r-e-v-e-r with a hand mill (well, not really forever, but it can seem like it).  With many hand mills you have to run the grain through, then run the flour through again, in order to get it fine enough.  So double the work.

You can make several types of dough that will help you save time.  There are refrigerator doughs - you make it up and retard it in the refrigerator and bake something for several days.  A classic recipe for refrigerator dough is Betty Crocker's Potato Refrigerator Dough (the trick to refrigerator dough is to use potatoes in it to keep the dough moist).  The book I have the recipe in gives instructions for making several kinds of rolls, as well as hamburger buns, but this dough will also make loaves.   You can use the no-knead doughs, that soak overnight.  I can share some instructional videos on the web for this method.  Using a bread machine, you can make and bake a 2-pound loaf of bread in about 1 hour, on the quick cycle. 

We only use one 1-pound loaf of bread a week (2 adults).  I usually make 2-pounds of dough and make one loaf (sometimes two).  Then I make ONE of the following with the other pound of dough:  9 dinner rolls (an 8-inch square pan), 6 hamburger buns, 6 hot dog buns, 6 pecan rolls (or cinnamon rolls).  You can make consecutive batches of dough in a bread machine and fill your freezer for the week/s with four or five hours of work.  If you make 10 pounds of dough in a Bosh Universal Kitchen Machine, you'll still only be able to bake as many loaves as your oven will accomodate (usually 2-4 loaves on one baking rack).  The rest of the dough must be retarded in the refrigerator to slow down the rise, or you'll end up with over-proofed dough.  I always have a variety of breads wrapped in pop-up foil sheets so I can take out 1, 2, or 5 of something.  I place speciality breads, like Dill Bread, rye, etc. in 2-slice amounts in the freezer.  If hubby wants a grill cheese on Dill Bread, all I have to take out is 2 slices, not a whole loaf.  Take out one hamburger bun if he's going to have leftover barbque beef.  A big batch of English Muffins will last a long time in the freezer.  I also use sourdough crumpets for breakfast, and always have a stack of them in the freezer.

I'm a real stickler for serving sizes and serving amounts.  So fresh breads aren't gobbled as soon as they are out of the oven around here.  It's so common place in fact, it never dawns on me to snitch a heel of a fresh-baked loaf of bread.

I also keep Angel Biscuits in the freezer for a fast bread.  These are biscuits that are made with yeast and frozen (unbaked).  Then you can take out as many as needed and bake them when needed - I usually bake them in a toaster oven.  Servings of grain foods for the day aren't ONLY sliced bread.  I also bake up quantities of corn bread and freeze it 2-pieces in a pop-up sheet of foil.

Once you have your freezer stock going, each week you'll probably only need to bake one or two kinds of bread, according to what's low in the freezer.

~Gingerbread 

Pat, I'd appreciate more info.

Gingerbread, I have preferred hand kneading bread and baking in an oven but due to the lack of an oven, I had to resort to a bread machine. I look forward to having a real oven again. I do have some frozen dough in the freezer so I know that system works well.

Brandy:

Gingerbread, I have preferred hand kneading bread and baking in an oven but due to the lack of an oven, I had to resort to a bread machine. I look forward to having a real oven again. I do have some frozen dough in the freezer so I know that system works well.

Brandy - Been there, done that....  I've lived with only a toaster oven before - no stove - only one hot plate and a hubby and 2 little kids to cook 3 meals a day for (and they call it "the good old days").  And another time only the stove top worked, but the oven didn't.  A bread machine would be a blessing for making & baking.  Not all bread machines are capable of making 100% whole wheat flour bread, especially with freshly-milled flour, so you would want to make light wheat bread - using up to 50% whole wheat.  I rarely freeze a yeasted dough for homemade bread since it has to be used in 4-6 weeks.   A baked loaf - 3 month freezer life.  The Angel Biscuits are good keepers in the freezer.   ~Gingerbread

Has anyone had experience in using the KitchenAid attachment for grinding grain? E