Let Them Eat Bread! Custom Milled Flours Are the Latest Healthy Trend In Baking

By SheSpeaksTeam Jun 14, 2016

If you’re trying to eat healthier, the first step is often to cut down on bread and carbs in your diet. But what if you could eat healthy without losing that delicious sandwich bread or even a breakfast muffin? Chefs and bakers have now entered what some are calling the “bread revolution”, creating new-breed flours, breads and pastries with more vitamins, minerals and even anti-oxidants.

USA Today reports about the new breeds of flour currently being milled across the country and what this can mean for our diets. One of the pioneers in the bread revolution is chef Adam Leonti who runs the Brooklyn Bread Lab where he teaches aspiring bakers how to mill their own breads, pastas and flours. Leonti explains to his students, “There are more nutrients in our most heavily milled flour than in any commercial whole wheat flour.”

The commercial flour we are used to eating and baking with has the wheat germ removed since this lengthens the product’s shelf-life. Unfortunately, it is the wheat germ that contains most of the nutrients like protein, fiber zinc and magnesium. Cookbook writer Ilona Oppenheim explains how independently milled flour retains all the goodness missing from most items on our grocery store shelves. Oppenheim says, “When you mill your own flour, you grind the bran and germ into the flour, which is where most of the vitamins and minerals are found.”

Interestingly, many people with gluten sensitivities find that they can happily consume baked goods containing the custom flours without any issues. This may be because the whole milled flour used in the baked goods have longer fermentation periods that break down the gluten before the baking process even begins.

As whole-milled flours gain popularity among chefs and bakers, baked goods made with this flour are becoming easier to find in health food stores, online, and even at your local farmer’s markets. For those that are brave enough to start their own bread revolution, there are counter top grain mills from Kitchenaid to get you started.

What do you think about the new custom flours being milled today?

Would you want to try baked goods made from non-commercial fresh flour?

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Comments

by Olivia-Monet | Wharton, OH

Nov 14, 2017

I think it's nice that there is a wide variety of different flours today. Somedays you want sour dough bread...other days you want an italian cheese bread. I would love to try something different.

by psychowitchy | Kenosha, WI

Jul 19, 2016

I like that they are coming out with alternatives to regular flour because some people have gluten issues and now there are flours that contain no gluten. Also different flours allow you to make different things in the culinary world. For instance if you want a good tempura batter rice flour is best to use, or if you want a good cake use cake flour, all purpose is ok for every day things like fried chicken etc but really one should experiment with different types of flour because each one has its qualities. I would love to try out different flours because i love to bake not just sweets but savory items as well. send some my way i will try it out for sure :)

by bhanscom | Scarborough, ME

Jul 17, 2016

I would love to try these breads -- especially when we dine out. I am gluten-free to reduce pain from inflammation due to arthritis and use a variety of milled flours -- other than wheat -- to bake. But I long for crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside bread.

by Rendam | BRIDGEPORT, OH

Jul 11, 2016

Sure but don't know much about but yes willing to try.

by angels122013 | casper, WY

Jun 26, 2016

I think it's nice that there is a wide variety of different flours today. Somedays you want sour dough bread...other days you want an italian cheese bread. I would love to try something different.

by underthesticks | Fullerton, CA

Jun 22, 2016

I have always been a huge fan of bread. I think it's awesome that new custom flours are being milled; this means that all my friends with gluten sensitivities can join in and enjoy my fun recipes this summer (can you say summertime bruschetta?!). I would definitely be open to trying new baked goods, and would love to experiment with non commercial fresh flour in my recipes.